Pilot technique video: How to recover from a bounced landing

Not every approach and landing will be by the book during your training, and you'll inevitably encounter situations when you round out too high, overshoot the touchdown point or bounce after the initial touchdown. This is perfectly normal and learning how to recover from these scenarios will improve your confidence and help you make better landings in the long run. 

How pilots can use Convective Outlook weather charts to avoid thunderstorms

The week's tip looks at the Convective Outlook chart, which provides both short and long-term planning guidance for determining the location and intensity of thunderstorm activity.

Engine Failure After Takeoff—What Would You Do?

/
16 Comments
A pre-takeoff briefing exists to remove hesitation and doubt from split-second emergency decisions after takeoff. The problem is that most real-world departures present several opportunities to go off script. Some of those improvisations could turn an off-field crash into an uneventful runway landing—or a disaster.

How to calculate airplane weight and balance: Pilot video tutorial

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.

Airplane turbochargers explained for pilots (video lesson)

/
1 Comment
Many high-performance airplanes take advantage of turbocharged engines, which allow for cruise operations at higher altitudes into the flight levels. This video shows how these systems work, including the compressor and turbine components, intercooler, wastegate, and engine flight instruments.

Tailwheel Pilots’ Guide to Smooth Grass Landings

/
0 Comments
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.

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

/
0 Comments
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.

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

/
0 Comments
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

/
0 Comments
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.