Mike Petrucci has been enamored with aviation from a very early age. His father would take him to airshows and help foster his passion for flight. A close family friend, who was a pilot and operated a charter business, further encouraged his interest in flight. And a Young Eagles flight in 1998 was the final push Mike needed to know that he wanted to be a pilot.
Pilots have plenty of batteries to keep charged these days, from iPads to smartphones to portable ADS-B receivers, making backup batteries and cables essential equipment for the modern flight deck. Custom-designed by Sporty’s team of pilots, the new Flight Gear Battery Organizer and Flight Gear Roll Up Organizer have just enough room for these essentials without taking up too much space. They are the perfect addition to any pilot’s flight bag.
The updated Flight Gear Backup Battery is the pilot’s answer for charging mobile devices on the flight deck. This battery can charge multiple iPads and ADS-B receivers at the same time – even while those devices are in use. Now 20% smaller, the Flight Gear Battery Pack still packs 20,000mAh, enough to charge an iPad multiple times.
Sporty’s webinars are live, multimedia presentations that are interactive and free for anyone who registers. Sporty’s webinar series touches on a variety of topics from training to new products and services. All webinars are archived so they may be viewed or re-viewed whenever time permits.
The Flight Gear Universal Aviator’s Light is much more than a flashlight. The innovative dual rotating axis and durable clip allow placement almost anywhere in the cockpit or on your flight bag. Use the included headband and the Universal Aviator’s light becomes a headlamp. Red and white light operate with independent buttons, meaning you don’t have to scroll through white light and ruin your night vision prior to getting to the red light.
Sporty’s die-cast Skyhawk model is a reminder for many pilots of their student pilot days. For others, the Skyhawk is simply a well-loved aircraft model.
The latest update of Sporty’s award winning Pilot Training platform brings an all-new version of the Pilot Training app to Apple computers, allowing pilots to access courses natively on a Macbook, iMac or Mac Pro.
Sporty’s popular Learn to Fly Course now features an updated and expanded Sport Pilot training module, ideal for student pilots training in Light Sport Aircraft (LSAs). In addition to new video segments and updated test questions, the course also includes interactive flashcards for checkride prep and a complete FAA library.
Franklin “Frankie” Fremont is graduating from high school next month and will enroll at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in the fall, but he is already an accomplished aviator. Growing up with a toy airplane in his hands, Fremont dreamed of taking to the skies. In making that dream a reality as early as he could, Fremont sought out glider training as a first step so that he could solo at age 14. But Fremont didn’t settle for a solo flight or for limiting his flying to gliders.
Nadja Keist, a 23-year old air traffic controller and private pilot from Switzerland, is the winner of the fourth annual Richard L. Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots. Her article, “Understanding Responsibility,” was selected as the entry that best answered this year’s writing prompt: “my first time at the controls of an airplane.” Nadja’s article recounts her first flight as a pilot in command with a passenger, and the in-flight anomaly that tested her decision-making skills.