How to Succeed at Flight Training Later in Life

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Learning to fly isn’t easy, but it’s not supposed to be—that’s why it’s so rewarding when you earn that certificate. Acknowledge up front that you will have both good and bad days during training, and don’t beat yourself up after every mistake. I like to take a two week moving average of my performance, which prevents me from getting too high after a great lesson or too low after a really bad one.

5 Smart Ways to Cut the Cost of Becoming a Pilot

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The most popular question we address with prospective pilots is how much and when? Of course the time and money variables go hand in hand. While difficult to arrive at an exact date and decimal point, pilots control much of their own destiny and we can provide ranges for time and money with reasonable accuracy based on past performance.

Decoding the cockpit: an intro to airplane flight instruments

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The flight deck of every airplane includes a collection of flight instruments that display important information, like airspeed, altitude, heading and turn information. In this video we’ll go over the standard 6 instruments you’ll find in a Cessna 172 and how to interpret their indications.

Mastering the approach and landing: A quiz for pilots

While it may be true that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, there is certainly something to be said about always striving to make better landings. Most experienced pilots would be willing to admit that the perfect landing is much more of an art than a science. Take this quiz on landing techniques to hone your touchdown knowledge in search of consistently smooth and safe landings and see if you can squeak out a perfect score.

It’s Learn to Fly Week at Sporty’s and Flight Training Central

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The week of May 12, 2025 is Learn to Fly Week at Sporty’s, a celebration of learning to fly designed to help new pilots achieve their aviation goals. In addition to offering savings on popular pilot gear and training resources, Sporty’s will be posting inspiring content on its social media channels, and delivering valuable flight training resources at FlightTrainingCentral.com.

How to Become a Pilot: Your Complete Guide to Learning to Fly

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Learning to fly will unlock a world of possibilities and give you unparalleled freedom to see the world. It is a truly unique experience—one of the last great adventures in our modern life. It is challenging, rewarding and flat out fun! Some people start flying to make a career out of it, eventually working as a professional pilot.

How Do Your FAA Written Test Scores Stack Up?

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The FAA recently released its 2024 written testing statistics, and the results offer a look at how pilots are performing across the country. Whether you're studying for your Private, Instrument, or Commercial, these numbers can help you benchmark your own performance.

How to use a mechanical E6B flight computer

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Most students today prefer to use an electronic E6B flight computer when planning a flight or preparing for the FAA knowledge test.  The electronic E6B is actually the evolution of a mechanical E6B flight computer, often referred to as a whiz wheel. While the mechanical E6B may take a little longer to learn compared to its electronic counterpart, the learning process is a fun challenge.
communication mistakes

Avoid These 5 Common ATC Communication Mistakes

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Talking on the radio can be one of the most intimidating parts of flight training. Whether it’s your first solo or a cross-country to unfamiliar airspace, clear communication with Air Traffic Control is essential for safety and efficiency—but also a skill that takes practice. The good news? Most of the issues student pilots run into are both common and easily corrected.

Chart Smart: VFR Sectional Concentrated Obstructions

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Concentrated obstructions of wind turbine farms are portrayed by an overlying hatched area and dotted outline to represent the approximate parameters of the farm. One or more single turbine symbols will populate the farm. A boxed elevation figure representing the MSL elevation of the highest wind turbine within the area is placed inside the farm or, if space is limited, just outside.