Flight Training - December 2013 - 12

PREFLIGHT»

SUCCESS STORY

Where the world is peaceful
Daughter catches the bug

NAME: Cathy Rickers
AGE: 52
EVENT: First solo
WHERE: Newtown Municipal Airport
(TNU), Iowa
AIRPLANE: Piper Warrior

MY DAD IS an EAA member and warbird enthusiast who infected me early
in life with his passion for World War II aircraft. My brother and I knew
the names of all the planes, what they looked like, and what they were for. I
have a good friend who flies a gorgeous red Stearman and has given me
rides and been patient about "talking planes." But what finally clinched
it was when I was the leader for my daughter's Girl Scout troop about a
decade ago. One scout's dad manages our airport and gave the girls a lesson on how
airplanes fly, followed by a ride over our city. At one point, he let me have the controls. I
was hooked. I have wanted to fly ever since.
My CFI is terrific and easily the most patient person I have ever met. He is always
happy to go back over something technical I just couldn't wrap my head around.
Sometimes, I think he has more faith that I will finally learn what he is teaching me
than I do.
I can say that passing the FAA knowledge test and finally soloing has made me feel
like I can (almost) accomplish anything! But, the best part is I get to be "up there"
where the world is peaceful and beautiful, and I am free for a while from whatever
earthbound concerns I might have. When I finally get my license, I would like to spend
some time in a taildragger, so that someday I might get to try an old bird. Why not?

Share your experience on Flight Training's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/
AOPAFlightTrainingMag).
NEWS

FAA to release easier-to-read notams

BY DAN NAMOWITZ

Pilots can now report conditions
THE FAA SAFETY Team is advising pilots of
several changes to the format of notices to
airmen and the contractions used in notams.
The revisions, which took effect October 1,
were "designed to harmonize the U.S. system"
with International Civil Aviation Organization
(ICAO) standards "and make notams more easily read," the FAA said.
The most significant changes will affect
notams about field conditions (FICON notams),
the FAA said. During periods when field conditions are not being reported, a FICON notam
may be originated for a pilot-reported condition, with the words "pilot reported" preceding
FICON. The notam's expiration time must not
exceed 12 hours.
The FAA notice detailing the changes contains a list of reportable surface contaminants
and explains the presentation of items, including the notam's effective time and expiration,
and units of measurement used (for example,
when a measurement in feet is given, "500" will

12 /

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

change to "500FT"; when a measurement in
miles is given, "5" will change to "5NM").
The new format will add runway lengths and
declared distances to information about runways with displaced thresholds so pilots will
not have to calculate the new distances.
Changes also have been made to the presentation of altitudes, with affected altitudes
shown between lower and upper limits.
For example, "1000/BLW" will change to
"SFC-1000FT."
Newly included in notam content will be
information affecting Traffic Information
Service and Flight Information Service broadcasts (TIS-B and FIS-B). TIS-B information
augments automatic dependent surveillancebroadcast (ADS-B) data in equipped aircraft.
FIS-B broadcasts weather and operational
information.
AOPA urges members to review the
changes (www.faasafety.gov/spans/
noticeViewaspx?nid=4908).

THE CHANGES WERE
DESIGNED TO
'HARMONIZE THE
U.S. SYSTEM' WITH
INTERNATIONAL
CIVIL AVIATION
ORGANIZATION
STANDARDS.

http://www.facebook.com/AOPAFlightTrainingMag http://www.facebook.com/AOPAFlightTrainingMag http://www.faasafety.gov/spans/noticeView.aspx?nid=4908 http://www.faasafety.gov/spans/noticeView.aspx?nid=4908 http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Flight Training - December 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - December 2013