Sporty's PIREPs

Tailwheel airplanes demand excellent situational awareness and sharp manual flying skills, two things that modern pilots often lack, according to taildragger expert Damian DelGaizo. The longtime flight school owner, who learned from an aviation legend, talks about the finer points of three-point landings, wheel landings, and Piper Cubs. He also explains why a touch pass is important for evaluating grass runways and why you might have to carry a garbage bag full of rocks when flying skiplanes. In the Ready to Copy segment, Damian talks about dancing on the rudder pedals, how to fly with heel brakes, and teaching Harrison Ford to fly taildraggers.

At our home airport (I69), the traffic pattern stays busy—especially with our flight school airplanes. It’s common to have multiple airplanes in the pattern, a steady stream of radio calls, and a lot happening in a short amount of time. For many student pilots, that’s where things start to feel overwhelming.

For pilots, the airport isn’t just a destination—it’s part of who they are. Now, Sporty’s is bringing that identity home with its new Custom Taxiway Light Display, a bold, personalized display inspired by instantly recognizable airport signage.

Sporty’s is proud to announce the launch of ForeFlight Power Users Training, a new online training course developed by ForeFlight and available exclusively in Sporty’s Pilot Training platform. Designed for pilots of all experience levels, the course provides a complete, real-world guide to using ForeFlight—from initial setup and flight planning to advanced in-flight tools and digital logbook management.

The GA accident rate is getting better, but aviation safety researcher Douglas Boyd says there’s still plenty of work to do. He shares a fascinating array of statistics in this episode, pulled from the 300+ papers he has authored, including how many hours is enough to stay proficient, what really causes landing accidents, and the truth about older pilots’ safety record. In the Ready to Copy segment, Dr. Boyd talks about flying out of CG, whether engine TBO really matters, and the best places to visit in Scotland.

A pilot’s headset is one of the most valuable pieces of gear they own; so protecting it on every flight isn’t optional:  it’s essential. That’s why the pilots at Sporty’s designed the Flight Gear® Molded Headset Case, a purpose-built solution that delivers durable, compact protection for everyday flying.

If you’re on final, slightly high, a touch fast, maybe not perfectly lined up, your first instinct is often to try to “fix” it. After all, we don’t want to fail, especially after a good pattern. That’s exactly when you should start thinking about a go-around. Waiting too long usually comes down to ego and fear of “failure” or the hope you can salvage the landing—and that’s when things get tricky.

Too many pilots miss out on fun and rewarding flying experiences because they’re afraid of legal gray areas, according to aviation lawyer and flight instructor Mark Kolber. He shares the facts about cost sharing, ramp checks, and medical applications, with practical advice for staying out of trouble with the FAA. Mark is also a longtime CFI, so he also offers tips for learning to fly later in life and transitioning to new airplanes. In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll hear about flying in Colorado, Carolina barbecue, and lawyer jokes.

Designed as the ultimate “Plan B” in the cockpit, the PJ2 GPS adds essential navigation capabilities to its core communication role. Built-in GPS provides critical in-flight data, including groundspeed, altitude, and track, along with simplified waypoint navigation to help pilots get home in an emergency.

Sporty’s is pleased to announce the release of its Limited Edition 2026 Cessna 172 Die-Cast Model, a finely detailed 1:72 scale replica, inspired by a real aircraft with a remarkable story. This year’s model honors a 1974 Cessna Skyhawk II named Gypsy, owned by the Hurtuk family. The aircraft was selected as the winner of Sporty’s nationwide “Shrink My Cessna” contest, which invited owners to submit photos and stories of their Skyhawks.