Blog Multi Author : Flight Training Central

What’s in your flight bag, episode 2

November 15, 2018/in Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

In this series, we ask the pilots at Sporty’s what gear they carry when they go flying. While every pilot’s flight bag is unique, some common principles apply to everyone: carry enough to be prepared but not too much so that you’re weighed down with unnecessary junk. Hear from John Zimmerman, ATP and helicopter pilot, in this episode.

Shop the Flight Gear HP Tailwind Backpack

Shop the Bose A20 Aviation Headset

Shop all pilot supplies

Video tip: fun flying

November 14, 2018/in Video Tips/by studentpltnews

Tired of the same old “turns around a point and stalls” lesson? Don’t worry – it’s normal. In our latest video tip, we offer a few ideas for shaking things up during flight training. Whether it’s making a breakfast run or picking a new time to fly, there are plenty of ways to keep flight training fun.

https://youtu.be/qeKYOxivbY8

The video clip below is from Sporty’s complete Learn to Fly Course.

Video: High Sierra Fly-in

November 9, 2018/in Fun Flying Videos/by studentpltnews

It’s part Burning Man and part Oshkosh and the result is a totally unique event. Every year a diverse mix of pilots and aviation enthusiasts gathers at a dry lakebed in western Nevada for the High Sierra Fly-in. Airplanes compete to see who can take off and land in the shortest distance, and fun flying is the only item on the menu.

Video from FLY8MA.

Transitioning to the airlines (Part I)

November 5, 2018/in Career/by studentpltnews

Airline hiring has reached a feverish pace never before seen in the industry. Opportunities are attracting individuals of all background and experience levels with dreams of becoming a professional pilot. To help shed some light on the life of an airline pilot, Sporty’s Student Pilot News is pleased to introduce Mr. Alan Nguyen. Nguyen is a Sporty’s Academy flight instructor and first officer at a regional air carrier. Please enjoy the first installment of this multi-part series on transitioning to the airlines. Ed.

So…you’ve finally met the aeronautical experience requirements to become an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP). It’s time to take the next step in your professional aviation career and you’ve decided to join the ranks of airline pilots. But which airline do you pursue? How do you know what’s the right fit?

Fortunately, in today’s job market, there are many options as virtually all regional air carriers are hiring. In making your choice, you may consider pay, equipment, upgrade time, major airline affiliations, “flow-throughs” and a host of other benefits. There are job fairs as well as great online resources to help you compare airlines including AirlinePilotCentral.com and FAPA.aero.

The best advice I received was to find an airline where you can base close to home for the best quality of life. If you’re based close to home (the airport where your trips will originate), you avoid the added headache and time of commuting to work and the possible added expense of housing or a “crash-pad” in the city where you are based. It’s one less life disruption during a period in your life with many other changes.

Once you’ve picked your airline and applied for the job, it’s time to prepare for the interview. Some of your most valuable resources will be your peers that have joined the same company and been through the same interview. If you don’t have a trusted source on the inside, there is still a popular online resource, AviationInterviews.com, where other candidates have left insightful information from their interviews for your benefit. Take the time to be comfortable and well-prepared for your big day.

On interview day at my airline, I was flown to the training center where I met other candidates before being called in for a presentation. In the presentation, we learned more about the organization. The presenters discussed scheduling, the bidding system, benefits, and provided a general company overview. After the presentation was complete, we were interviewed one by one.

The first portion of the interview was conducted by a human resources representative where they ask traditional interview questions to figure out who you are as a person. The next phase is a technical interview with pilot representatives. I was asked to read and interpret a METAR and TAF. I also had to answer questions related to the rules on alternate airports for takeoff and landing. I reviewed the basics of Jeppesen instrument approach charts, SIDs, STARs, and overall chart symbology. There are regulations applicable to instrument flying that the airlines will expect candidates to know, such as descent when you may descend below MDA/DH and how to plan descents.

Upon completion of the interview, I was immediately offered a new-hire class date. I was officially an airline pilot and the remainder of my airline pilot training would be sponsored by the airline!

New airline pilot applicants must go through a week-long training course known as the Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP). The course consists of a 4-day of ground school covering high altitude aerodynamics, automation, adverse weather, air carrier operations, transport category airplane performance, and the crew environment. On the 4^th day, we were given a knowledge test on the subjects covered. The next three days were in the simulators utilizing an FTD and a full-motion simulator.

The simulators were used for introducing concepts unique to flying transport category airplanes. These included flight management system (FMS) programming, high altitude operations, high and low altitude stall recoveries, windshear escape maneuvers, ground-proximity warning system (GPWS) and traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) maneuvers, and automation management. Throughout the course, applicants were expected to study for the FAA knowledge test. ATP-CTP is a pre-requisite to completing the FAA written exam for multiengine ATP (ATM).

