CFI Focus: How to fly a power-on stall in a Cessna 172
Join Sporty’s Senior CFI Noah Frye in our new Flight Instructor Focus series, as he talks through how to fly the Power-On Stall maneuver in a Cessna 172.
About Bret Koebbe
As Sporty’s lead aviation course and video producer, Bret is usually flying an interesting airplane, and often with a camera rolling. He oversees the development, production and distribution of over 30 aviation courses from Sporty's, including the Private Pilot Learn to Fly Course. He is a flight instructor and check airman at the Sporty's Academy flight school and a senior captain on a Cessna Citation.
Entries by Bret Koebbe
Video tip: Flying airplanes with retractable landing gear
/in Video Tips/by Bret KoebbeMany high-performance airplanes feature retractable landing gear that allows them to fly at higher speeds thanks to the reduced drag (and they look cool too). There are new operational considerations to learn when transitioning to this type of airplane, including the best time to raise the gear after takeoff and lower the gear before landing.
Video tip: How to handle crosswinds during takeoff
/in Video Tips/by Bret KoebbeWhen planning for takeoff, it’s best to choose a runway at the departure airport that is most aligned with the wind. Unfortunately, the winds rarely blow right down the runway, so you must learn how to accomplish takeoffs and landings under crosswind conditions. This week’s tip looks at the control inputs required and performance implications when performing a crosswind takeoff.
How to avoid wake turbulence from large airplanes (video tip)
/in Video Tips/by Bret KoebbeA hazardous phenomenon that all pilots learn to avoid when operating at airports is wake turbulence. This invisible turbulence is caused by a pair of counterrotating vortices behind an airplane’s wingtips, generated whenever a wing develops lift.
How to read a METAR aviation weather report (video tip)
/in Video Tips/by Bret KoebbeOne of the first aviation-specific weather products you’ll learn to use is called an Aviation Routine Weather Report, or METAR for short, which is an observation of weather conditions at an airport.
Quiz: VFR Cross-Country Flight Planning
/in Quiz/by Bret KoebbeWinds aloft, true course, heading and groundspeed. Can you put all the puzzle pieces together and plan a successful cross-country flight?
How to preflight a Cessna 172 airplane
/in Video Tips/by Bret KoebbeThe airplane preflight inspection is performed before each flight to ensure that all the required paperwork is on board, that the airplane systems are working properly and that the correct amount of fuel and oil are in the tanks. It’s your chance to really look the airplane over inside and out to assure yourself that it’s ready to fly, because once you’re airborne, you just can’t pull over in case something goes wrong.
How to make the most of marginal VFR weather conditions
/in Video Tips/by Bret KoebbeSometimes terrain, icing, lack of instrument rating or proper equipment can make flying on an Instrument Flight Plan (IFR) not an option. But that doesn’t mean you need to cancel a flight just because there’s weather along the route or it’s not perfect VFR.
Video Tip: The Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH)
/in Video Tips/by Bret KoebbeYou’ll find a “how-to” manual on every airplane that describes how to operate that particular model, called the pilot’s operating handbook, or POH. This week’s tip takes a look at the information contained in the POH, along with the differences between the version that must be kept on the airplane and the one sold off the shelf at the local pilot shop.
Departing the Airport Traffic Pattern – HD Flight Maneuver Spotlight
/in Flight Maneuvers/by Bret KoebbeStandard VFR departure procedures are established at pilot-controlled airports to ensure that departing aircraft remain clear of incoming traffic as they climb out of the terminal airport environment.
