Floatplane transition training
AOPA Blog
by Robert DeLaurentis
2y ago
We as humans seek experiences that are routine, comfortable and safe. We intentionally do things that are predictable because we like to believe we can control our environment and for that matter ourselves. Control we eventually realize is only an illusion. Change is rarely easy. Learning new things is often punctuated with awkward moments, frustration, failure and surprises that can literally stop us in our tracks. As pilots we could argue we have a slightly higher tolerance for this sort of uncertainty and risk but at our core we are still risk averse. This exposure to ri ..read more
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VFR on top…and the hole closes
AOPA Blog
by Garrett Fisher
2y ago
It is rather well established that one of my most transcendent routines is to climb above a broken or overcast layer in the mountains, flying around in a bubble of tranquility. I enjoyed a comparable experience in Yellowstone once, flying over deep snows in early winter, well away from roads and ranger stations, out of radio range of flight service, while also not in range of cell service. The Yellowstone flight was not above the clouds, though the principle was similar. There is something incredibly freeing that comes from a total disconnection from human civilization, whether it comes from l ..read more
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Flying Slice of History; the Rare Noorduyn Norseman to OSH21 Pt.1
AOPA Blog
by Jolie Lucas
2y ago
In late June 2021 I received a message from Brent Blue asking if I would like to fly right seat to Oshkosh in his 1942 Noordyun Norseman.  Honestly I had never heard of the Norseman but after a quick review of this historic Canadian WWII aircraft I was keen to say yes. Pilot and Right Seat Pilot           Brent Blue & Jolie Lucas I had never flown with Brent but knew him through his work with AOPA [more here] and his website Aeromedix  We spent a few hours talking about planning, our individual flying styles, ratings, wish list ..read more
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Schedule Changes
AOPA Blog
by Chip Wright
2y ago
I was recently explaining to someone the vagaries of my airline schedule, and the fact that my preferred overnights were not as available because of the way the trips had been changed. This led to a series of questions about the hows and whys of schedule construction. Every airline tweaks its schedule from month to month and season to season. What is little realized is just how complex this process is. Even at an airline like Southwest or Spirit that only flies one fleet type, there are multiple models of the same airplane with varying seat capacities. At airlines that fly multiple fleet types ..read more
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FAA to extract visibility from weathercams through crowd sourcing: looking for Alaskan volunteers
AOPA Blog
by Tom George
2y ago
Since its inception the FAA Weather Camera Program has provided Alaska pilots with a valuable tool, helping us make critical go/no go decisions.  Today, FAA is looking to squeeze more information out of the system by estimating visibility from the images.  To conduct a demonstration project, they are looking for 40 weather camera users—pilots, dispatchers or other users, to make visibility estimates based on web camera images.  If you are willing to help advance this effort, consider participating in a short training session, and signing up to help. The FAA Weather Camera Progr ..read more
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Medical Events
AOPA Blog
by Chip Wright
2y ago
Medical emergencies in flight are pretty rare, but when you consider the numbers, it is inevitable that some will happen. With 50 to 350 people on an airplane, some of whom already have underlying health issues and may be experience more stress than normal because of the travel experience, someone will eventually get sick. Hopefully, it is relatively minor and not a life-threatening event, and better still if there is a medical professional of some sort on board. In my days at the regionals, the decision to execute a diversion was almost entirely in the hands of the crew. As you can imagine, t ..read more
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Flying in other countries
AOPA Blog
by Chip Wright
2y ago
Aviation is supposed to be a world with a common language, but it doesn’t always work as well in practice as it does in theory. English is the agreed-upon language, but the fact is, not everyone speaks it as a primary language, and many struggle with it. I do quite a bit of flying in Mexico and Central America, and most of the controllers speak English fairly well, while others clearly struggle to speak with a minimal accent. When I used to fly over certain parts of Japan, China, and Russia, the problem could be compounded. Russians, for instance, use meters versus feet. Add to this the unusua ..read more
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NASA terrain avoidance flight system demonstrated
AOPA Blog
by Tom George
2y ago
NASA is developing technology initially created for fighter aircraft into a tool to help general aviation aircraft to avoid collisions with terrain.  While many of us fly today with features in our GPS that will alert us to the proximity of terrain, the basic response is, “pull up—pull up.” If, however you are in a confined location that option may not be the best response—or even possible.  While still ‘work in progress,’ NASA is hosting a live, online demonstration of their Resilient Autonomy Activity, an outgrowth of a system developed for use in the F-16 fighters.  Mark your ..read more
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Regional pilot bonuses
AOPA Blog
by Chip Wright
2y ago
If there was ever any doubt about the need for pilots, or the need to try and retain pilots, those doubts have been squarely put to rest. In August, Piedmont, PSA, and Envoy, all of whom fly under the American Airlines banner, announced significant retention bonuses. All captains are to receive $30,000 immediately, first officers will receive $30,000 when they upgrade, all pilots who stick around for the flow to American will receive $70,000, and there will also be $50,000 biannual bonuses available, with the details to be announced. This is a blatant admission that the pipeline of pilots is d ..read more
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Reinventing yourself: Finding and buying a floatplane
AOPA Blog
by Robert DeLaurentis
2y ago
Emboldened by my recent Single Engine Seaplane (SES) rating and move the Pacific Northwest, it was time to set out on a search for a very special airplane. But which one? There are so many different types of seaplanes, should I go with a classic or something newer? Floats or a flying boat? Honestly, I had no idea, so my first thought was to throw caution into the wind (pun intended) and just log onto one of the online airplane-buying magazine sites. I knew of three which included Barnstormers, Trade-A-Plane and Controller. Surely, I would be able to find something that worked for me!  ..read more
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