Aopa Pilot

When it came time to take her ATP checkride, one of her checkride mates told her about an open position in the Carolinas doing aerial survey work. Not knowing much about it, the hiring slowdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic and the promise of easy multiengine time was enough to get her interested, and Paul hasn’t looked back since.

Some claimed that a power-off landing can’t possibly be stable. Others disagreed but identified configuration changes like extending flaps or changing the propeller pitch on short final would be the destabilizing culprit. I was struck by how worrying about such issues can run counter to safety and strictly adhering to the FAA’s definition misses the point. I’d argue that the definition is a bad one anyway.

It’s that time of year again. 10,000 airplanes will be converging onto the hallowed grounds of EAA AirVenture 2026 and I will be in one of them. The week of aviation events at Oshkosh is by far my favorite week of the year and landing on the colored dot is a coveted experience for any GA pilot. The AOPA Flying Clubs team will be hosting our flagship seminar Maximum Fun, Minimum Cost: The Wonderful World of Flying Clubs on Thursday July 23rd at 1600 in the AOPA Program Pavillion.

Back in April, the AOPA Flying Club Initiative was honored to receive an invitation from the Blue Sky Aviation Association to attend its annual banquet and witness not one, but four members receive the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. My colleague and student pilot Laura Wixon joined me in a Cessna 182 for the trip from Frederick, Maryland, to Somerville, New Jersey (KSMQ).

Welcome to the Safety Section of the Flying Clubs Newsletter, Club Connector! Every month we provide resources for flying club safety officers to keep their clubs informed and safe.

AOPA is working with local pilots at Aeroflex/Andover Airport after the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, which operates the airport, sent eviction notices to local pilots. In a letter sent to tenants, the Forest Fire Service said due to “significant construction activities” to “address critical repair and condition issues,” the airport will no longer allow pilots and airport businesses to lease hangar space.

The new law goes into effect on August 1 and prohibits the use of ADS-B data to charge fees to pilots flying aircraft weighing less than 12,500 pounds under FAR Part 91 (noncommercial operations). It passed the Louisiana Senate unanimously and passed the House on a 91-8 vote. While more states are considering related legislation, AOPA is pursuing a national policy to avoid a patchwork of laws across the country.

As uncrewed aircraft become more common over farmland, the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) says the future of agricultural aviation may depend less on competition between drones and pilots and more on how they coordinate. While drone technology has advanced rapidly—particularly in the theater of war—there is no immediate danger that autonomous flying tankers will replace Air Tractors and their ilk flown by human pilots.

From an underwriter’s standpoint, one word matters above all others: risk. And few things reduce aviation risk more effectively than consistent recurrent training. Recurrent training demonstrates that you’re proactive about safety—something insurance underwriters value highly. Whether it’s formal simulator training, type‑specific instruction, or IFR proficiency work, these sessions reinforce the skills that reduce accident likelihood. Insurers view trained pilots as more predictable pilots.

So what happens when there is an equipment failure and you can no longer transmit or receive voice communication? First, troubleshoot. If you have more than one radio in your aircraft, ensure you have the correct radio (Com 1/Com 2) selected, the radio is tuned to the correct frequency, and the volume is up. If troubleshooting fails, it's time to squawk 7600 on your transponder, and take action.