A good home study course is one of the best investments you can make during flight training, whether working towards a private license, getting checked out in a new type of airplane, or learning a new avionics system. While your flight lessons will form the core of your training, there’s a lot of work to be done between trips to the airport.
Sporty’s Pilot Training Courses help meet that need for tens of thousands of pilots every year. The platform is known for its fast pace of innovation, bringing new content, new training tools, and technological enhancements every year. And best of all the system includes lifetime access and free updates, so you can rest assured that you’re always getting the most modern and up-to-date home study experience.
2023 was the biggest year yet for Sporty’s Pilot Training Courses, thanks to numerous content and feature additions to the Learn to Fly, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot courses. Here’s a recap of what was added in 2023.
New Training Content
Sporty’s Pilot Training courses incorporate a dynamic mix of professional HD/4K video, FAA knowledge test prep, checkride prep, and FAA training guides. In 2023, Sporty’s introduced a new training component in the form of interactive exercises and scenarios that allow pilots to practice what they learned.
Interactive Exercises
Go beyond videos with new interactive and engaging learning tools. Instrument simulators allow you to twist knobs and watch the needle swing on the panel, chart quizzes help you learn complicated symbols, and detailed systems diagrams simulate failure modes of the pitot tube or static port. These practical, hands-on scenarios put what you learn to work. Here’s an example:
New Video Content
The heart of Sporty’s courses has always been the dynamic video segments. Sporty’s added major updates in 2023 to segments on runway safety, wake turbulence, and how to use both digital and paper charts. Plus, the Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot courses were reorganized to flow more logically and cover each topic in detail.
Test Prep Updates
Sporty’s courses excel at preparing students for the FAA knowledge test, thanks to sophisticated study and test prep modes and a comprehensive database of questions you’re likely to see on the actual test. Best of all, you can study wherever is most convenient, whether it’s online, on your iPhone/iPad, Android, Mac or Windows PC, and your progress always stays in sync.
Sporty’s updates the database of questions in the courses regularly. Here are the new questions added most recently to the Learn to Fly (Private) Course:
Sporty’s powerful FAR feature gives you instant access to the complete Federal Aviation Regulations, packed with essential information for any pilot. It’s fast and searchable to streamline your studying, and it’s always up to date.
Earlier this year, Sporty’s added time-saving tools that highlight which sections are applicable to each certificate level, so you can skip the unnecessary parts and focus on what matters. A new bookmark tool also makes it easy to review important sections.
Aviation Blogs, Podcasts and Webinars
Sporty’s Pilot Training app added a new menu on the bottom of the home screen, providing students and pilots with quick access to Sporty’s comprehensive library of free flight training blogs, aviation podcasts, and webinar recordings. Select the Free Content tab and any one of the options to quickly read, listen to or watch the latest aviation-themed content.
Podcasts load in the app’s audio player and will continue to play while you use other parts of the Pilot Training app or other apps on your iPhone or iPad. All of these resources are completely free and do not require the user to purchase a course first.
New Technology
Sporty’s also excels at using the latest technology to deliver their Pilot Training courses. Each course purchase is available on over nine platforms, including online, iPhone/iPad app, Mac app, CarPlay, Android app, Windows app, AppleTV, RokuTV, AndroidTV and FireTV.
Windows App
The latest addition means you can now use Sporty’s Pilot Training on your Windows device—perfect for studying on a Surface tablet. Progress is automatically synced between devices, so it’s easy to switch back and forth as your study sessions move.
In-Course Notifications
To help students keep up with all of these updates, there’s a new Inbox located at the top right of your course. Check back here often to learn about new training content and updates added to your course, as well as the latest flight training news and tips from the team of flight instructors at Sporty’s.
Smart Notes
There’s a new centralized tool in the online version of Sporty’s courses to help students organize key takeaways, easily accessible no matter where you are in the course. Click or tap the floating “New Note” button at the bottom right of the screen, and the Smart Notes interface will appear. You can add as many notes as you’d like and keep them organized with a simple menu system.
When adding a new note from any of the video lessons or test prep questions, the note will automatically insert the name of the lesson and generate a clickable link that you can use to jump back to that lesson or question when reviewing your notes later.
Flight School and CFI Features
Sporty’s was founded by a flight instructor over 60 years ago and, ever since, has worked hard to support student pilots, CFIs, and flight schools. Hundreds of flight schools around the world use Sporty’s courses as the primary source of ground school, test prep and flight prep to complement their in-airplane training. Here are the latest additions Sporty’s added to support these organizations and their CFIs.
