Unless You Want Another Sweater, Tell Your Family about Sporty’s Gift Guide

Holiday shopping for pilots made easy

Sporty’s Gift Guide makes shopping for pilots easy

“We know that shopping for a pilot is notoriously difficult and the number of choices from Sporty’s can be overwhelming,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “And of course, everyone wants to buy the right gift, but getting started can be a challenge.”

Sporty’s has grouped appropriate gifts into Student Pilots, Advanced Pilots, Aircraft Owners, and Aviation Enthusiasts to help narrow your search. New for 2012 is a category specific for iPads, the “iPad Pilots” group.

What’s more, gifts are further grouped by price range, starting at “Under $30” and going up through “Over $500.”

“If you’ve been particularly good this year, steer your loved ones to the ‘Over $500’ category and you just may find a Bose headset or a Stratus ADS-B weather receiver tied up with a bow waiting for you,” says Zimmerman.

For those gift buyers who still can’t make up their minds, Sporty’s has gift cards available in any denomination. Gift wrapping is also available on most items.

To access Sporty’s Gift Guide, go to sportys.com/giftguide. Gifts ordered from Sporty’s by Friday, December 21, 2012 may be received in time for Christmas.

Hal Shevers Receives Chamber of Commerce Award

Recognized for community service in Clermont County

Hal Shevers, Sandy Shevers and Phil Boyer

Hal and Sandy Shevers receive the Edward J. Parrish Pacesetter Award from a famous, new Clermont County resident.

Sporty’s Founder and Chairman Hal Shevers has received the Edward J. Parish Pacesetter Award, presented by the Clermont County, Ohio Chamber of Commerce, on November 8.

The award is named in honor of long-time former Chamber President Ed Parish and is presented annually to honor a businessperson living or working in Clermont County who has genuine concern for the welfare of Clermont County and its residents and who has exhibited outstanding qualities of character, citizenship and leadership.

“Although it’s great to be recognized,” says Shevers, “I must say that everything happening at Sporty’s is a team effort.  None of our activities would be possible without our dedicated employees who care about Clermont County as much as I do.”

At the award presentation Shevers and Sporty’s were cited for contributions to the community in maintaining the airport, providing steady employment opportunities and his supporting the University of Cincinnati’s Clermont Campus.

“For over forty years the Clermont Chamber has focused on safeguarding and strengthening the collective interests of the Clermont County business community,” said Chamber President/CEO Matt Van Sant.  “The Edward J. Parish Pacesetter Award is the Chamber’s most prestigious recognition.  Hal has been an extraordinary partner in the economic growth of our community.”

Sporty’s Pilot Shop has been based at Clermont County Airport since 1971.  Sporty’s Academy, the flight school at the airport, has partnered with the University of Cincinnati in its professional pilot program for the past 20 years.

Download hi res EPS of Hal Shevers receiving award

Everyone Needs Sporty’s EZPlotter

Simplified sectional plotter makes flight planning a snap

Sporty’s EZPlotter

Sporty’s offers the EZPlotter as the easiest plotter available. To use the EZPlotter, simply place it on top of the departure airport on a sectional chart and move the arm to the destination. The plotter will display the distance and course to your destination – no calculations required.

Meassuring 11 inches by 4.75 inches, the EZPlotter is virtually indestructible so you can toss it in your flight bag with no worry.

“Plotters should make pre-flight planning easier,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “That’s why we designed the EZPlotter to give pilots the information they need – fast.”

Sporty’s EZPlotter [#9012A] is available for $11.95 and may be ordered by calling 1-800-SPORTYS or at sportys.com. All Sporty’s products ordered by Friday, December 21, 2012, may be delivered in time for Christmas.

 

Download hi res EPS of Sporty’s EZPlotter

Flight Gear Headset Case Ideal for Traveling Light

Lightweight case designed by the flight instructors at Sporty’s

Sporty’s Flight Gear Headset Case is the most compact pilot bag available, and it’s designed for today’s pilots to store everything you need for a flight. This lightweight compact bag has specially designed pockets for a headset, iPad, transceiver and more.

Stop lugging an overstuffed bag. Travel light with Sporty’s Flight Gear Headset Case.

“This bag organizes the maximum amount of gear in a small space,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “It has a place for everything so you can put everything in its place.”

Measuring 6”w x 11”l x 11”h overall, the Flight Gear Headset Case has a padded external transceiver pocket with Sporty’s patented slit flap to accommodate the antenna, plus an internal pocket for an iPad.  Dual quick-access chart pockets have just enough space for charts for local flights. A large center compartment is perfectly sized for a headset while a front flap pocket can store iPad accessories or other devices.

With a six-year warranty, the Flight Gear Headset Case [#7340A] is available for $37.95 and may be purchased by calling 800-SPORTYS or at sportys.com. All Sporty’s products ordered by Friday, December 21, 2012, may be delivered in time for Christmas.

