The Sporty’s Foundation Releases its Annual Report for 2020

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The Sporty’s Foundation Releases its Annual Report for 2020

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

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.

The Sporty’s Foundation has issued its most recent annual report, detailing activities and bequests during 2020 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 the University of Cincinnati to provide aviation scholarships. An additional $10,000 was donated to the AOPA Foundation “You Can Fly Challenge”, a suite of programs designed to make flying more accessible and affordable. Several new scholarship programs were also established, including the FlyGIRL/Women in Aviation Scholarship, the Flight Crew Scholarship program and the Dave Stahl Memorial Checkride Scholarship.

“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.

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Sporty’s Better Barf Bag Makes a Bad time Better

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Sporty’s Better Barf Bag Makes a Bad time Better

Say Goodbye to Spills and Unwanted Smells

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.

Constructed with thick, heat-sealed plastic, this bag seals in the liquid with a zippered, leak-resistant top. The 2.5” gusseted bottom helps to increase capacity while giving the bag a solid base to keep upright when placed on the floor. The dark color of the bag helps to mask the contents.

“It’s not a glamorous product, but it’s one that needs to be easy to use and effective,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “Having some Better Barf bags on board is a great insurance policy. They contain the mess rather than creating a bigger one.”

Each  Better Barf Bags [3695A] measures 8” x 8” and are available as a ten-pack for $6.50. All Sporty’s products may be ordered at sportys.com or by calling 1-800-SPORTYS.

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Sporty’s Flight Gear Gets a Makeover

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Sporty’s Flight Gear Gets a Makeover

Improved flight bag designs based on years of pilot feedback

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.

Thousands of pilot reports have been painstakingly reviewed to find the features most wanted in a flight bag. The result is our latest generation of Flight Gear bags, brand new for 2021. Each of these bags represents the ultimate combination of rugged construction, thoughtful design, and affordable prices. You can pay more, but you won’t find a better flight bag.

“As pilots ourselves, we trust other pilots to tell it like it is when it comes to our products,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “Good, bad, but rarely indifferent, customer feedback is combed over to see how our products can be improved, and that’s certainly true with Flight Gear.”

The latest line, consisting of six different bags designed with a specific type of pilot in mind, has an updated look and dozens of improved features.

Among the improved features are:

  • Stronger, more water-resistant ripstop fabric
  • Thick plastic hardware that is ultra-strong yet lightweight
  • High visibility interior to make items easier to find
  • New pockets for iPads, charging cables, backup batteries and more
  • New organizer sections to store pens, logbooks, business cards and more
  • Sturdy oversized YKK zippers that feature fabric pull tabs
  • Integrated key clip to keep keys from getting lost
  • Scratch-preventing soft lined interior
  • Quick-access chart pockets

Custom embroidery is available, and all Flight Gear bags come with an industry-leading three-year warranty.  Plus, these redesigned bags are available at some of the lowest prices ever offered for a Sporty’s Flight Gear Bag. Flight Gear bags are available at sportys.com/flightgear or by calling Sporty’s at 1.800.SPORTYS.

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Call for Entries: The Third Annual Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots

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Call for Entries: The Third Annual Richard Collins Writing Prize for Young Pilots

$2,500 award for a pilot up to age 24

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 “my most memorable or important flying lesson (with or without a flight instructor).”

The winning article will be published in Air Facts, the publication Richard’s father, Leighton, founded in 1938 and which was relaunched eight years ago by Sporty’s as an online magazine. The articles will be judged by a panel of three: Richard Collins, Jr., J. Mac McClellan, and Amy Laboda.

“Richard Collins left a rich legacy in aviation, including the many young writers he encouraged or hired,” says Sporty’s Vice President and Air Facts Editor John Zimmerman. “This prize is a great way to continue that important work and honor a great writer, and we’re thrilled that this has become an annual event.”

The winning article will be published in Air Facts, while its writer will receive a check for $2,500. The prize will be announced in April.

Articles may be submitted now through March 4, 2021, and sent in as a Word document to [email protected]. In addition, young pilots are required to submit a 100-word bio to accompany their articles.

Read the 2020 winning article here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sporty’s Foundation Spreads Christmas Cheer with Surprise Scholarships

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The Sporty’s Foundation Spreads Christmas Cheer with Surprise ScholarshipsSporty's Foundation

The Sporty’s Foundation has selected two Sporty’s Flight Crew members to receive bonus $2,500 flight training scholarships. In the spirit of the holiday season, Sporty’s Foundation allocated scholarship funds to surprise the recipients and help them complete their flight training goals.

Justin Miller, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, originally applied for a scholarship in March 2020. Miller has been an aviation mechanic for 15 years and will soon receive his A&P certificate. He began flight training in 2019 and is working towards his instrument rating. The scholarship will help to fund the last 10 hours of training he needs before taking his checkride.

Tiffany Meredith will begin her flight training at Bowman Field in Louisville, Kentucky, in early 2021. Meredith has completed ground school and is using Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course to review prior to beginning her flight training. She has a strong network of mentors, many of them UPS pilots, who have agreed to help her on her journey to becoming a pilot. Given these connections, it’s not surprising that her ultimate goal is to be a pilot for UPS.

The Sporty’s Foundation’s mission includes supporting aviation education, and makes investments in organizations as well as individuals. As 2020 came toward a close, The Sporty’s Foundation recognized a need and saw an opportunity to help even more aspiring pilots pursue their aviation dreams. These scholarship awards are in addition to the more than $150,000 The Sporty’s Foundation committed in 2020 to help promote and grow aviation. For more information, visit www.SportysFoundation.org.

