Sporty's PIREPs

Is the post-pandemic boom over for the airlines? Industry analyst and former airline pilot Courtney Miller says the answer is both yes and no. He talks about which airlines are winning and losing in 2024, whether pilot salaries have overshot, and what to make of Boeing’s latest struggles. In the Ready to Copy segment, Courtney explains why oil prices don’t affect airfares, why the 737 MAX was not a mistake, and how to lie with statistics.

In an exciting revelation at Flight Sim Expo 2024, Sporty’s and Infinite Flight announced a partnership, aiming to bridge the gap between flight simulation and real-world aviation training. This collaboration strives to revolutionize how aspiring pilots learn and practice flying skills, offering a seamless integration of mobile flight simulation and comprehensive flight training courses.

Challenge coins serve as a symbol of pride, recognition, and membership, with a rich history that can be traced back to ancient Rome, the Renaissance, and World War I. Now, pilots can celebrate their flying milestones with this timeless Challenge Coin Gift Set from Sporty’s.

In aviation, a slipping turn and a skidding turn are both uncoordinated flight conditions that should be avoided. They occur when an aircraft's rate of turn does not match its bank angle. In a correctly executed turn, the horizontal component of lift should be equal and opposite to the centrifugal force.

Sporty’s is proud to announce the launch of the adjustable Pilot Wings Belt, designed specifically for the modern aviator. Combining functionality and style with precision adjustability, this belt is bound to become an essential accessory for pilots and aviation enthusiasts.

Paul Harding bought a seaplane before he was even a pilot, but went on to log 14,000 hours flying on floats all around the Bahamas. In this fun episode, he shares the details of that fascinating career, with tips on flying seaplanes, learning to fly later in life, and exploring the Out Islands. In the Ready to Copy segment, Paul talks about flying with celebrities, how to determine wind direction without a windsock, and the best food to eat in the Bahamas.

Did you ever fly out of Meigs field in downtown Chicago before it closed? It’s one of those airports you will never forget if you were lucky enough to visit before the painful closure in 2003. Beyond its reputation as a scenic and convenient access point to downtown Chicago, it was just as memorable to many pilots for a different reason. Ask just about any pilot today who learned to fly in the late 90s or early 2000s and memories will flood back to the view from the departure end of Runway 36 at KCGX, preparing for takeoff in Microsoft Flight Simulator. For many, including me, this was the first introduction to the excitement and freedom of general aviation.

Sporty’s Aviation Gifts is thrilled to announce the release of the 2025 Limited Edition Cirrus SR22-G6 Turbo Die-Cast Model. This meticulously crafted, 1:72 scale model is a must-have for aviation enthusiasts and collectors alike, celebrating one of the most iconic general aviation aircraft of the modern era.

A quarter of Cirrus customers are not pilots when they buy their airplane. Todd Simmons explains how the company succeeds with these non-pilots, including their focus on enabling a lifestyle instead of just selling specs, providing a complete ownership solution, and tackling safety head-on. Todd is also a passionate backcountry pilot, so he talks about the risks and rewards of that type of flying, including what he learned from being involved in a serious accident. In the Ready to Copy segment, Todd talks about the power of social media, the most important skill for safe taildragger flying, and which college football team in Georgia is best.

During preflight planning, it is imperative to check the Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) as these notices are considered essential to flight safety and contain information not known sufficiently in advance to publicize by other means. NOTAMs, as well as other current information pertinent to a flight, are available from a variety of sources, including the FAA NOTAM website, Flight Service and in mobile flight planning apps.