AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2019 - 110

NEWS & NOTES

AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

Not a scratch

Feel confident parking wherever you go
BY ALICIA HERRON

Edited for dramatic effect
PARKING AN AIRPLANE seems straightforward, and with
local flights, it typically is. You'll depart from and return
to the same place, and you might have an instructor,
fellow pilot, or savvy passenger there to help you. The
process is easy, comfortable, and known.
But we like to use our certificates to go places and
explore and you'll (hopefully!) venture out to unfamiliar
airports. You'll need to shut down, stretch your legs, or
fuel up. Valet parking likely won't be an option. So how
should you approach parking in a new place?
Like most decisions in aviation, it depends. You can
start by asking yourself a few questions: How long do
you plan to stay? Do you need fuel? Is there a storm
coming?

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Participating FBOs list fees such as tiedown
and hangar fees, as well as fee waivers for fuel
purchases, in AOPA's airport directory.
aopa.org/destinations

If you're just planning a short stop, consider transient parking, which is often free and well-marked.
You'll see yellow or white Ts painted on the ground and
maybe ropes or chains to help tie down the airplane.
Don't forget to put in the control lock or, if you don't
have one available, use tightened seatbelts to minimize
control movement.
If you need to park and fuel and don't feel like heading to self-serve (or if self-serve isn't available), many
FBOs will waive their parking fee if you fuel up with
them. When parking at an FBO, you may mingle with
aircraft much bigger than yours. Keep an eye out for any
lit beacons even if you can't hear the whir of an engine
or two-the pilots may be getting ready to start up or
taxi away. Unexpected jet blast or rotor wash can make
110 | AOPA PILOT August 2019

your trip to parking a little more
interesting than you'd like.
Depending on what kind of airplane you have, you may want to
keep it inside overnight. Call ahead
and ask the airport about hangar
parking and fees. If a storm is coming through, an expensive night
indoors for your airplane will be
less expensive than repairing hail
damage.
Wherever you park, you may
be greeted by an aircraft marshal
wildly waving his or her arms or
orange batons. Especially at fly-ins
and pancake breakfasts, you'll feel
more confident if you know what to
expect when you arrive.
Arriving at a new airport is
always exciting, but don't get distracted by the red carpet at an FBO
or the enticing promise of freshly
baked cookies inside-make sure
the airplane is secured and that
the magnetos, master, and mixture
are off and out. If at any point on
the ground you think you might
hit something, just shut down the
engine and assess from outside. A
little embarrassment is better than
a bent airplane, and wing tips can
be hard to judge. Go explore with
confidence!
EMAIL alicia.herron@aopa.org

airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/
marshalling

ASI NEWS

SEAPLANE FFR

Be the best pilot you
can be with the AOPA
Air Safety Institute's
new Focused Flight
Review, Seaplane Module.
Designed to tackle gaps
in proficiency, the AOPA
Air Safety Institute's
newest Focused Flight
Review is the first created
for seaplanes. You can
find all profiles here:
airsafetyinstitute.org/
focusedflightreview

QUIZ: RADIO
COMMUNICATION

Roger, roger!
Do you know the difference between "roger" and
"affirmative"? According
to the Pilot/Controller
Glossary, "roger" is the
proper way of saying,
"I heard your last transmission" but does not
mean that you will comply with an instruction.
It is not meant to take
the place of "affirmative," which means yes.
Test your radio communication knowledge with
this ASI quiz-you already
have the answer to one
question!
airsafetyinstitute.org/
quiz/radiocomm

http://airsafetyinstitute.org/focusedflightreview http://airsafetyinstitute.org/focusedflightreview http://www.aopa.org/destinations http://airsafetyinstitute.org/quiz/radiocomm http://airsafetyinstitute.org/quiz/radiocomm http://airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/marshalling http://airsafetyinstitute.org/videos/marshalling

AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2019