With a good score and fresh copy of my ATM knowledge test results and ATP-CTP graduation certificate in hand, it was time to get ready for First Officer training!

Please check back for the next installment discussing First Officer training.

Friday photo: Priscilla Marapodi instrument rating checkride

November 2, 2018/in Friday Photo/by studentpltnews

The moment: Instrument rating checkride

The pilot: Priscilla Marapodi

The place: Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (KMYF) – San Diego, CA

The aircraft: Cessna 172

The memory: I started my aviation journey April 2017 since then it’s been an amazing journey. I thought the PPL was an amazing accomplishment until today the IFR checkride, now I feel like a real pilot! Definitely a very remarkable and tough checkride!

Want to share your “Friday Photo” of your solo or checkride moment? Send your photo and description (using the format above) to: [email protected]

Smart study strategies with Sporty’s 2019 Learn to Fly Course

October 29, 2018/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Sporty’s courses are the ideal pilot training companion – everything you need to prepare for your written test and earn your certificate or rating, with ground school, test prep, and real-world training all in one easy-to-use system. New content, flexible app options, and smart study tools all combine to offer an unmatched training experience in Sporty’s 2019 course editions. And better yet, your training content is accessible anywhere, on any device.

For a single purchase, you gain access to multiple formats: the online course, iPad/iPhone app, and Apple TV app at no additional cost. And new for 2019, you now have access to the brand new Sporty’s Pilot Training app for Android!

How can you gain the most from your investment in a Sporty’s course?

Video Training

Complete the core, video-based training from start to finish in the order in which it is presented. The video-based training will build a solid foundation and provide valuable perspective for all of your future training. Don’t worry, Sporty’s courses do not include boring classroom lectures. You’ll be trained in a modern style with small, manageable training segments and engaging video shot in and around airplanes. Your video training is complemented with sophisticated graphics and animations.

When a topic has been viewed, it is noted with a green checkmark helping you recall where to resume your study and providing an easy-to-interpret snapshot of your progress. There will be some topics you may choose to review depending on how well you’ve comprehended the information. You can search for a topic at any time with the new search tool, to find specific videos based on the video script and keywords.

Many of the video training segments include on-screen quizzes and review notes to further assess your progress and cater to diverse learning styles. To learn more about any question, press the green Explanation button and the course will jump right to the spot in the video training that covers that specific topic.

Test prep

With video training complete, transition to the dedicated test preparation module. Sporty’s test prep includes multiple modes of operation. Start in the Study Categories mode to select specific areas of study or choose a random mix of questions. Answering each question provides real-time feedback with detailed explanations and references. Question references link to the specific FAA resource for further review – learn the material, don’t rely on rote memory.

Be sure to mark questions that you don’t fully understand or that you want to review later. You’re able to create future study sessions based on incorrect or marked questions. There’s also a Smart Study session option, which will automatically generate a session that focuses on your weakest subject area – great for a quick study session without having to select any options.

After proceeding through each category at least once, the performance analysis charts will provide a clear indication of weak versus strong subjects so you may continue focusing on your lower-performing categories.

After strengthening any weak subject areas, transition to the test mode that will generate a random mix of questions to provide a simulated exam – just like the real thing. After grading a session, you’ll have the option to begin a new test based on only those questions answered incorrectly.

Further testing on deficient areas will help maximize your performance. The completion of at least two tests with a minimum score of 80% are required to earn the written exam endorsement. When you’ve completed the course and received your written test endorsement, you can log it in your ForeFlight digital logbook – complete with instructor signature.

CFI Sharing

Along the way, you have the option to share your learning progress with your CFI. Once you’ve granted access, your instructor will see your video training progress and your practice tests sessions. He will also have the option to view how you answered each question so that he may provide further guidance in your study.

Flight Resources

After completing the FAA written exam there are even more resources that can be used when transitioning to the airplane with your instructor. The Interactive Maneuvers Guide allows you to review all necessary maneuvers you’ll accomplish in the airplane. It does so with text and animations so that you can view a complete maneuver in an artificial, 3D environment.

The Training Course Outline (TCO) is a detailed flight training syllabus to serve as a bridge between your online training and the training with your instructor. And the Interactive Airman Certification Standards (ACS) is the FAA’s outline of all the knowledge and skill areas you need to know regarding the certificate you are pursuing. It’s even cross-referenced to the appropriate video training segment within Sporty’s course.

After transitioning to the airplane you can connect your CloudAhoy account so any flights logged with CloudAhoy will sync, including a listing of each flight maneuver from the lesson.