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.
While spin training is only required for new flight instructor candidates, pilots of all skill levels should still know the steps and control inputs to recover from a spin. Join Patty Wagstaff in her Super Decathlon aerobatic airplane, as she first explains what an airplane spin is, and then the proper spin recovery steps to return to straight and level flight.
Steep turns are one of those core pilot skills – whether you’re a new student pilot or an experienced pro, being able to complete this maneuver safely and smoothly requires coordination and good “seat of the pants” flying. Learn some helpful tips for making better steep turns in our latest video tip.
The FAA encourages pilots to conduct a self-weather briefing before each flight and no longer considers a Flight Service phone briefing as the primary source for preflight weather. In this video, we’ll highlight various sources of weather products you can use and how to ensure you always get a complete briefing.
There are a lot of factors that go into choosing an alternate airport when filing an IFR flight plan. Here we’ll take a deep dive at the approach and alternate minimums charts and look at the legal and practical considerations to help you make the best decision.
During your flight training you will practice stalling the airplane to better learn the low-speed handling characteristics of the airplane, and how to recover if an unintentional stall occurs. In this video tip we’ll look at how the airflow changes over the wing as it nears the critical angle of attack and eventually stalls.
Welcome to the latest edition of the Flight Maneuver Spotlight series. Here we’ll highlight the various maneuvers you’ll practice during your flight training and be expected to demonstrate during your private pilot checkride. Each maneuver is part of Sporty’s 2023 Learn to Fly Course and includes a narrated video animation, along with step-by-step instructions.
There are many considerations when planning a VFR cross-country flight and a direct course between two airports isn’t always an option. This week’s tip takes a look at how to use the 2D and 3D planning tools in ForeFlight to evaluate both controlled and special-use airspace that might get in the way and how to choose the optimum route and altitude based on these variables.
Getting out of the traffic pattern and going on a real trip is a lot of fun. It may even be the reason you’re learning to fly in the first place. But the same reasons these trips are so much fun – new places to see, a goal at the end of the flight – can lead to challenges if you aren’t prepared. Here are six rules to keep in mind when you’re flying VFR cross countries.
Pilots should get in the habit of filing and opening VFR Flight Plans when flying away from the local airport environment. Then, in the unlikely event that you have an emergency or off-airport landing, the authorities know to come look for you along your planned route of flight.
The soft-field takeoff technique will be required when departing from runway surfaces made of grass or dirt and will allow you to keep as much weight off the nose wheel as possible during the takeoff roll.
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