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.

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.

Redbird’s 2025 Flight Training Survey: Costs and Completion Time Hold Steady

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Each year, the Redbird State of Flight Training Survey provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of flight training, and the 2025 report brings some welcome stability. Despite ongoing discussions about the cost and time required to earn a pilot certificate, this year's data shows that both remain largely unchanged from previous years.

My first solo cross-country

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Heading back to I69 felt like it should be the easiest part of the flight. After all, it’s home. But as any pilot knows, things in aviation are rarely that simple. As I approached the airport, I realized the traffic pattern was busy—really busy. I could hear multiple calls on the radio and saw the traffic stacking up on ForeFlight. There were two planes ahead of me in the pattern.

Attention Rusty Pilots: Getting Back in the Air is Easier than you Think

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You may have forgotten that pilot certificates never expire. Once a pilot, always a pilot. You never have to take another test or worry about another checkride. All you need is a Flight Review with a local CFI. A little brush-up with your local CFI with enough flights to demonstrate competence again (minimum one hour), and you're back in the air.
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Sporty’s offering free ebook: A Comprehensive Guide to Private Pilot Training

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Sporty's instructors share valuable tips and insight Filled…

Pilot’s Guide to BasicMed

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BasicMed is an alternate way for pilots to fly without holding an FAA medical certificate as long as they meet certain requirements. To fly under BasicMed, pilots must print off a FAA Form 8700-2; BasicMed Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC) and get your physical exam with a state-licensed physician.

Your first flight lesson – a video preview

Getting into the air and taking your first flight is the most important—and most enjoyable—step you can take in your journey. There’s nothing like your first takeoff in an airplane to show you the fun and freedom of flying. If you’re on the fence about learning to fly, go take a first lesson!
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How to get started learning to fly

For some, flying is a convenient and cost-effective method of personal or business travel. You can set your own schedule, use airports that airlines don’t serve and leave the hassles of security lines behind. For business use, airplanes allow you to do more in one day than you could do in a week traveling by airline. Flexibility, privacy, security and freedom are all great reasons to use a personal airplane for travel.