Sporty's PIREPs

Sporty’s Aviation Gifts is thrilled to announce the release of its highly-anticipated 2025 Limited Edition Cessna 172 Die-Cast Model—a must-have for all pilots and for anyone with an affinity for classic aviation.

This exceptional replica is inspired by the 1969 Cessna 172K, N46418, owned by Brandon and Casey Bates, winners of Sporty’s annual contest to select the most worthy aircraft. Sporty’s invited Skyhawk owners everywhere to submit photos of their amazing aircraft and selected tail number N46418, among dozens of submissions, to become legendary.

Saturday morning's most interesting reads, with five can't-miss posts every week. Exclusive articles, new videos, interactive quizzes, and special aviation events–it's your weekly connection to what's happening in general aviation. Sign up for the weekly Fast Five email here.

The Richard Collins family has once again partnered with Sporty’s to offer The Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots. To qualify, the writer must be a pilot (including student pilot) who is 24 years of age or younger. The article must be original, not previously published, and no longer than 1,500 words. The topic should be “my most memorable flight.”

Not all airline careers are smooth, but veteran pilot Steve McNeilly says the rewards make the turbulence worthwhile. He talks about the value of building experience in piston twins, learning to land the Boeing 737, and what it means to be a professional pilot. Steve also built a full-scale Vulcan bomber simulator, so he talks about the process of building one-of-a-kind sims and explains why he’s so interested in jets from the 1950s. In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll learn what it was like to fly the DC-8, why the A&P certificates are so hard to earn, and why playing music and flying airplanes are similar.

The IFR category of flight can be intimidating to pilots of all experience. Weather minimums, required equipment, fuel reserves - it all changes when flying in the Instrument system. Sporty's Pilot Shop is taking on the task of demystifying the IFR category of aviation by answering these common instrument flying questions.

Saturday morning's most interesting reads, with five can't-miss posts every week. Exclusive articles, new videos, interactive quizzes, and special aviation events–it's your weekly connection to what's happening in general aviation. Sign up for the weekly Fast Five email here.

The IFR category of flight can be intimidating to pilots of all experience. Weather minimums, required equipment, fuel reserves - it all changes when flying in the Instrument system. Sporty's Pilot Shop is taking on the task of demystifying the IFR category of aviation by answering these common instrument flying questions.

Saturday morning's most interesting reads, with five can't-miss posts every week. Exclusive articles, new videos, interactive quizzes, and special aviation events–it's your weekly connection to what's happening in general aviation. Sign up for the weekly Fast Five email here.

The IFR category of flight can be intimidating to pilots of all experience. Weather minimums, required equipment, fuel reserves - it all changes when flying in the Instrument system. Sporty's Pilot Shop is taking on the task of demystifying the IFR category of aviation by answering these common instrument flying questions.

Landing an airplane is often described as a blend of precision, practice, and intuition—yet even seasoned pilots can fall victim to the bounced landing which occurs when the airplane contacts the ground with a sharp impact as the result of an improper landing attitude or an excessive sink rate. Though the airplane's tires and struts provide some springing action, the airplane does not bounce like a rubber ball. Instead, it rebounds into the air because the wing's angle of attack was abruptly increased, producing a sudden addition of lift.

When the bounce is very slight and there is no extreme change in the airplane's pitch attitude and sufficient runway remains, a follow-up landing may be executed by applying just enough power to cushion the subsequent touchdown.