Sporty’s Academy students, William Dunkman and Jonathan Sadler, have been selected as inaugural recipients of the Dave Stahl Checkride Scholarships. The scholarships were created in honor of Dave Stahl, a longtime flight instructor and designated pilot examiner in southwest Ohio, who flew west in August 2020.
Sporty’s Commercial Pilot Training Course now includes comprehensive video content designed to thoroughly prepare pilots for both the checkride and to operate safely as a commercial pilot.
While under quarantine in a small New York City apartment during the pandemic, Jake Phillips returned to his childhood dream of becoming a pilot as an escape from the isolation and enrolled in Sporty’s online Learn to Fly Course.
Michael Brown, a 23-year-old instrument and seaplane rated pilot from Tennessee, is the winner of the third annual Richard L. Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots. His article, “The Wrong Stuff,” was selected as the entry that best answered this year’s writing prompt: “my most memorable or important flying lesson (with or without a flight instructor).” Michael’s article recounts the lesson he learned trying to impress his first non-familial passenger in a Legend Cub on twin amphibious floats.
In 1961, a young flight instructor named Hal Shevers began selling pilot supplies from the trunk of his Studebaker, with the goal of making general aviation safer, easier, and more fun. Sixty years later, Sporty’s has long since outgrown that first “warehouse,” but the company is still focused on Hal’s goal. Today, the company announced the start of a six week birthday party, featuring special savings, customer contests, and livestreams from Sporty’s headquarters.
Ever wondered what it’s like to fly a loop or a roll? Maybe you’ve considered taking an upset recovery course to improve your stick and rudder skills? If so, then this course is for you. Basic Aerobatics with Patty Wagstaff puts you in the cockpit with an airshow legend to experience flight beyond straight and level.
The Sporty’s Foundation made bequests totaling $161,000 during 2020 to fulfill its goal to attract young people to the aviation community both as a career and a lifestyle. The Foundation also supports organizations and museums that preserve the rich history of aviation for future generations.
Getting motion sickness in a small aircraft is not a pleasant experience and conventional air sickness bags only make matters worse. Having to pull a folded garbage bag out of a small paper envelope and then trying to use a twist tie to seal it up while bouncing around on a hot summer day is awful. The Better Barf Bag was designed by pilots who understand this.
Sporty’s Flight Gear was first introduced 30 years ago to offer pilots reliable flight bags with aviation-specific features, all at affordable prices. Since then, hundreds of thousands of pilots have chosen Flight Gear to protect and organize important aviation gear, from first lesson to airline cockpit. As technology and pilot preferences evolve, Sporty’s Flight Gear must change to keep pace.
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 an event that changed or shaped the author’s flying.