CFI Portal
Sporty’s CFI Portal offers a suite of tools including student course progress monitoring, lesson plans, a flight instructor refresher course, a complete FAA library, special CFI offers, and full access to Sporty’s award-winning pilot training courses for you to learn more about what your students are using. CFIs can register for free here. Learn more here.
Flight School/Chief CFI
New this year is a powerful feature designed for the Chief CFI and flight school management to connect with individual instructors at the school and monitor all student progress in one location. This feature requires a manual setup step from Sporty’s support team.
All-new FIRC
Sporty’s developed a fresh new option for flight instructors looking to renew their CFI certificate in 2023, using a modern online learning system to deliver innovative content. Sporty’s fully FAA-approved eFIRC will get you up to speed with the latest technology and new developments from the FAA, vastly improving your teaching skills. Best of all, Sporty’s new FIRC is completely free.
LIFT Academy partnership
LIFT Academy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Republic Airways, has partnered with Sporty’s to provide online training courses to its students. This collaboration between Sporty’s and LIFT Academy provides students and instructors access to a range of valuable learning resources, including Sporty’s Learn To Fly Course, Instrument Rating Course, Commercial Pilot Course, and Garmin G1000 Checkout Course.
How to get the courses
You can purchase access to any of the 30 aviation training courses right from Sporty’s website, including the 2024 Learn to Fly, Instrument Rating Course and Commercial Pilot Course. You’ll gain instant access to all the course platforms for one price. If you’ve already purchased one of these courses (these three courses include lifetime updates), you just need to download the mobile app and sign in with your username/password or login to Sporty’s Online Course Portal.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/28111323/2024-Learn-to-Fly-Feature_condensed-2.jpg13042278Bret Koebbehttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngBret Koebbe2023-12-28 11:18:352023-12-28 11:34:052023 in Review: Sporty’s Pilot Training Courses
Sporty’s recently released new written test questions in its 2024 Learn to Fly Course test preparation module. While the FAA does not publish actual test questions, representative test questions are available, and new questions released by Sporty’s represent emphasis areas which you will likely enounter on the test.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/11121230/Test-prep-laptop-2-scaled.jpg17082560Flight Training Central Staffhttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngFlight Training Central Staff2023-12-22 08:54:242024-06-27 09:29:11Sporty’s releases new written test questions – December 2023
Air Traffic Control is there to help, but they aren’t perfect.
Even in the beginning days of learning to fly, your instructor will teach you the importance of reading a clearance back to the controller instead of saying “Roger”. Recently on an IFR flight out of the New York area, we were reminded of how easy it is for a pilot and the controller to have two different ideas about the same clearance.
In our case, ATC had given us a clearance, which was read back in its entirety, and not much thought about it after that. Some fifteen minutes later, ATC asked us a question about our clearance, and what we were told. Immediately we started running through the clearances received to see if we had made a mistake or misinterpreted something. Thankfully, it wasn’t our mistake. The ATC computer had told a new controller that we were on a specific clearance, when in fact they had given us a different amended clearance but it wasn’t logged in the computer, hence the confusion.
This kind of confusion can happen from both sides, ATC or the Pilot. When dealing with ATC, here are some simple rules of thumb to remember.
When reading back your clearance, don’t leave out pertinent details – Students often look for ways to shorten their read back to ATC. Although there is nothing wrong with this practice, early student mistakes are normally made when they omit key details. This list doesn’t cover all circumstances, but for starters, never leave out headings, altitudes, hold shorts, clearances (land, cross, etc.), entries (base, downwind, etc.), frequencies, and report (i.e. report left base).
Stick with standard phraseology – If you listen long enough to most frequencies, you will hear radio chatter that has nothing to do with the official AIM Pilot/Controller Glossary. When learning ATC communications, the drive is often to “sound like everyone else” on the radio with comments like “here’s the flash”, or “3.5 in the box”, or my personal favorite “we’ve got’em on the fish finder” (reference to TCAS). For more items in this category, read The 7 deadly sins of radio communication.
Know the vocabulary – It is easy to misunderstand someone when they are communicating in a language that you don’t speak fluently. The Pilot/Controller Glossary is the singular source for the language of ATC communications.
If you aren’t sure, ASK! – Once you read back your clearance, you are held to it. Clarify any statements that you don’t fully understand right away, or do not accept the clearance if you aren’t confident that you can comply with it.
Practice – Even if you aren’t based at a tower controlled field, find opportunities with your instructor to practice your ATC communications. Call for flight following on a cross country, contact flight service to open a flight plan (don’t forget to close it when you land), if you have a towered field near-by, consider extending your flight time to accommodate a few landings at that airport. You don’t always have to dedicate a full lesson to ATC communications. Most of the time, small exposure time and time again is the best method to learning the new language.