Download hi res EPS of Flight Gear Headset Case

Have Yourself a Merry [Aviation] Christmas

Sporty’s Wright Bros. Collection gets you in the holiday mood

Wright Bros. Collection is the headquarters for aviation-themed holiday gifts.

Whether you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift for an aviation buff or want to decorate your own home, Sporty’s Wright Bros. Collection has an array of items that are both aviation-themed and holiday-themed.

You’ll put a smile on your favorite child’s face – or on your own – with the World’s Fair Biplane Ride Carousel.  First, the Carousel is a music box that plays 25 musical standards such as Danny Boy and Stars and Stripes Forever. Half of the selections are holiday tunes such as Jingle Bells and Joy to the World. As the music plays, the five biplanes circle the ride. The Carousel includes a fabric roof, ticket booth and miniature people and measures 10” high and 9” in diameter. [# 6119W; $169.99]

Nutcrackers! Sporty’s Wright Bros. Collection has them. One large (15” tall) and one small (10” tall) Barnstormer Nutcracker are hand-crafted in Germany of natural wood. Dressed in goggles, helmet and flight jacket and carrying a flight bag and propeller, the Barnstormer Nutcrackers are in the Christian Ulbricht style, perfect for any collection. [Large: #6344; $149.99. Small: #6411W; $94.99]

Sporty’s Wright Bros. Collection also has an Airline Captain Nutcracker in two sizes. The small 5” model is a tree decoration while the larger 14” model functions as a true nutcracker. [5″: #3007W; $9.99. 14”: #5950W; $27.99. Both: B1028W; $36.99]

Bring aviation to your tabletop with the Santa and Airplane Salt and Pepper Set.  Handpainted and crafted from dolomite, the Salt and Pepper Set measures 4.5” by 2.5”.  These are working salt and pepper shakers and can also be used simply as decoration. [#6351W; $13.99]

Santa pilots a biplane in the Santa Biplane Ornament hand-crafted of wood and measuring 2” by 2”. This colorful ornament has a red string for easy hanging on your tree or get the Ornament Display Stand and have it on your desk or mantle. [Ornament: #6449W; $14.99. Stand: #3391W; $5.99]

The propellers and wheels spin on these Tin Airplane Ornaments that come in three models: Biplane [#6409W], DC-3 [#6348W]and Float Plane [#6371W]. These ornaments have gold thread for easy hanging and are $5.99 each or $4.99 for two or more.

All Sporty’s Wright Bros. Collection products may be ordered on line at www.sportys.com or by calling 1-800-SPORTYS. Products ordered by Friday, December 21, 2012, may be delivered in time for Christmas.

 

Download hi res EPS of World’s Fair Biplane Ride Carousel

Download hi res EPS of Barnstormer Nutcracker

Download hi res EPS of Santa and Airplane Salt and Pepper Set

Download hi res EPS of Santa Biplane Ornament

Download hi res EPS of Tin Biplane Ornament

Download hi res EPS of Tin DC-3 Ornament

Download hi res EPS of Tin Float Plane Ornament

Have a Bit of Fun in the Cockpit

Humorous Placards will keep your passengers smiling

Sporty’s Humorous placards will have your passengers doing a double-take.

Amuse your passengers with these Humorous Placards from Sporty’s. Designed to look just like their real counterparts, these signs will keep nervous flyers relaxed.

Placards include a Panic Button; one that reads No Smoking: If you must smoke, please step outside; and one that reads Intentional Straight and Level Flight Prohibited. Another placard provides a checklist for your co-pilot, labeled as such, and listing 1. Don’t touch anything and 2. Keep your mouth shut. Each placard is engraved and includes an adhesive back.

“Although flying is serious business, we all like to have a bit of fun as well,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “These placards are a way to lighten the mood for your passengers.”

Panic Button [1909A], No Smoking [7965A], Straight and Level [7990A] and Co-Pilot Checklist [4756A] are each available for $2.95 or $9.95 for all four. All Sporty’s products may be ordered at sportys.com or by calling 1-800-SPORTYS. Orders placed by December 21, 2012, may be delivered in time for Christmas.

Download hi res EPS of the Panic Button

Download hi res EPS of the No Smoking Placard

Download hi res EPS of the Straight and Level Placard

Download hi res EPS of the Co-Pilot Checklist Placard

Navigate Your Way through AOPA Summit 2012

Sporty’s AOPA app is available for iPad, iPhone and Android.

Sporty’s free app makes planning easy

Sporty’s all-new app for AOPA Summit 2012 is free and ready to download. The app, available for iPad, iPhone and Android is a must-have tool to maximize your time. AOPA Summit is scheduled for October 11-13, 2012, in Palm Springs, California.

“The old school attendee is weighted down and juggling maps, notebook, papers, program, pens, highlighter and guides; the new school attendee simply turns on his or her smart device and is set for the day,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman.

