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What’s new in Sporty’s flight training apps

February 4, 2016/in Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

Like the EFB apps from ForeFlight and Garmin, Sporty’s flight training apps are continuously updated with new content and features to take advantage of the latest iOS capabilities and devices. Let’s take a look at what’s new here.

What’s Up with the Student Pilot Certificate?

February 2, 2016/in Regulations/by studentpltnews

In the middle of January, stories began to trickle out that the FAA had published a new set of rules about changes to the student pilot certificate. With an implementation date indicated as April 1st, 2016, and no notice that we could recall here at Sporty’s Academy, we thought that it might be an April Fools prank. It was few days later that the notice of a final rule finally appeared on the FAA’s Recently Published Rulemaking site and we found out that it was true.

What’s new in Sporty’s flight training apps

February 4, 2016/in Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

What’s Up with the Student Pilot Certificate?

February 2, 2016/in Regulations/by studentpltnews

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

What’s new in Sporty’s flight training apps

February 4, 2016/in Pilot Gear/by studentpltnews

Flight training apps are natural fit on the iPad and iPhone.

Flight training apps are a natural fit on the iPad and iPhone.

Most of the focus on the iPad today is centered on its ability to serve as an electronic flight bag in the cockpit. But if you look back to 2010 when the original iPad debuted, you’ll see it was primarily designed as a media consumption device, providing a new way to read books, watch movies and listen to music while on the go. This set the device up as an excellent platform for delivering aviation training courses that incorporated study guides, video and interactive features.

Sporty’s Pilot Shop was the first to release a full training course for iPhone and iPad with the launch its Private Pilot Learn to Fly course. The course was a natural fit on the iPad, providing pilots with a more convenient way to watch the video and use the new touchscreen technology to study FAA test questions and take practice tests.

Sporty’s followed up the Private Pilot Learn to Fly Course with the complete Instrument Rating Course for iPhone and iPad, along with a collection of 10 topic-specific apps to help pilots stay current, add a new rating and learn how to use the latest avionics.

What’s new in the Learn to Fly Course

The core component of the Learn to Fly Course is 15 hours of video training, broken up into bite-sized segments. The majority of this content was recently updated to 1080p HD video, taking advantage of the iPad and iPhone’s high resolution displays. All of the flight training segments are shot right from the airplane, so the high level of detail in the new HD video provides gives a much better training experience (check out an example of one of the new HD segments here).

The app was also updated to take advantage of the new iOS 9 picture-in-picture video playback feature. When viewing a video segment on a compatible device, you can now scale the video playback window from full screen down to a small inset, allowing you to study other parts of the app while continuing to watch the video. You can even exit out of the app altogether and launch a second app, while the video continues to play in the lower corner of the screen.

After watching all the video content and earning a minimum score of 80% on 2 practice tests, you will be eligible to receive your endorsement to take the written test at an approved testing center. This feature is integrated right into the app, so you’ll receive the endorsement via email immediately after meeting these requirements.

The Learn to Fly Course app includes tracks for Private, Sport and Recreational pilot training. It is available as a free trial in the App Store, and costs $199.99 to purchase the full course. For more information, see sportys.com/courses.

https://youtu.be/XoVoi0M7jr4

Sporty’s also offers a complete Instrument Rating Course, which shares the same video format and app layout as the Learn to Fly Course. It was also recently updated with the new picture-in-picture video playback feature, and provides the endorsement to take the Instrument Rating knowledge test after successful completion. For more information see sportys.com/instrument.

Pilot currency apps

In addition to full pilot training courses, Sporty’s also offers individual training apps to help pilots both maintain and restore aviation knowledge and procedural currency. There are 6 apps available here covering the following topics: Flight Review, Instrument Proficiency Check, Takeoffs and Landings, Airspace Review, VFR Communications and IFR Communications.

Each app includes a collection of bite-sized video segments, concluding with a review quiz at the end. Each question links back to the appropriate video segment, allowing you to quickly review additional information on particular topics. These apps were also recently update to include the picture-in-picture video playback, which is very useful when you want to study the quiz questions while simultaneously viewing the corresponding video segment.

Add a New Aircraft Rating

When it comes time to add a new rating or learn to fly a new type of aircraft, advanced preparation is key. Sporty’s series of Add a Rating apps are designed just for this purpose, with a combination of video segments and illustrated handbooks to help you thoroughly prepare for the new experience. There are 5 apps available here covering the following aircraft and avionics systems: Garmin G1000 Checkout, Multiengine Airplanes, Helicopters, Seaplanes and Gliders.