Don’t shy away from tower controlled fields and the ATC system. Learn to master the new language and open a new world of flying opportunities and services.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/05183524/LUK-ATC-Controller.jpg7201280Flight Training Central Staffhttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngFlight Training Central Staff2023-12-18 08:56:102023-11-15 11:39:58Details matter in ATC clearances
It’s no secret that pilot training requires a significant investment, but thankfully there are resources to help. Sporty’s Flight Training Central has compiled a list of those resources that contain hundreds of awards worth millions of dollars that can be applied to various phases of pilot training. Please check carefully for eligibility and deadlines and remember these important tips:
Carefully review scholarship requirements to ensure eligibility before applying
Be meticulous in reviewing forms and items that must be submitted with applications and be accurate in your completion
Stand out in the crowd – include background, service and experiences that are uniquely you
Don’t procrastinate – if required to obtain a letter of reference, start early and don’t expect those who may offer recommendations to be able to deliver a polished letter on a day’s notice
Respect the deadlines – deadlines do not mean post marked. Allow enough time for your applications to arrive well ahead of deadline
Are you performing a self assessment before each flight?
FAA’s latest FlySafe GA Safety Enhancement topic, “Are You Fit for Flight?” discusses the importance of checking in with yourself before each flight to make sure you are nourished, hydrated, rested, and emotionally fit to fly. Similar to a preflight checklist used to inspect your aircraft, the IMSAFE checklist helps you assess your own personal fitness for flight.
The checklist is designed to address six key areas:
I – Illness: Am I feeling ill today? If the answer is yes, it’s probably not a good day to fly or perhaps even drive a car.
M – Medication: Am I taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication that could compromise my ability to fly? Many medicines caution against operating machinery and aircraft certainly qualify as complex machines.
S – Stress: Am I under unusual stress today? We all cope with stress each day and a little stress has been shown to improve human performance. But, if we’re under moderate to heavy stress, our performance will not be our best and it may even be dangerous. If, for instance, we are flying to a very important meeting that cannot be re-scheduled or delayed, the importance of the mission could compromise our pre and in-flight decision-making.
A – Alcohol: Have I ingested any alcohol in the previous twenty-four hours? The rule says eight hours but lingering effects can persist.
F – Fatigue: Am I adequately rested before this flight? And just as important, will I become fatigued during the flight? We may be fine for the short drive home after a long day at work, but embarking on a flight, perhaps at night, may be a greater challenge than we should accept. Getting a good night’s sleep and starting in the morning may well be the safer choice.
E – Eating/Emotion: Am I adequately nourished and hydrated? And am I emotionally ready for this flight? We like to say we leave our problems on the ground when we fly but, for most of us, that’s not really true. If we’re worried or even very happy about something, we may dwell on the topic at the expense of our flight duties or our decision-making may be compromised.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/06152304/FIT-TO-FLY.png6691285Eric Radtkehttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngEric Radtke2023-12-15 08:55:532023-11-06 15:25:08Are you fit for flight?
Pilots can play an active role in shaping the future of weather products provided by the FAA by participating in this weather survey.
The FAA Aviation Weather Division (AWD) is leading an effort to assess convective weather products through user feedback on how convenctive weather products are used. AWD intends to apply that feedback to reduce conflicting information, and exploit higher resolution information. No personal identifying information will be collected or reported.
https://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/28113906/image-1.png6431000Eric Radtkehttps://media.flighttrainingcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/05155154/FTC-logo-horizontal-fianl.pngEric Radtke2023-12-12 08:55:542023-12-05 19:09:19Pilots can help shape the future of weather products by completing this survey
2023 in Review: Sporty’s Pilot Training Courses
/in News/by Bret KoebbeSporty’s Pilot Training Courses help meet that need for tens of thousands of pilots every year. The platform is known for its fast pace of innovation, bringing new content, new training tools, and technological enhancements every year. And best of all the system includes lifetime access and free updates, so you can rest assured that you’re always getting the most modern and up-to-date home study experience.
2023 was the biggest year yet for Sporty’s Pilot Training Courses, thanks to numerous content and feature additions to the Learn to Fly, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot courses. Here’s a recap of what was added in 2023.
New Training Content
Sporty’s Pilot Training courses incorporate a dynamic mix of professional HD/4K video, FAA knowledge test prep, checkride prep, and FAA training guides. In 2023, Sporty’s introduced a new training component in the form of interactive exercises and scenarios that allow pilots to practice what they learned.
