Webinar video: instrument proficiency check

Flying IFR is a great way to enhance the utility of your pilot certificate, but it takes commitment and practice. If you want to get current again, stay sharp, or just learn more about instrument flying, this webinar recording is a great place to start. It's packed with over an hour of practical tips and honest advice from two senior flight instructors at Sporty's.

Video: understanding pilot slang, from roger to wilco

What's the difference between roger and wilco? What does "5x5" mean? What phrase should you never utter on the radio? Join Sporty's senior flight instructor Charlie Masters for a light-hearted review of some common pilot slang. At the very least, you'll be able to keep up with your fellow pilots at the next hangar flying session.

Video: landing a Cessna at Chicago O’Hare

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Chicago O'Hare Airport is not usually the place to find a single engine Cessna, but landing there is exactly what these two pilots set out to do. Ride along for a scenic tour of Chicago at night, then watch the Cessna fit into the onslaught of airline traffic and land at the 6th busiest airport in the world. Challenging? For sure. Fun? Absolutely.

Video: testing out the Lightspeed Tango wireless headset

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There are dozens of aviation headsets on the market right now, but only one is wireless. Lightspeed's Tango model allows you to cut the cord, using a proprietary wireless technology and rechargeable batteries. How does it work? We took it flying recently to find out.

Instagram disease in aviation – don’t catch it

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Above a hashtag like #pilotlife or #instaaviation, you'll often see a picture of an exotic seaplane on a fishing trip in the Bahamas, a tundra tire taildragger landing on a remote river bed in Utah, or an airline pilot posing like a model with an “I worked all morning to look like I just fell out of bed” look. It's alluring, but it's not real life.

Friday photo: Texan and Mustang flights

Last month we flew down to Kissimmee, FL, and on Friday, January 11th, he took a step up and flew the AT-6 Texan.  On that same day I flew Stallion 51’s TF-51 Mustang.  What a rush!  At 76, I’m now anxious to get current and start flying again.