One morning soon you’ll wake up and the sun will be shining, the birds will be chirping, and you’ll wander outdoors to discover it’s almost T-shirt weather. Today, you tell yourself, today’s the day to get back into the sky. The fly-in season will be here before you know it.
March 3, 2020, at 3:28 p.m., N43368—a Piper PA-46 310P Malibu—was cleared for takeoff from Runway 23 at Columbia Metro Airport (CAE) in Columbia, South Carolina.
A continuous stream of stories about aircraft accidents and incidents has been dominating the news and social media. But if you look past the headlines and viral videos, what many nonaviators don’t realize—and what many in the general aviation community may forget—is that GA is still safer than ever.
The FAA has agreed to change how it processes certificated flight instructor renewals after numerous CFIs contacted AOPA, confused about the regulator’s recently introduced policy of no longer printing expiration dates on new CFI certificates.
More than a dozen aviation associations will join AOPA in launching the National Pause for General Aviation Safety on April 1 at the Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida.
Everyone knows about crop dusters. Daredevil pilots flying two to five feet above the ground, popping up just before the wires at the end of the field, performing a wingover, and then right back down on the deck to spray in the opposite direction.
Air traffic controllers who assisted the pilot of a Beechcraft Bonanza running low on fuel as weather closed were among many honored by their peers—and by AOPA—for rendering effective professional assistance to pilots in need.
It is always critical to maintain situational awareness in flight. In minor lapses, you may miss a radio call or become briefly disoriented. In the worst cases, a loss of situational awareness can lead to a loss of control in flight.
Taking your first passengers flying can be as intimidating for you as it is for them. So here are some ways to make the flight as comfortable as possible.
The AOPA Air Safety Institute cautioned pilots and organizers of backcountry events to be prepared for wind shifts, traffic management challenges, and high density altitude at larger events as interest in off-airport operations continues to grow.
The AOPA Air Safety Institute is committed to reducing general aviation mishaps by providing free educational resources and supporting initiatives that improve general aviation flight safety.
AOPA Air Safety Institute’s updated Fatal Flight Training Accident Report 2000–2019 shows a near 50-percent reduction in the fatal instructional accident rate over 20 years and a lower accident rate for instructional aviation than general aviation overall.
In a gripping account of quick thinking and teamwork, the story of a Cessna Caravan’s near miss shows the importance of preparing passengers for emergencies.
It was a beautiful April morning at the Scottsdale, Arizona, airport when a young Cessna 152 renter pilot entered the office of the chief flight instructor to report a problem.
In this Pilot Short Story produced by the AOPA Air Safety Institute, a pilot must make a split-second decision: either abort his takeoff or continue the flight up into uncertainty.
Part Three, IFR Flight Plan Filing: Tools and Tips, offers practical advice on anticipating our filed IFR route clearance. This makes things easier when copying and reading back our final clearance.