Interactive Exercises
Go beyond videos with new interactive and engaging learning tools. Instrument simulators allow you to twist knobs and watch the needle swing on the panel, chart quizzes help you learn complicated symbols, and detailed systems diagrams simulate failure modes of the pitot tube or static port. These practical, hands-on scenarios put what you learn to work. Here’s an example:
New Video Content
The heart of Sporty’s courses has always been the dynamic video segments. Sporty’s added major updates in 2023 to segments on runway safety, wake turbulence, and how to use both digital and paper charts. Plus, the Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot courses were reorganized to flow more logically and cover each topic in detail.
Test Prep Updates
Sporty’s courses excel at preparing students for the FAA knowledge test, thanks to sophisticated study and test prep modes and a comprehensive database of questions you’re likely to see on the actual test. Best of all, you can study wherever is most convenient, whether it’s online, on your iPhone/iPad, Android, Mac or Windows PC, and your progress always stays in sync.
Sporty’s updates the database of questions in the courses regularly. Here are the new questions added most recently to the Learn to Fly (Private) Course:
October 2023 test question update
December 2023 test question update
Sporty’s powerful FAR feature gives you instant access to the complete Federal Aviation Regulations, packed with essential information for any pilot. It’s fast and searchable to streamline your studying, and it’s always up to date.
Earlier this year, Sporty’s added time-saving tools that highlight which sections are applicable to each certificate level, so you can skip the unnecessary parts and focus on what matters. A new bookmark tool also makes it easy to review important sections.
Aviation Blogs, Podcasts and Webinars
Sporty’s Pilot Training app added a new menu on the bottom of the home screen, providing students and pilots with quick access to Sporty’s comprehensive library of free flight training blogs, aviation podcasts, and webinar recordings. Select the Free Content tab and any one of the options to quickly read, listen to or watch the latest aviation-themed content.
Podcasts load in the app’s audio player and will continue to play while you use other parts of the Pilot Training app or other apps on your iPhone or iPad. All of these resources are completely free and do not require the user to purchase a course first.
New Technology
Sporty’s also excels at using the latest technology to deliver their Pilot Training courses. Each course purchase is available on over nine platforms, including online, iPhone/iPad app, Mac app, CarPlay, Android app, Windows app, AppleTV, RokuTV, AndroidTV and FireTV.
The latest addition means you can now use Sporty’s Pilot Training on your Windows device—perfect for studying on a Surface tablet. Progress is automatically synced between devices, so it’s easy to switch back and forth as your study sessions move.
In-Course Notifications
To help students keep up with all of these updates, there’s a new Inbox located at the top right of your course. Check back here often to learn about new training content and updates added to your course, as well as the latest flight training news and tips from the team of flight instructors at Sporty’s.
Smart Notes
When adding a new note from any of the video lessons or test prep questions, the note will automatically insert the name of the lesson and generate a clickable link that you can use to jump back to that lesson or question when reviewing your notes later.
Flight School and CFI Features
Sporty’s was founded by a flight instructor over 60 years ago and, ever since, has worked hard to support student pilots, CFIs, and flight schools. Hundreds of flight schools around the world use Sporty’s courses as the primary source of ground school, test prep and flight prep to complement their in-airplane training. Here are the latest additions Sporty’s added to support these organizations and their CFIs.
CFI Portal
Flight School/Chief CFI
New this year is a powerful feature designed for the Chief CFI and flight school management to connect with individual instructors at the school and monitor all student progress in one location. This feature requires a manual setup step from Sporty’s support team.
Sporty’s developed a fresh new option for flight instructors looking to renew their CFI certificate in 2023, using a modern online learning system to deliver innovative content. Sporty’s fully FAA-approved eFIRC will get you up to speed with the latest technology and new developments from the FAA, vastly improving your teaching skills. Best of all, Sporty’s new FIRC is completely free.
LIFT Academy partnership
LIFT Academy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Republic Airways, has partnered with Sporty’s to provide online training courses to its students. This collaboration between Sporty’s and LIFT Academy provides students and instructors access to a range of valuable learning resources, including Sporty’s Learn To Fly Course, Instrument Rating Course, Commercial Pilot Course, and Garmin G1000 Checkout Course.
