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PilotMall.com Resource Center News
| Everyone, Welcome to this week's PilotMall.com Resource Center News. In this week's edition you'll find the latest industry news, chart expiration notices, noteworthy message board threads, new classified ads and more! Questions or Comments? Email us: feedback@ipilot.com  |
| The following charts expire on October 22, 2009. Place an order today and it will ship immediately. VFR Sectional : Albuquerque, Chicago, Dawson, Hawaiian Is., Phoenix, Salt Lake City VFR Terminal : Chicago, Phoenix, Puerto Rico- Virgin Is., Salt Lake City WAC : CF-18 IFR Enroute Low Alt : ALL IFR Enroute High Alt : ALL Terminal Procedures : ALL A/FD : ALL |
| **Check news.studentpilot.com all week for the latest updates and announcements.** Garmin unveils touch-screen G3000; PiperJet will be one of its first installations In a first for glass cockpits, Garmin unveiled its G3000 flight deck with a special touch-screen unit for data entry at the National Business Aviation Association convention last week. The system is designed for turbine aircraft and features two or three flat-panel displays, each 14.1 inches diagonal in a wider format than the G1000, the company said in a news release. A 5.7-inch touch-screen with three knobs along the bottom gives pilots one place to enter flight plans, program the autopilot, tune radios and load weather and approaches, among other actions. The main displays are not touch-screens, but retain soft keys along their bottom bezels, similar to the G1000. Piper used NBAA to announce that the PiperJet would come equipped with the G3000 flight deck as standard equipment. Garmin expects to certify the G3000 for new installations in 2011. <https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=153&pID=66916#>, <http://www.piper.com/pages/PiperAircraftSel....lutionaryPiperjet_10202009.cfm> Air taxi operator SATSair shuts down A small air taxi company that used a fleet of Cirrus SR22s to ferry passengers among 10 states from Florida to Delaware has shut down. SATSair stopped taking reservations for its on-demand flights late last week and several of its 26 planes had been repossessed, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reported. 'A combinations of circumstances will preclude us from providing scheduled flights' in the coming days, the company's voicemail message said Sunday night. The message did not say when or if the company would start flying again. Just last week, Flight Global singled out SATSair as an air taxi company that had a sustainable business model. While SATSair stopped flying a dozen of its planes earlier this year to save on costs, it was considering bringing some of those planes back to meet demand. The service cost about $600 per flight hour. <http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=911>, <http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/10/12/333287/nbaa-09-believing-the-dream.html>
Controller, corporate pilot help woman gain control of plane A woman flying with her father in his Cessna Corvalis 400 had to quickly learn to fly the plane earlier this month when her father, overcome by hypoxia at 23,000 feet, couldn't respond to radio calls. The Oct. 7 flight from Omaha to Stafford, Va., was routine until the plane entered Indianapolis Center's airspace and the pilot, who has not been identified, stopped responding to radio calls, the FAA's Air Traffic Organization reported. After several minutes, the pilot's daughter, who did not know anything about flying, came on the radio. With patient coaching from controllers and a pilot of a nearby King Air, she was able to disconnect the plane's autopilot and then reduce power to put the plane in a slow descent. The pilot revived himself as the plane passed through 16,000 feet but was still slow to respond to instructions. Controllers were able to convince him to divert to a nearby airport in Ohio, where he landed safely. The FAA posted video of the plane's radar track with accompanying communications between controllers, the corporate pilot and the woman. <https://employees.faa.gov/org/linebusiness/ato/news/features/story/index.cfm?newsId=59708>, <https://employees.faa.gov/org/linebusiness/ato/news/multimedia/videos/zid_assist_clip.wmv> EAS alive and well as Air Choice One, SeaPort Air expand route networks The federal government's subsidized Essential Air Service program is a favorite punching bag of anyone who hates pork barrel spending. But no amount of opposition or inquiry has held back the program so far, and the last few weeks have been no different, as the U.S. Department of Transportation handed out millions of dollars in new contracts for the service. SeaPort Air, which started flying between Seattle and Portland with a Pilatus PC-12 last year, picked up routes worth $6 million between Memphis and four Arkansas cities, the Memphis Commercial-Appeal reported. The routes are the company's first foray out of the Pacific Northwest. Another big winner in the latest round of EAS contracts is Multi-Aero Inc., which operates as Air Choice One. Its first EAS route, awarded earlier this year, flies between St. Louis and Kirksville, Mo., using a Piper Navajo. It will soon start service to Chicago O'Hare and St. Louis from Decatur, Ill., and Burlington, Iowa, the Decatur Herald-Review reported. The Decatur contract will bring in $3 million for Air Choice One, and the Iowa routes are worth more than $1 million. <http://www.herald-review.com/news/local/article_b226486e-287c-5068-ac97-87a8d3cf1562.html>, <http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/oct/23/connections/>  Northwest flight overshoots Minneapolis; Delta flight lands on Atlanta taxiway The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a pair of odd airliner incidents last week, neither of which injured any passengers. Early on the morning of Oct. 19, a Delta Boeing 767 from Rio de Janeiro to Atlanta landed on an active taxiway instead of the runway