John Zimmerman

Sporty's introduced its 2018 Learn to Fly Course this week, which added a number of new features to this popular training product, including: a new iOS app, automatic sync between the online course and app, CFI tracking, new video segments, and more. We sat down with Sporty's Academy Vice President Bret Koebbe, who leads Sporty's course development team, to learn more about the course and the people who make it.

We say it all the time: one of the best parts of our jobs here at Sporty's is meeting all the passionate, creative pilots who invent new products. We love to test crazy ideas and partner with fellow pilots to bring new concepts to market. In fact, almost everything we sell was created by an aviation enthusiast, whether it's a single person with a vision or a large company packed with pilots. In this post, we're sharing more stories of "The Pilots Behind the Products," including Lightspeed and MyGoFlight.

ProFlight is the first new headset from Bose since 2010, and it’s a completely new design that’s specifically made for professional pilots. In fact, it’s unlike any other aviation headset we’ve ever seen. We spent a week flying with ProFlight in a variety of airplanes and overall we were impressed. Here’s our hands-on review.

As a Gold or Platinum member of Sporty's Flight Crew, you'll have access to over a dozen benefits for the active pilot. Enjoy free shipping, unlimited access to Sporty’s training courses, a pro subscription to Sporty's Takeoff app, exclusive savings, and much more. One additional benefit is access to $2,500 flight training scholarships. Here's how to apply.

David Ross of Afton, Tennessee, is the first recipient of a $2,500 scholarship awarded through his membership in the Sporty’s Flight Crew program. Dave plans to put this money toward an instrument rating.

The goal of flyGIRL is to encourage and inspire women and young girls to open their hearts and minds to their potential and to help their dreams take flight. A portion of every flyGIRL sale goes to support the group’s scholarship fund, which awards $5,000 to a woman (young or old) who is pursuing flight training. We talked to Natalie Kelley, founder of flyGIRL, to learn about her journey in aviation and what advice she has for aspiring pilots.

Learning to fly is one of the most exciting journeys in life, but it also takes hard work and dedication. That means much more than just logging time in the left seat of an airplane, too. In fact, years of experience at our flight school have proven that using a home study course is the key to efficient flight training. The right course can save you time, money, and frustration – and make you a better pilot. 

That’s why Sporty’s 2019 Learn to Fly Course is such an exciting update. New content, flexible app options, and smart study tools all combine to offer an unmatched training experience. The powerful test prep tools mean you’ll be prepared to ace the written test, but that’s just the beginning. In depth video segments focus on real world flying, detailed lesson plans help organize your training, and Sporty’s flight instructors are always available to help.

The team at Sporty's Academy is always working on new features, and we're excited to show off some of the latest additions for 2019.

Owning an airplane is incredibly rewarding: you can choose interior and avionics options to suit your unique mission, manage maintenance the way you prefer, and always know it will be available when you want to fly. Aircraft ownership also brings some responsibilities, including maintenance and paperwork. Fortunately, with the right equipment you can focus more on fun and less on work. Here's our list of 10 must-have products for aircraft owners.