More Than 60 Hours Of Seminars... And A Great Movie, Too

Attendees at next week's AOPA Expo in Palm Springs, CA will have plenty of opportunity to learn while they have fun. More than 60 hours of seminars will run throughout the three-day show.

Favorite speakers, including aviation humorist Rod Machado, and a host of new presenters will conduct seminars. Attendees will have a variety of seminar topics to choose from, such as decision making, aircraft ownership, medical certification, interior renovations, and instrument flying.

The AOPA Air Safety Foundation will host several safety seminars, including its latest release, Radio Communications, which will debut at Expo. The seminar will present practical guidance on effective two-way communication, standard phraseology, and common communication pitfalls for both VFR and IFR pilots.

Other Air Safety Foundation seminars that will be presented at Expo include: Emergency Procedures, which focuses on how to keep abnormal situations from becoming full-blown emergencies, offers advice on keeping critical problems under control, and tells attendees what they need to know about off-airport landings; GPS: Beyond Direct-To offers tips on using GPS to its full potential, such as how to use a VFR GPS legally while flying on instruments and how to escape the Going Perfectly Straight (GPS) crash syndrome; and Single-Pilot IFR takes a look at some common IFR-related accidents and discusses some of the important issues such as planning, equipment, organization, situational awareness, and weather, associated with flying IFR alone.

In addition, the Air Safety Foundation will present its popular Pinch-Hitter course, specifically for non-flying companions, each day of the show.

Expo seminars are conveniently organized into two tracks -– Proficiency and Safety, and Ownership and Flying. After registering through AOPA Online, attendees can select the seminars they wish to attend, and then print their customized schedule to take with them to the show.

Free "One Six Right" Screening... In HD

But what about plans for after the Expo? Well, anyone who has wanted to see the aviation movie "One Six Right: The Romance of Flying" will have that chance -- free of charge -- on Thursday, November 9.

"Since the movie was released last year, it has become a hit throughout the aviation community and beyond," said Jeff Myers, AOPA executive vice president of communications. "We're pleased to provide all Expo attendees with the opportunity to enjoy this film that promotes general aviation through insightful interviews and breathtaking imagery."

The film is a documentary about the history of Van Nuys Airport, but also a tribute to the passion of pilots and the adventure of aviation. "Even those who have already seen "One Six Right" will want to experience it in high definition at Expo," said Myers.

The special movie event at AOPA Expo is sponsored by Van Nuys Flight Center. Filmmaker Brian Terwilliger will present One Six Right on Thursday, November 9, 2006, immediately following the Welcome Reception, in the Ballroom of the Palm Springs Convention Center. The movie runs approximately 73 minutes.

Expo attendees are encouraged to attend the screening. Although admission is free, there will be an opportunity to make a donation to the AOPA Air Safety Foundation.

In addition, DVDs of One Six Right will be on sale at the event, with a portion of the proceeds going to the AOPA Air Safety Foundation.

With more than 408,000 members, representing nearly two thirds of all pilots in the United States, AOPA is the largest aviation association in the world.

FMI: www.aopa.org