to which it had been cleared to land, the NTSB said in a news release. While the skies were still dark at the time of the incident, visibility was better than 10 miles and the runway lights were on. There were no other aircraft on the taxiway at the time of the landing and no one was injured. The NTSB is looking into whether there was a connection between the landing and the fact that a check airman on the flight became ill en route; the flight had earlier declared a medical emergency. In a separate incident, the NTSB has released few new details about a Northwest Airlines flight from San Diego that overflew Minneapolis by 150 miles at its cruising altitude Wednesday evening, the New York Times reported. The pilots did not respond to radio calls from Denver Center or Minneapolis Center for 78 minutes, until a flight attendant called the cockpit on the intercom to ask why the plane wasn't descending. The crew said they had been in a heated conversation that entire time and lost situational awareness, an explanation that drew skepticism from many observers. The crew had a 17-hour layover in San Diego and it was their first flight of the day, but many experts suspected the crew dozed off, something the pilots have denied. The plane turned around over Wisconsin and landed safely. <http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2009/091021b.html>, <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/us/26pilots.html?hp> Send your comments and news tips to peter@ipilot.com | |||
 | Peter Sachs has been a pilot for four years and is a certified flight instructor with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. By day, he covers the cities of Redmond and Sisters for The (Bend) Bulletin in Central Oregon. He recently received an MS in Journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, specializing in reporting and writing. He received his BA in Sociology from Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, where he also worked as a freelance reporter and news intern for the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. | ||
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 | FT News | Inside AOPA | TRAINING PRODUCTS | FINAL EXAM | |||
TRAINING TIPs‘Correct and complete’
How? In the case of FAA knowledge tests, the answer you choose should “completely resolve the problem” posed in the test question. That’s the guidance provided by none other than the FAA itself in its Recreational Pilot and Private Pilot Knowledge Test Guide publication. It explains, “From the answers given, it may appear that there is more than one possible answer; however, there is only one answer that is correct and complete. The other answers are either incomplete, erroneous, or represent common misconceptions.” Remember also that the questions you find awaiting you on your test are independent of each other. That means that “a correct response to one does not depend upon, or influence, the correct response to another.”
In the May 2008 AOPA Flight Training feature “Quiz Me: Strategies for passing your FAA knowledge test,” Karen Kahn discussed ways to keep completeness in mind when tackling challenging test questions—especially those requiring calculation or working with the supplemental data provided: “Aircraft performance charts, which have been the downfall of many an FAA test taker, have always had their exceptions listed in the footnotes of the individual chart. You can be sure that the FAA will include an incorrect answer for the unwary who forget to consider all the information and fail to ‘add 10 percent for each four knots of tailwind’ or some other crucial statement hidden in the fine print,” she said.
So look at the material carefully before choosing your response. Does it “completely resolve the problem”?
You need a minimum passing score of 70 percent on your knowledge test. But strive for higher! Your score sheet will be part of the impression you make when you present yourself for your flight test. See the Dec. 8, 2005, “Training Tip: Test scores matter.” A shining knowledge test score will dazzle your flight test examiner, too.
YOUR PARTNER IN TRAININGYou’ve been training at a towered airport under the watchful eye of air traffic control. Now your instructor says it’s time to fly to the nontowered airport 30 nautical miles away. What do you need to understand about nontowered fields? How should you communicate with other pilots to let them know where you are, and how will you understand where they are? For a good primer, read the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s Operations at Nontowered Airports Safety Advisor.
Did you know that student pilots who join AOPA are three times more likely to complete their flight training? Membership includes unlimited access to aviation information by phone (800/USA-AOPA, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time) or from AOPA Flight Training Online or AOPA Online. If you're not already a member, join today and get the pilot's edge. Login information is available online.
FLIGHT TRAINING NEWSAn ounce of prevention: GA Serves America Fund
Cessna SkyCatcher has second flight-test crashCessna’s SkyCatcher light sport aircraft crashed March 19 during a flight test 15 to 20 miles northeast of Wichita, Kan. The pilot was not injured and used the aircraft’s BRS ballistic recovery system to land. The system uses an airframe parachute to float to a landing. The aircraft previously crashed during a flight test in September 2008. Following that incident, design changes were made to enlarge the vertical stabilizer. Read more >> Flight school opens at North Carolina airportFoothills Regional Airport in Morganton, N.C., has a new flight school on the premises. Owner and CFI Susan Van Fleet launched Van Fleet Aviation earlier this month, relocating the school that she originally opened in 2002, according to a report in the Morganton News Herald. Van Fleet offers private through commercial training as well as mountain flying instruction.
