What’s new in Sporty’s 2024 Pilot Training Courses
Sporty’s courses are famous for a relentless pace of innovation; every year, we add new content, new training tools, and new platforms. This year is no exception, with a number of significant upgrades that make training more engaging and more efficient. Here’s a look at some highlights.
October 2, 2023/by John ZimmermanFriday photo: Great Salt Lake
Late summer trip to Lake Tahoe took us just north of Salt Lake City (foreground) and the Great Salt Lake which is the largest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere.
September 29, 2023/by Eric RadtkeVideo tip: how do VORs work?
In the age of GPS and iPad it can be tempting to look past the traditional forms of ground-based radio navigation like VOR in favor of direct-to navigation and moving map displays. It's important you still take the time to understand how to use these systems since VORs serve an important role in the national airspace system and can provide a reliable source of backup navigation.
September 27, 2023/by Bret KoebbeWomen in Aviation 2024 Scholarship Deadline Approaching
The 2024 Women in Aviation (WAI) scholarship program is open with more than 100 awards valued at over $1m. Scholarships are being offered for flight training, engineering, maintenance, dispatcher, and professional development.
September 26, 2023/by studentpltnewsSlow Flight – HD Flight Maneuver Spotlight
Flying an airplane just above the stall speed in the slow flight configuration will teach you a lot about the handling characteristics and controllability at low speeds, which is a critical step in the development of your flying skills during flight training.
September 25, 2023/by studentpltnewsNew episodes of Sporty’s Pilot’s Discretion Podcast
Sporty’s Pilot's Discretion Podcast has new episodes available with guests that include Bruce Williams on flight sims as well as EAA Chairman Jack Pelton, discussing EAA AirVenture and the experimental aircraft boom. The informative and entertaining format features wide-ranging questions with one intriguing guest.
September 22, 2023/by Eric RadtkeWhat rusty pilots should know about home simulators
we finally have at-home flight simulation real enough to provide tangible benefits to those rusty pilots who want to get current and stay current. This realism does come with a warning: unstructured or “game” flying can detract from your actual flight lessons or skill set.
September 21, 2023/by Chris McGonegleGetting current later in life: some tips for success
The first 20 years of life are filled with classes, tests, and homework, so we’re used to absorbing new information and occasionally stumbling on our path to mastery. The typical 45-65 year old, on the other hand, likely hasn’t been in a formal educational setting in a long time.
September 20, 2023/by John ZimmermanVideo tip: Pilot’s Guide to BasicMed
If you’ve held a valid medical certificate at any point after July 14, 2006, you may never have to see an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) again under the BasicMed rule. This week's video takes a look at how the BasicMed program works, its limitations and the steps you need to take to keep your BasicMed status current.
September 20, 2023/by Bret KoebbeHey Rusty Pilot – make your next flight more meaningful by practicing this
Judge your improvement on the quality of your “bad” landings. And practice under a variety of conditions (wind, configuration, time of day, etc.) to better hone your visual cues and mastery of the airplane. A safety pilot or instructor may see elements not as obvious to the pilot flying.
September 19, 2023/by Eric Radtke
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