The AOPA Summit App from Sporty’s contains all the information necessary to ensure you see all that Summit has to offer. You’ll find exhibitors, learning experiences, events, speakers and other program elements all presented in an easy-to-navigate format. And if you’re flying to Summit this year, the App will also serve as your all-in-one resource.  The app includes all of the flight procedure information you’ll need including the official NOTAM.

By using the app’s “My Summit” feature, you can make an hour by hour itinerary for yourself, full of details, times, and locations. The Summit App includes an interactive exhibitors list and Exhibit Hall map. Click on the name of an exhibitor and you will instantly be shown where that exhibit is located on the map, right down to the precise booth location.

“You’re carrying your phone or iPad anyway, so give yourself a break and download the AOPA Summit App from Sporty’s,” adds Zimmerman. “You won’t miss anything or get the day or times wrong. The App is a good way to check that you cover everything of interest to you.”

Sporty’s has also created apps for Sun ‘n Fun, EAA AirVenture, and the International Women in Aviation Conference. All convention apps are provided by Sporty’s at no charge to the aviation community.

Sporty’s 2012 AOPA Summit App is available for iOS and Android devices, including iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The Android version of the app is designed for both phones and tablets, including the Kindle Fire. For more information, or to download the free app, visit sportys.com/apps.

Download hi res EPS of the AOPA Summit App

Download hi res EPS of the AOPA Summit App on an iPhone

Download hi res EPS of the AOPA Summit App on an Android phone

Download hi res EPS of the AOPA Summit App on an iPad

Download hi res EPS of the AOPA Summit App on an Android tablet

Deck the Halls – with a Cub

Sporty’s annual Christmas ornament announced

If you can’t have a Cub in your hangar, Sporty’s can at least provide one for your Christmas tree.

Sporty’s commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Piper Cub, and Sporty’s 2013 Legend Cub Sweepstakes, with this year’s crystal Christmas ornament. The limited edition collector’s item features an elegantly etched Cub in flight.

“You’d have to look far and wide to find a pilot who doesn’t like the Cub,” said Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “This year, we had an easy choice for our annual ornament.

Nearly 20,000 Cubs were built in the United States with dozens of civilian and military variants. Thousands of Cubs are still flying today.

Sporty’s Cub ornament comes with a bright red ribbon for hanging and is boxed for gift giving with some historical notes about the airplane.

The 2012 Sporty’s Crystal Christmas Ornament [9833-12A] is available for $24.95 and may be ordered at sportys.com or by calling 1-800-SPORTYS.

Download hi res EPS of 2012 Sporty’s Crystal Christmas Ornament

Say Goodbye to Flimsy Air Sickness Bags

Finally! A 21st century barf bag

When you or a passenger starts to turn colors, reach for a Chuk-It.

Chuk-It is the better mouse trap of air sickness bags. Constructed of thick plastic with heat-sealed seams, Chuk-It is extra large and can be used with only one hand thanks to Chuk-It’s stay-open top.

Once used, Chuk-It’s zipper top seals securely ensuring no spills or smell in the cockpit. Not only is Chuk-It spill resistant, it won’t explode at altitude either. Chuk-It’s gusseted bottom allows it to stand upright until you can dispose of it.

“It’s not a glamorous product, but it’s one that has evolved over the years from the old-style paper bags now to the state-of-the-art Chuk-It,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman.  “Having some Chuk-Its on board is a great insurance policy. Chuk-Its contains the mess rather than creating an even bigger mess.”

Measuring 12-1/2” by 7”,  a three-pack of Chuk-Its [7254A] is available for $6.95 and a ten-pack of Chuk-Its is available for $14.95. All Sporty’s products may be ordered at sportys.com or by calling 1-800-SPORTYS.

Download hi res EPS of Chuk-Its

Sporty’s Electronic E6B Gets a Makeover

Classic aviation tool now improved

Sporty's E6B

Over 240,000 pilots have trusted Sporty’s Electronic E6Bs over the years for fast flight planning and accurate FAA test calculations.

Sporty’s has given its best-selling electronic E6B flight computer a facelift, with a new rugged case and enhanced features. Sporty’s E6B now has a larger keypad and its own built-in storage case. Rubber feet have been added to keep the E6B from slipping during use, while a new backlit screen makes it useful for night operations.

“In this world of iPhones and iPads, don’t count out the E6B just yet,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “You can’t use your smart devices during an FAA Written Test, for example, but you can and should use Sporty’s Electronic E6B.”

Measuring 6.25”h x 3.25”w x 1”d, Sporty’s E6B uses three AAA batteries and also hosts a deluxe timer with local, home and Zulu time zones and a countdown timer for approaches. With 24 aviation functions and 20 aviation conversions, Sporty’s Electronic E6B is perfect for flight planning and in the cockpit.

Sporty’s E6B [7095A] is also a better value than ever, at just $59.95. It may be ordered by calling 1-800-SPORTYS or at sportys.com.

Download hi res EPS of Sporty’s E6B