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.
Special use airspace includes military operations areas, prohibited areas, alert areas, warning areas, restricted areas and controlled firing areas. This week’s video tip explains how to identify their location and best practices for making sure you don’t accidentally fly into one.
The winter flying season is officially here, which means we have a new set of challenges to deal with while flying in sub-freezing temperatures. Flight training doesn’t need to stop in the winter though; in fact the colder months provide some great opportunities to expand your knowledge on weather and aircraft operations in less than ideal conditions.
The FAA recommends standard traffic pattern flows at nontowered airports in an effort to maintain order and a safe environment for aircraft arrivals and departures. This includes specific instructions on how to enter back into the pattern after spending some time practicing maneuvers at a higher altitude away from the airport. This week’s video tip illustrates several methods to do this, depending on the direction from which you’re approaching the airport, in an effort to get established on the downwind leg at the published traffic pattern altitude.
There are several new flight maneuvers to learn during Commercial Pilot Training. One of the new ground reference maneuvers is called Eights on Pylons, which involves flying a figure 8 pattern over the ground while varying the aircraft’s altitude in order to maintain a defined visual reference to preselected reference points, called pivot points, or pylons.
The common-sense interpretation is that when it’s dark, ensure you’re landing current and turn on your lights. Carry extra fuel. And just because you may legally fly solo to obtain your landing currency, that doesn’t make it wise. A good rule of thumb, if you’re beyond currency, is to engage a flight instructor.
Night is simply one of the best times to fly–the air is smooth, the airport isn’t as busy and the view out the window is incredible. This week’s video takes a closer look at night flying and some best practices to follow to ensure your next flight in the dark is as safe as it enjoyable.
During your preflight briefing, you observe that the air is clear and there are no storms in sight – does this mean you’re in store for a smooth, enjoyable flight? Possibly, but you should also consider another weather factor that can have a big impact on the comfort of the flight on VFR days: turbulence. This week’s tip takes a look at ways to avoid rough air and find a smoother ride on your next flight.
Not every approach and landing will be by the book during your training, and you’ll inevitably encounter situations when you round out too high, overshoot the touchdown point or bounce after the initial touchdown. This is perfectly normal and learning how to recover from these scenarios will improve your confidence and help you make better landings in the long run.
Standard 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.
If you’ve held a valid medical certificate at any point after July 14, 2006, you may never have to see an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) again under the BasicMed rule. This week’s video takes a look at how the BasicMed program works, its limitations and the steps you need to take to keep your BasicMed status current.
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