Inside AOPAAirport Support Network reaches milestoneAOPA’s Airport Support Network, the nationwide system of volunteers dedicated to promoting and protecting community airports, reached an important milestone in March: The network of volunteers is now 2,000 strong. The ASN program has been growing steadily since its inception in 1997. ASN volunteers have alerted AOPA to many local airport issues over the years, a practice that helps AOPA to address issues proactively—often before it is too late. Read more >> Financial products designed for pilotsBecoming a pilot brings its own set of financial challenges. AOPA understands and offers you a variety of financial products to help you each step of the way. Looking to jump-start your flight training? The AOPA Flight Training Funds program is a line of credit that you can use to pay for anything: a rating or certificate program or just to get additional hours you need to feel safe and proficient. Thinking about purchasing your own aircraft? The AOPA Financing Program offers loans for most aircraft purchases, upgrades, and refinances. AOPA members receive low rates and extended repayment terms. Or, if you already own an aircraft, consider an upgrade using an AOPA Aircraft Improvement Loan. Use it to upgrade your avionics, overhaul the engine, renovate the interior, or repaint the exterior. When you use AOPA’s Financial Products, you are generating crucial revenue to help fund AOPA’s daily efforts to maintain the freedom, safety, and affordability of general aviation. To learn more, call 800/872-2672 or go online. New Add It Up program earns cash back on purchasesAdd It Up, a new benefit that lets you earn cash back on certain online purchases, is now available for AOPA members who carry an AOPA Bank of America credit or check card. Register your card in Bank of America’s Add It Up program and earn up to 20 percent cash back on purchases made from hundreds of online retailers. There is no limit to how much you can earn, and every dollar is deposited into the eligible Bank of America checking or credit card account. Visit the Web site to enroll your card and get step-by-step instructions. If you don’t have an AOPA credit or check card, visit the Web site to sign up.
TRAINING PRODUCTSFilm screen protector for Garmin 696/695GPS displays can be a magnet for fingerprints and scratches. If you carry a Garmin 696/695 GPS, Sporty’s now sells a pre-cut film screen protector that you can peel and stick to the glass. The film is scratch-resistant and anti-reflective. The screen protector is $29.95. Purchase it online or call 800/SPORTYS.
Note: Products listed have not been evaluated by ePilot editors unless otherwise noted. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors.
FINAL EXAMQuestion: How do I control runway lighting from the airplane when approaching a nontowered airport?
Answer: As you approach a nontowered airport with pilot-controlled lighting, you should key the microphone seven times. This will turn the system on to its highest intensity. If the lights are already on, you should still key the mic seven times to restart the timer, giving you the full amount of time. Once you are closer to the airport, you can click the mic three times to reduce the light intensity to low, or five times for medium intensity. Make sure you are transmitting on the correct frequency as some airports have a separate frequency for the pilot-controlled lighting. Test your airport lighting IQ with the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Quiz on airport lighting.
Got a question for our technical services staff? E-mail askft@aopa.org or call the Pilot Information Center, 800/872-2672. Don't forget the online archive of "Final Exam" questions and answers, searchable by keyword or topic. WHAT’S NEW ONLINETen thousand feet on a dark night above the Pennsylvania countryside is not where you want to experience an engine malfunction. But that’s what happened to pilot Emanuel Kanal. In the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s latest Real Pilot Story, “Engine Failure at Night," you’ll hear Kanal describe the ordeal in a 10-minute multimedia presentation that includes actual ATC communications. Picture PerfectPilots love to take photos, and they love to share them with other pilots. Now you can upload your flying photos to our brand-new online gallery, "Air Mail." Share your special aviation images, or view and rate more than 1,000 photos and counting. Highly rated photos will get put into rotation on the AOPA home page! AVIATION EVENTS & WEATHER
To submit an event or to search all events in the calendar, visit AOPA Online. For airport details, including FBO fuel prices, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online. Flight Instructor Refresher ClinicsThe next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are scheduled in Atlanta, Ga., Northbrook, Ill., Salt Lake City, Utah, and, Ashburn, Va., April 4 and 5; Denver, Colo., Indianapolis, Ind., and, Cincinnati, Ohio, April 18 and 19; San Diego, Calif., Tampa, Fla., and, Boston, Mass., April 25 and 26; Pensacola, Fla., and Houston,Texas, May 2 and 3; Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Albany, N.Y., May 16 and 17. For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
Can't make it in person? Sign up for the CFI Refresher Online. AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety SeminarsAOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Pittsburgh, Pa., March 30; New Cumberland, Pa., March 31; Bethlehem, Pa., April 1; Plymouth Meeting, Pa., April 2; Blacksburg, Va., April 13; Clayton, Mo., and Danville, Va., April 14; Warrensburg, Mo., and Richmond, Va., April 15; Springfield, Mo., and Hampton, Va., April 16; Concord, Calif., April 20; Fresno, Calif., April 21; Palmdale, Calif., April 22. Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. | Advertisers Got news? Contact ePilot. Having difficulty using this service? Visit the ePilot Frequently Asked Questions now at AOPA Online or write to epilot@aopa.org. |
This issue of ePilot was created for KENNETH WALKER at KMAN93553@VERIZON.NET |
