No matter your ultimate goal, if you want to learn to fly, you have to solo. Talk to any pilot and a major milestone in their flying is the first time they flew an airplane alone. For most pilots, soloing an airplane is more memorable than passing a checkride. Now, Sporty’s has made this milestone even easier by offering a DVD course that includes everything a pilot needs to solo—just add flight instructor.

“We know from over 50 years experience gained at our own flight school, if you get a student to solo, his chances of dropping out are virtually zero,” says Sporty’s Founder Hal Shevers. “This course will help student pilots make it to that milestone, whether they plan to continue on towards a license or simply solo.” 

Because learning to fly can sometimes feel overwhelming and because many aspiring pilots don’t know exactly what certificate level they desire, Sporty’s designed its new course to be simple and easy to use. It’s the perfect starting point for anyone learning to fly. There is no software to install and no textbooks to study. Start with Volume 1 on your television, PC or Mac and continue to solo. 

Read more...

Sporty's, a long-time supporter of both EAA Young Eagles and the Boy Scouts' Aviation Exploring program, was on hand recently for the announcement of an exciting new partnership. Young Eagles, the world’s largest youth aviation education initiative, and the school- and career-based Learning For Life program, an affiliate of Boy Scouts of America, have entered into an agreement that will help young people discover and explore opportunities in aviation, including orientation flights in GA aircraft.

Read more...

The contents of your flight bag can vary from a few items to provisions for a weekend trip. With Sporty’s new Cessna Flight Gear Bag, you have your choice of a traditional portfolio bag or a backpack. Either one is perfect for pilots on the go.

An extra-strong shoulder strap attaches to reinforced metal hardware when the bag is in the bag mode. When the load gets too bulky, two concealed straps convert the bag into a backpack, making it much easier to transport, even if it’s just the walk to the FBO.

The Cessna Flight Gear Bag has all the features you require in a flight bag: an iPad/tablet pocket, external pockets for a flashlight and a fuel tester, a Sporty’s patented split flap pocket to use for your transceiver, padded shoulder straps, and a padded GPS pocket.

Read more...

Craig Fuller, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), stopped by Sporty's this past weekend for some hangar flying, a hot dog and a little Christmas shopping. Fuller, a passionate GA pilot, was enjoying flying his beautiful Beechcraft Bonanza, and thought Sporty's would make the perfect "$100 hamburger."

As he said of the hectic shopping weekend, "While others were stuck in traffic, I traveled to my chosen retailer in a relaxed environment." Sporty's president Michael Wolf was on hand to welcome Fuller and share a hot dog.

Read more...

The latest in Sporty's popular webinar series is a must-see. On Thursday, December 1 at 8pm eastern, Sporty's in-house iPad expert, Bret Koebbe, will be discussing “Flying with the iPad.” This information-packed webinar will cover everything you need to know about flying with Apple's popular tablet computer, whether you're considering buying one or you're an experienced user.

Topics include:

• iPad basics
• Which iPad to buy
• Popular aviation apps
• Must-have accessories
• Datalink weather for the iPad
• How to pre-flight your iPad
• Charging tips
• Advanced user tricks
• iOS 5 data erase tips

Read more...