It was his first airplane trip at age seven that made Eric decide to become a pilot. "While boarding the airplane, a flight attendant noticed my interest in the flight deck and urged me to go talk to the pilot. I give a lot of credit to that pilot for my career choice." He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and went on to an airline career. Eric now serves as Chief Instructor at Sporty's Academy and directs the University of Cincinnati’s Professional Pilot Training Program. In addition, Eric serves as a Captain in a Cincinnati-based corporate flight department.
Flight simulators have exploded in popularity over the last year. With new software options, impressive flight controls, and EFB app integration, it has never been easier to use a home flight simulator for real training (in addition to fun). In this fast-paced webinar presentation, Chris McGonegle, a commercial pilot and Sporty’s flight simulator expert, will discuss how to use simulators effectively.
Aviation has a unique language designed to ensure effective communication between pilots and controllers. Understanding and using these words and phrases properly is vital for avoiding errors and maintaining safety. For example, “roger” is not a clearance and is not an appropriate response to a yes or no question. It only means that the transmission was received.
A chandelle is a maximum performance, 180° climbing turn that begins from approximately straight-and-level flight and concludes with the airplane in a wings-level, nose-high attitude just above stall speed. The goal of the Commercial pilot maneuver is to gain the most altitude possible for a given bank angle and power setting.
While the regulations generally require that all instruments and equipment installed aboard the aircraft be in working condition, it may be possible to operate an aircraft with a piece of equipment not working if it falls within the scope of FAR 91.213 or the aircraft is operating with a Minimum Equipment List.
Datalink weather, either from ADS-B or SiriusXM, is an essential tool for almost all pilots. Once you’ve flown a cross country with in-flight radar, up-to-date METARs, and visual AIRMETs, it’s awfully hard to go back to flying without it. It makes flying safer, easier, and more comfortable – a rare combination – but only if you know how to use it properly.
Late summer trip to Lake Tahoe took us just north of Salt Lake City (foreground) and the Great Salt Lake which is the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere.
Judge your improvement on the quality of your “bad” landings. And practice under a variety of conditions (wind, configuration, time of day, etc.) to better hone your visual cues and mastery of the airplane. A safety pilot or instructor may see elements not as obvious to the pilot flying.
The thought of taking on flight lessons while maintaining a 40+ hour work week can be daunting. Do not be deterred! There is a path to knocking the rust off while still paying the bills.
Join Doug Ranly as he demystifies the world of aviation headsets, shares what’s new, and highlights the features important to you. When you’re ready to purchase your headset, visit Sporty’s interactive buyers guide and see a complete lineup of headsets available for sale.
your pilot’s license never expires, and you don’t have to pass a checkride to regain currency. All it takes is some studying and a few hours with a flight instructor. Sporty’s and Flight Training Central are here to help.
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