How to get the courses
You can purchase access to any of the 30 aviation training courses right from Sporty’s website, including the 2024 Learn to Fly, Instrument Rating Course and Commercial Pilot Course. You’ll gain instant access to all the course platforms for one price. If you’ve already purchased one of these courses (these three courses include lifetime updates), you just need to download the mobile app and sign in with your username/password or login to Sporty’s Online Course Portal.
iPhone/iPad – download the free app here
Android – download the free app here
Apple Computer – download the free app here
AppleTV – go to the App Store on AppleTV (4th Gen or newer) and search for Pilot Training
Windows 11 – install the Amazon Appstore app from the Microsoft Store and search for Sporty’s Pilot Training
FireTV – search for Sporty’s Pilot Training to download the app (preview the app here)
AndroidTV – search for Sporty’s Pilot Training to download the app (preview the app here)
RokuTV App – search for the Sporty’s Pilot Training Channel on your Roku device
Online – visit Sporty’s Course Catalog and purchase direct access to any course
Sporty’s releases new written test questions – December 2023
/in News, Tips and technique/by Flight Training Central StaffThe FAA continues to add new questions based on guidance from the Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards. Read the complete December 2023 test question update from Sporty’s.
The October 2023 test question update is available here.
And test your knowledge now by taking this quiz, sampling the new questions just released.
Share the quiz to show your results !
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Details matter in ATC clearances
/in IFR flying, Personal stories, Tips and technique/by Flight Training Central StaffAir Traffic Control is there to help, but they aren’t perfect.
Even in the beginning days of learning to fly, your instructor will teach you the importance of reading a clearance back to the controller instead of saying “Roger”. Recently on an IFR flight out of the New York area, we were reminded of how easy it is for a pilot and the controller to have two different ideas about the same clearance.
In our case, ATC had given us a clearance, which was read back in its entirety, and not much thought about it after that. Some fifteen minutes later, ATC asked us a question about our clearance, and what we were told. Immediately we started running through the clearances received to see if we had made a mistake or misinterpreted something. Thankfully, it wasn’t our mistake. The ATC computer had told a new controller that we were on a specific clearance, when in fact they had given us a different amended clearance but it wasn’t logged in the computer, hence the confusion.
This kind of confusion can happen from both sides, ATC or the Pilot. When dealing with ATC, here are some simple rules of thumb to remember.
Don’t shy away from tower controlled fields and the ATC system. Learn to master the new language and open a new world of flying opportunities and services.
Browse our Freee Scholarship Directory
/in Tools/by studentpltnewsView our scholarship directory
It’s no secret that pilot training requires a significant investment, but thankfully there are resources to help. Sporty’s Flight Training Central has compiled a list of those resources that contain hundreds of awards worth millions of dollars that can be applied to various phases of pilot training. Please check carefully for eligibility and deadlines and remember these important tips:
View the directory here.
Are you fit for flight?
/in News/by Eric RadtkeAre you performing a self assessment before each flight?
FAA’s latest FlySafe GA Safety Enhancement topic, “Are You Fit for Flight?” discusses the importance of checking in with yourself before each flight to make sure you are nourished, hydrated, rested, and emotionally fit to fly. Similar to a preflight checklist used to inspect your aircraft, the IMSAFE checklist helps you assess your own personal fitness for flight.
The checklist is designed to address six key areas:
M – Medication: Am I taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication that could compromise my ability to fly? Many medicines caution against operating machinery and aircraft certainly qualify as complex machines.
S – Stress: Am I under unusual stress today? We all cope with stress each day and a little stress has been shown to improve human performance. But, if we’re under moderate to heavy stress, our performance will not be our best and it may even be dangerous. If, for instance, we are flying to a very important meeting that cannot be re-scheduled or delayed, the importance of the mission could compromise our pre and in-flight decision-making.
A – Alcohol: Have I ingested any alcohol in the previous twenty-four hours? The rule says eight hours but lingering effects can persist.
F – Fatigue: Am I adequately rested before this flight? And just as important, will I become fatigued during the flight? We may be fine for the short drive home after a long day at work, but embarking on a flight, perhaps at night, may be a greater challenge than we should accept. Getting a good night’s sleep and starting in the morning may well be the safer choice.
E – Eating/Emotion: Am I adequately nourished and hydrated? And am I emotionally ready for this flight? We like to say we leave our problems on the ground when we fly but, for most of us, that’s not really true. If we’re worried or even very happy about something, we may dwell on the topic at the expense of our flight duties or our decision-making may be compromised.
Pilots can help shape the future of weather products by completing this survey
/in News/by Eric RadtkeThe FAA Aviation Weather Division (AWD) is leading an effort to assess convective weather products through user feedback on how convenctive weather products are used. AWD intends to apply that feedback to reduce conflicting information, and exploit higher resolution information. No personal identifying information will be collected or reported.