“The FAA’s actions are actually creating safety concerns because they undermine a basic principle of aviation safety that a pilot should be trained in the aircraft he or she will be flying. This bill restores the FAA’s previous common sense interpretation of these flight training regulations and reestablishes a system which had been in place and working for decades.”
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
66,000 GA pilots flying under BasicMed
“We are experiencing the best safety numbers in years, even while the skies are busier than ever. The data clearly show that BasicMed has been an undeniable success,” said AOPA President Mark Baker.
AOPA Foundation’s high school STEM curriculum earns accreditation
Other organizations that have received STEM.org Trustmarks include The Walt Disney Co., Staples, the NBA, and The New York Times.
Hangars in high demand
The results of AOPA’s Airport Support Network survey indicated that 71% of airports have a waiting list for their hangars. And at those airports with a waiting list, 72% of aircraft owners waited from six months to more than two years to get a hangar.
The Impossible Turn debate continues
In Reality Check: The Runway Behind You, the AOPA Air Safety Institute tested the “impossible turn” using a Piper PA-18 Super Cub, a Van’s RV-4, a Cessna 172N, and a Beechcraft Bonanza A36.
Is your CFI the best?
Anyone who has taken flight training — initial or recurrent — during the past 12 months is asked to “candidly assess the process and rate their individual experience” in the survey, according to AOPA officials.
Accident Case Study: Faulty assumptions
In a new video from the AOPA Air Safety Institute, a pilot’s mistaken beliefs and faulty assumptions leads to a disastrous outcome for him and his five passengers.
Legal decision creates ‘confusion and concern’ about flight training
In a court case, judges ruled that “a flight instructor who receives compensation for flight instruction is carrying persons for compensation or hire.” This created confusion among flight instructors about what is — and isn’t — allowed in flight training.
West Virginia exempts sales tax for aircraft parts and labor
The new law, which goes into effect Sept. 1, 2021, applies to all aircraft and is expected to save owners of single-engine aircraft an estimated $159 a year based on average annual maintenance costs of $2,500.