Affordable Drill-Powered Aircraft Tug Available

GoTow Tug Works With and Without Wheel Pants

The GoTow is a drill-powered tug, constructed from lightweight aluminum. To operate the GoTow, the operator stands on a platform, providing the needed weight for the drive wheel, while a heavy-duty drill (sold separately) provides the power needed to move your airplane. The steerable wheel makes it easy to maneuver in tight places.

The GoTow works with most Cessna, Cirrus and Van’s aircraft without additional adapters and has an adjustable height and width to accommodate different aircraft. With an available adapter, the GoTow can be used with many other aircraft including models from Piper, Lancair, and Beech.

“An aircraft tug doesn’t have to weigh a ton, nor cost a ton,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “The GoTow is lightweight, powerful and steerable.”

Two carrying handles make positioning and attaching the GoTow easy. Two wheels on the back of the platform allow you to roll the GoTow to and from the nose wheel. The GoTow works with a power drill of 18V or greater with a ½” chuck and boasts a typical tow speed of 12 ft/min on the drill’s low setting and 42 ft/min on the drill’s high setting. The maximum airplane weight for the GoTow is 3600 lbs.

The GoTow Drill-powered Tug [#10296A] is available for $1,695 by calling 1-800-SPORTYS or at sportys.com.

Medium resolution pictures for online:

High resolution pictures for print:

Download hi-res EPS of The GoTow

Download hi-res EPS of The GoTow(Cessna)

Download hi-res EPS of The GoTow(Cirrus)

Download hi-res EPS of The GoTow(Carry)

Air Facts Announces Winner of Richard L. Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots

Emma Hutchinson

Emma Hutchinson, midshipman at Annapolis, earns the prize

Emma Hutchinson, a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, is the winner of the inaugural Richard L. Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots. Her article, entitled “The Old Man in the Plane,” is a tribute to her grandfather who instilled in her a love of flying and flew with her often, teaching her the fundamentals of flight.

In her article, she writes, “My grandpa told me the sky was his church, the place he felt the presence of a higher being, always present. He guided me to start my own journey in the old plane, this time with a new instructor.” The winning article may be read in full at airfactsjournal.com.

Air Facts Editor John Zimmerman will present the prize of $2500 to Hutchinson during this year’s upcoming Sun ‘n Fun. “The mastheads of aviation magazines, along with numerous bylines, speak to the young people Richard mentored in his long career,” said Zimmerman. “Finding new writing talent in aviation is a natural progression of what Richard thought was an important duty.”

At the United States Naval Academy, Hutchinson is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in English. She earned her private pilot certificate in 2017 and flies during her leave from school and military obligations. She is a member of the USNA cycling team, paints in her free time, and writes daily. She is the second oldest of five children and believes her family to be her greatest support and motivation. Upon her commissioning, Hutchinson desires to fly helicopters for the Marine Corps, a goal of which she says her grandfather, Ronald Hutchinson, would be proud.

Based on the success of this first year’s Writing Prize, plans are underway to continue this award in 2020. Details will be posted at airfactsjournal.com later this year.

The Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots is funded through the royalties from Collins’ books and is augmented by contributions from his children, Richard, Jr. (who was also one of the judges), Sarah and Charlotte.

Air Facts began publication in 1938, edited by Richard’s father, Leighton Collins, and was the magazine starting point for such authors as Wolfgang Langewiesche, Bob Buck, Bill Mauldin and Richard Bach. Sporty’s relaunched Air Facts as an online magazine in 2011.

The Sporty’s Foundation Releases its Annual Report for 2018

Sporty’s continues to show leadership in philanthropic efforts within aviation

The Sporty’s Foundation made bequests totaling $228,541.15 during 2018 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.

The Sporty’s Foundation has issued its most recent annual report, detailing activities and bequests during 2018 and may be seen online at SportysFoundation.org.

The Sporty’s Foundation continues as a major sponsor of EAA’s successful Young Eagles program from a financial commitment to complement Sporty’s making its award-winning Learn to Fly course available at no charge to all Young Eagles.

The Sporty’s Foundation also continues its focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) activities, by financing more than a dozen scholarships to deserving young people pursuing an aviation course of academic study and flight training.