In addition to the new picture-in-picture video playback feature, these apps also feature a new streaming video option, eliminating the need to download all the videos before watching. This provides the option to then download individual segments to watch later on when an internet connection may not be available.

For more information and to see all Sporty’s Flight Training apps, check out the Sporty’s App Store.

What’s Up with the Student Pilot Certificate?

February 2, 2016/in Regulations/by studentpltnews

In the middle of January, stories began to trickle out that the FAA had published a new set of rules about changes to the student pilot certificate. With an implementation date indicated as April 1^st, 2016, and no notice that we could recall here at Sporty’s Academy, we thought that it might be an April Fools prank. It was few days later that the notice of a final rule finally appeared on the FAA’s Recently Published Rulemaking site and we found out that it was true.

The final rule was real and it will take effect on April 1^st, 2016.

The essence of the new rule is that the FAA will be replacing paper student pilot certificates, traditionally issued by a medical examiner during an FAA physical or by the FAA or a designated pilot examiner (DPE) when a medical isn’t required, with plastic pilot certificates. The catch is that a potential student pilot CANNOT walk out of a local office with the certificate in hand. All student pilot certificates must be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) before the FAA can issue the new plastic pilot certificate and send it to the potential student pilot.

Students who have a paper student pilot certificate prior to April 1^st may continue to use this until it expires or the student has earned a rating.

Prior to this new bureaucratic process, a new student was vetted by his or her flight instructor to ensure that the student was a U.S. Citizen before beginning flight training. If not a U.S. Citizen, then a TSA process ensued. While this vetting by the instructor does not go away, another layer of bureaucracy has been added to the mix. The TSA will supposedly be checking all applicants against some internal process.

The claim from the Federal Government is that student pilot certificates will be issued within 3 weeks. We’ll have to wait and see how true this is. It currently takes the FAA 2-4 months to issue a permanent plastic pilot certificate for a pilot who takes a checkride and is already in the system.

If the government sticks to their claim, 3 weeks doesn’t seem that long to wait and for most students it won’t be. For students pursuing a pilot certificate in an accelerated program, this could delay the student’s solo and slow down the rating. We’ve seen students go from 0 hours to a Recreational Pilot Certificate in as little as 2 weeks. This won’t be an option after April 1^st if we apply for the student’s certificate on the day he or she walks through the door. If it takes longer than 3 weeks, many student solos may be delayed, students will be discouraged, and some may decide to take up golf or boating instead.

Beyond the negatives of the new bureaucracy, there are a few positives to the new rule.

First and foremost, plastic student pilot certificates will not have an expiration date. While a student in continuous training rarely had to worry about the expiration, those who took a break during training did have to be concerned.

Second, there is no charge for the plastic student certificate unless a student happens to need a replacement. A replacement will cost $3.00. Some DPE’s used to charge for the service of issuing a student certificate for those without the need for a medical. I would suggest that if someone wants to charge a student for assisting with an application for the new plastic certificate, the student should find someone else qualified to certify the application. There are a lot more people eligible now.

Third, a student now has many more choices for applying for the student pilot certificate. As before, the student can apply for the certificate with the local FAA office, typically called a Flight Standards District Office or FSDO, or with a DPE. After April 1^st, the student may also apply with an Airman Certification Representative (ACR) associated with a part 141 pilot school or with his or her own Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). With any of these methods, the student pilot applicant must apply in person with the authorized individual. Good instructors will likely do this free of charge as a part of their service to their clients.

We haven’t been told how we will accept these applications but apparently we, as instructors, will have the ability.

From an instructor point of view, there will be a few changes to our procedures at the time of a student’s first solo and solo cross-country. Endorsements that used to reside on the back of the student pilot certificate will now be placed in the student’s logbook. This will be true if the student has the new plastic certificate or has a carryover paper certificate. Hopefully, Advisory Circular 61-65E Change 1 will be updated soon to address these new endorsements.

Oh, and about this rule being a surprise that none of us could remember, it was issued as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, back in 2010. 6 years and several changes made this proposal a fuzzy and distant memory.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

What’s new in Sporty’s flight training apps

What’s Up with the Student Pilot Certificate?

What’s new in Sporty’s flight training apps

What’s Up with the Student Pilot Certificate?

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

What’s new in Sporty’s flight training apps

What’s new in the Learn to Fly Course

Pilot currency apps

Add a New Aircraft Rating

What’s Up with the Student Pilot Certificate?

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