Four-Part Series Will Run In Group's Weekly Newsletters

It’s no secret that rising fuel prices are really putting the pinch on pilots. So the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is taking steps to help members get the most out of each aviation fuel dollar.

"We can’t drive the cost of crude oil down," said Woody Cahall, AOPA’s vice president of Government Affairs, Pilot Information Center. "But we have a lot of experience to draw on, and we can help our members fly as fuel-efficiently as possible."

Beginning with the Friday issue of AOPA’s weekly ePilot and eFlight Training electronic newsletters, AOPA’s Pilot Information Center (the technical staff who answer your questions) will publish a four-part series on ways pilots can reduce their fuel costs by reducing fuel consumption. The series will also be posted on AOPA's website.

The series begins with a look at things pilots can do in the cockpit, such as proper leaning, economy cruise settings, and cruise descent. Subsequent installments will look at efficient flight planning to make best use of winds and weather conditions, aircraft condition including the engine and cleaning up items that create drag, and aircraft modifications that can improve speed, efficiency, and overall performance on any flight.

AOPA has taken other steps to help members keep fuel costs down, such as partnering with an online fuel-tracking website to list current fuel prices by airport in AOPA’s Airport Directory Online. The directory’s search function allows pilots to find the cheapest avgas near their home airport or along their route of flight.

"As with automotive fuel, there is no indication that aviation fuel prices are going to go down anytime soon," said Cahall. "So pilots need to do what they can to conserve fuel, and we want to help them do that."

FMI: www.aopa.org/apps/epilot