Tailwheel Pilots’ Guide to Smooth Grass Landings

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The rugged design of a tailwheel airplane and its extra prop clearance opens up the opportunity to land at a wide variety of off-airport locations with soft surfaces, like sand, gravel bars, grass and even mud. A modified soft-field approach and landing technique should be used when operating in these conditions, which allows the wheels to touchdown at the slowest possible airspeed with the wings supporting the weight of the airplane as long as possible.

Filing an IFR Flight Plan? Here’s What Matters Most to ATC

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Most of the information filed in an IFR flight plan is based on weather forecasts that are released well before your wheels ever leave the ground. Here's a look at what parts of the flight plan actually matter to ATC so that you know how to react if and when the weather conditions don't match the forecast.

IFR Insights Episode 3: Ride along on an IFR cross-country to Daytona Beach with Spencer Suderman

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Have you ever wondered what it's like to plan and fly an IFR flight? Join Spencer Suderman as he does just that, on a flight from Jacksonville to Daytona Beach, FL. You'll learn about the entire process, starting with filing a flight plan in ForeFlight to retrieving an IFR clearance from ATC, en-route navigation, and how to fly the instrument approach at the destination.

Video tip: aircraft inspections and ELT requirements

Airplanes are held to high standards when it comes to maintenance and inspection requirements. This week's tip takes a look at the reason behind each inspection, how to verify they've been completed and the required paperwork to be on the airplane. It also takes a look at why digital 406 MHz emergency locator transmitters (ELT) incorporate GPS to improve their performance.

RNAV/GPS Instrument Approach Tips – LPV, LNAV+V and more (video tip)

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Learn how to fly RNAV approaches like a pro in Sporty's latest IFR video tip.

IFR Insights Episode 1: Flying an Instrument Approach in IMC with Spencer Suderman

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Welcome to Sporty’s IFR Insights Series, hosted by Spencer Suderman. Spencer is an airshow pilot and instrument flight instructor and will show what it's like to fly IFR cross-country trips and instrument approaches. In this first episode, Spencer flies an RNAV approach through rain showers and a low cloud layer into St. Augustine, FL, in a G1000-equipped Cessna 172.

Video Tip: Flying in and around special use airspace

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Special use airspace includes military operations areas, prohibited areas, alert areas, warning areas, restricted areas and controlled firing areas. This week’s video tip explains how to identify their location and best practices for making sure you don’t accidentally fly into one.

Video Tip: How to enter the traffic pattern at a nontowered airport

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The FAA recommends standard traffic pattern flows at nontowered airports in an effort to maintain order and a safe environment for aircraft arrivals and departures. This includes specific instructions on how to enter back into the pattern after spending some time practicing maneuvers at a higher altitude away from the airport. This week's video tip illustrates several methods to do this, depending on the direction from which you're approaching the airport, in an effort to get established on the downwind leg at the published traffic pattern altitude.

Video Tip: Flying at night

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.

Rectangular Course—Sporty’s Flight Maneuver Spotlight

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During your training, you will be introduced to the rectangular course and other ground reference maneuvers. Ground reference maneuvers integrate the fundamentals of flight and demonstrate that you have competence in manipulating the flight controls and applying control pressures to maintain a pre-determined aircraft course relative to objects on the ground.