This past year also saw a $20,000 bequest to EAA for improvements and enhancements to Aviation Explorers’ base camp, located on EAA grounds and where hundreds of Aviation Explorers spend time enjoying AirVenture and becoming part of the show by volunteering.

“We are proud of our no-overhead administration of our foundation and encourage donors and potential donors to examine our IRS Form 990, which we have posted at the foundation’s website,” said Sporty’s Founder and Chairman Hal Shevers. “Sporty’s assumes 100% of those administrative expenses so every donated dollar goes directly to the programs we support.”

Online contributions are being accepted, either as a one-time payment or a recurring monthly donation. As a 501(c)(3) foundation, all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. For more information on The Sporty’s Foundation, visit SportysFoundation.org.

High resolution pictures for print:

Download hi-res EPS of Sporty’s Foundation annual report

Sporty’s Pilot Training App Adds New Test Prep Features, Expands Course Catalog

App may be used on iPhone, iPad, AppleTV and Android devices

Pilots first download the Pilot Training app and then customize it for their individual mission, with 13 courses available for study. The app has recently added hundreds of new knowledge test prep questions for the Private Pilot and Instrument Rating courses, written by Sporty’s team of CFIs with direct links to the FAA reference source for further review.

“Since the FAA stopped releasing the test questions, pilots have relied on Sporty’s to provide accurate and comprehensive test preparation,” says Sporty’s Academy President Eric Radtke. “Our goal has always been to prepare the entire pilot rather than just having rote memorization to answers. That’s how we can offer our ‘triple guarantee’ to pilots.”

One of the most popular features in the Pilot Training app is the ability to study on multiple devices, while keeping progress in sync. Both video progress and test prep scores are automatically synced between the iOS app, Android app, and online course.

“We want to remind users that if you review all the video content and score 80% or higher on two practice tests,” says Radtke, “you can request and earn a knowledge test endorsement immediately.”

The Pilot Training app continues to expand with new content, including a new course on flying with the Aspen Evolution avionics system. This course contains over 75 minutes of engaging animations, in-flight video and real-world tips on using the PFD and MFD displays. The Pilot Training app also includes the latest version of the Flying with ForeFlight course, showing how to use all the new features in aviation’s most popular EFB app.

Another new feature, just added, is a video download manager which allows you to save HD video segments so you can watch them when not online. Pilots can select multiple segments for download and move content on and off as needed.

“This makes it easy to watch the video segments when streaming isn’t an option or where an internet connection is not available,” says Radtke.

Sporty’s Pilot Training app may be downloaded for free in the iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store. Individual courses range from $29.99 to $199.99, and may be purchased in the app or at sportys.com/courses.

Sporty’s Awards Flight Crew Scholarship

Sporty’s Flight Crew Scholarship Winner Rene Wilson of Columbia, South Carolina.

$2,500 awarded as part of unique loyalty program

Rene Wilson of Columbia, South Carolina, has been selected to receive the Sporty’s Flight Crew Scholarship.  Rene plans to use the $2,500 scholarship to complete his private pilot training.

Rene joined the United States Army in 1995 and has made the military his career. He currently serves as a Master Sergeant working in the Network Enterprise Center (NEC) for the South Carolina National Guard. Among his many career awards is a Bronze Star, earned during a deployment to Iraq.

Sporty’s Flight Crew is a three-level customer benefit program that rewards customers with access to training programs, unlimited free shipping, an on-call personal Sporty’s shopper, and more. The top two levels (gold and platinum) include the opportunity to apply for this $2,500 scholarship. Each year, three scholarships are awarded to Sporty’s Flight Crew members.

“Sporty’s is glad to pay back in a small way someone who has given so much to our country,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “And we hope within the year to welcome him to the community of GA pilots.”

As for his plans when he earns that ticket, Rene thinks about “breakfast in New York and catching sun rays in Florida” where he has family. He says, “A three-hour flight is better than an eight-hour drive.” In short, he says, “The possibilities are endless.”

The third Sporty’s Flight Crew scholarship will be awarded in April 2019 during Sun’n Fun.  It’s easy to enroll as a Sporty’s Flight Crew member by visiting sportys.com/flightcrew.