Video Tip: Night Flying

Night is simply one of the best times to fly–the air is smooth, the airport isn't as busy and the view out the window is incredible. This week's video takes a closer look at night flying and some best practices to follow to ensure your next flight in the dark is as safe as it enjoyable.

Video tip: it’s all about airspeed

Nearly every airplane has an airspeed indicator and it's arguably the most important flight instrument in the panel. This week's tip takes a look at how it works, the various types of airspeeds you need to be familiar with as a pilot and what the markings mean on the face of the instrument.

Video tip: inadvertent flight into instrument conditions (and how to get out)

Taking the time to thoroughly brief the weather before every flight will significantly decrease the odds that you'll inadvertently fly into instrument conditions as a VFR pilot. This week's tip takes a look at the actions to take though if you do stumble into the clouds or an area of reduced visibility, to help you safely return to VFR conditions.
Video Tip: Starting the airplane engine

Video Tip: Starting the airplane engine

Starting the airplane engine is one of the first hands-on procedures you'll learn when starting your flight training. In our latest video tip, we'll show you step-by-step the procedure for starting the Cessna 172S fuel-injected engine.

Video tip: how to determine the wind speed aloft

As you begin to plan flights away from your home airport it's important to know the wind speed and direction at higher altitudes to help compute headings to fly and an estimated groundspeed for fuel planning. This week's tip takes a look at several online resources you can use to determine the upper level winds and how to interpret the textual winds aloft forecast.

Video tip: how to calculate weight and balance

Take the time to compute the total weight of the airplane and center of gravity (CG) before every flight, based on the number of occupants, baggage and fuel and where each item is positioned in the airplane. This week's tip takes a look at how to compute a typical weight and balance calculation and how to verify the results are within limits.

Video tip: turns around a point

Flying in circles over an open field won't get you to your destination any faster, but it will teach you a lot about how the wind affects the airplane in flight. In our latest Video Tip of the Week, we walk through how to fly the Turns Around a Point maneuver, with in-cockpit video and 3D animations. Even if you're already an experienced pilot, this maneuver is a great way to keep your stick and rudder skills sharp.

Ask a CFI: Tips for Checkride Success from an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE)

Today we're talking with Todd Ritchey, a senior CFI at Sporty's Academy and FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. Todd shares his tips for how to prepare for the oral exam and practical flight test during the checkride and how to ensure you walk away with a successful outcome.

Video tip: types of training airplanes

While you can technically learn to fly and earn your private pilot certificate in just about any type of airplane, you'll quickly learn that certain models are better suited for flight training than others. Here we'll take a look at the most common airplanes used for pilot training and some of the differences among them.

Video tip: explore the differences in airplane cockpits

While the good ol' Cessna 172 is still the most popular training airplane used by flight schools today, there are hundreds of other aircraft types that are also well-suited for flight training. This week's tip takes a look at some of the variations you'll find in these airplanes, including engine controls, switches, flight controls and flight instruments.