Entries by studentpltnews

Friday photo: early morning departure

The moment: Beautiful cloud formation on this early morning departure The pilot: Eric Radtke The place: Jack Edwards Airport (KJKA), Gulf Shores, AL The aircraft: Piper Aztec The memory: There’s nothing like the serenity of an early morning departure. After a fun week vacationing at the beach, the outer bands of clouds from tropical storm […]

Video: river bar hopping with bush planes

Flying is freedom, but landing where there are no runways is another level of freedom. Ride along with three pilots in this incredible video as they land their taildraggers on gravel bars in a river. It takes skill and practice (watch the intro to learn why), but when done safely this is fun flying at its very best.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020: the next-gen VFR trainer

The new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is out and incorporates an unprecedented level of detail in the scenery, terrain and aircraft modeling. In addition to being flat out fun to use, the lifelike weather depictions and real-world visuals make for a great training resource for student pilots looking to practice pilotage and dead reckoning skills during the cross-country phase of flight training.

Friday photo: Rob Craig-Gray solo

The moment: My solo moment The pilot: Rob Craig-Gray The place: Millard Airport (KMLE), Omaha, NE The aircraft: Cessna 172 Skyhawk The memory: Always wanted to fly and, as a military member in the Air Force, finally made it happen. Earned my Private pilot July 11, 2019! Finally!   Want to share your “Friday Photo” […]

Video: flying an F-22 Raptor

The F-22 Raptor seems to defy physics, with the speed of a modern supersonic fighter but the maneuverability of a light airplane. This new video shows you the F-22 in action, from both inside and outside the cockpit. You’ll see the incredible vertical climb, the 9G turns, and the thrust vectoring nozzles. It’s quite a show.

Video Tip: Flying in and around special use airspace

Special use airspace includes military operations area, 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.

New simulation added to free Runway Safety Simulator

The FAA Safety Team has added a new simulation to the the Runway Safety Pilot Simulator at www.RunwaySafetySimulator.com. “The Anatomy of a Wrong Surface Event” is the second in a three-part series focusing on causal factors for wrong surface events, such as incorrect runway or taxiway approaches, landings, or departures. It highlights the importance of […]

Friday photo: giving back

  The moment: Sharing a new aviation experience with my protege The pilots: Capt. Tyler Stargardt (right) and Nate Vucsko-Cameron The place: Visit to the tower The aircraft: N/A The memory: Capt. Tyler Stargardt (right) was the first EAA Next Step and Sporty s Learn to Fly Course participant to earn his Private pilot certificate […]

Are you improving as a pilot?

Learning anything new is good for your brain. Whether it’s a new language, hobby or instrument, learning new skills stimulates neurons in your brain which form more neural pathways and helps improve all cognitive tasks. In the spirit of learning new things, among my most enjoyable responsibilities at Sporty’s is piloting our corporate Cessna Citation […]