Sporty’s Flight Crew is a three-level customer benefit program from Sporty’s Pilot Shop 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 a $2,500 flying scholarship.

It’s easy to enroll as a Sporty’s Flight Crew member by visiting sportys.com/flightcrew.

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Sporty’s Awards Flight Crew Scholarship

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Sporty’s Awards Flight Crew Scholarship

Adventurous Private pilot will put $2,500 award toward Instrument Rating

Cory Gordon had two dreams while growing up in Virginia – to live in Alaska and to become a pilot. After graduating from high school, she said goodbye to her family and moved to Alaska. While Gordon had an interest in flying airplanes from a young age, it was experiencing general aviation as a way of life in Alaska that inspired her to take a discovery flight in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Gordon would go on to earn her Private pilot certificate in Anchorage.

Now Gordon, a current resident of Phoenix, Arizona, is the recipient of Sporty’s latest $2,500 flying scholarship awarded through her membership in Sporty’s Flight Crew program. “Learning to fly was the most arduous undertaking of my life yet my proudest accomplishment,” remarked Gordon. “I look forward to using this scholarship award toward my next goal of earning an Instrument Rating.”

After spending 10 years in Alaska, Gordon returned to the lower 48 to attend law school. She relocated to the Phoenix area to work as a public defender and soon rekindled her passion for flying. Gordon engaged the local chapter of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots, for guidance and support. She is currently using her Sporty’s Flight Crew membership to train for her flight review before embarking on her Instrument training. Gordon intends to pay it forward by continuing her work with the Ninety-Nines to support women in aviation.

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 a $2,500 flying scholarship.

It’s easy to enroll as a Sporty’s Flight Crew member by visiting sportys.com/flightcrew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sporty’s Launches “Ultimate Pilot Wish List” Just in Time for Christmas

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Sporty’s Launches “Ultimate Pilot Wish List” Just in Time for Christmas

For the pilot who has everything, Sporty’s has three unique gift ideas

Finding the perfect aviation gift can be a daunting task, especially for those people who seem to snap up the latest headset or smartwatch as soon as it’s announced. This holiday season, Sporty’s has the answer for these hard-to-shop-for pilots, with a collection of three extraordinary gifts. From an aerobatic experience with Patty Wagstaff to a desk crafted from an MD-80, you can rest assured that they haven’t bought these already.

“We know how challenging it can be to find a memorable gift for an aviation enthusiast,” said Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “That’s why we partnered with some of the most creative companies in aviation to create a dream list of gifts, sure to please even the pickiest pilots.”

For anyone who has dreamed of flying a loop, roll, or hammerhead during the afternoon airshow at AirVenture, Sporty’s is offering the next best thing with the Patty Wagstaff Aerobatic Experience. This once-in-a-lifetime gift package puts you in the front seat of an Extra 300 showplane for an unforgettable flight with one of the world’s greatest aerobatic pilots. You’ll visit the Patty Wagstaff Aerobatic School in beautiful Saint Augustine, Florida, for one-on-one instruction with Patty herself. The package includes two online courses, two hours of ground school, two hours of flying with Patty, and some souvenirs to remember the flight. The complete package is available for $2,495.

If you’ve spent more time working from home this year, the Mad Dog Stabilizer Desk offers the ultimate upgrade, perfect for your next Zoom call. This stunning furniture is crafted from a retired American Airlines MD-80, rescued from the airplane boneyard in Roswell, New Mexico, by MotoArt.  Each Mad Dog Stabilizer Desk requires over 100 hours of labor to remove the elevator from the airplane, then acid wash, grind, and sand each section. Half-inch aluminum plate legs with a gusseted design are methodically welded together to enforce a strong and aesthetically striking base. The result is a shiny finish just like the classic American Airlines livery. The Mad Dog Stabilizer Desk is available for $16,500.

Finally, while the new Microsoft Flight Simulator has been getting lots of attention, pilots know that the ultimate simulator experience is found in a full-motion training device. That’s now available, in the form of the Redbird MX2, a single pilot, small footprint simulator that brings full-motion capabilities to your home. Occupying as little as 9’x 12’ of floor space, the MX2’s electric motion platform and wrap-around visuals offer multi-million dollar realism at a price well under $100,000. It’s approved by the FAA as an AATD, allowing you to log the training you receive in the MX2.

“Of course, if your budget isn’t quite high enough for these fantasy gifts, we have plenty of other excellent gift options,” said Zimmerman. “From flashlights to flight bags to radios, everything we sell has been tested by our team of pilots.”

Sporty’s complete holiday gift guide is available at Sportys.com/GiftGuide.

 

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New Flight Gear iPad Kneeboard Features Universal Design

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New Flight Gear iPad Kneeboard Features Universal Design

Latest design works with or without cases and adds storage pockets  

Kneeboards have changed drastically over the last 30 years. Once used for charts and flight plan forms, kneeboards are now used to hold the most trusted navigational tool: an iPad, or tablet. To meet the evolving needs of pilots, Sporty’s has redesigned its most popular kneeboard. The Flight Gear iPad Bi-fold kneeboard has been updated based on pilot feedback, to include movable brackets that allow for almost any iPad/tablet case combination and more flexible organization options.

Sporty’s Flight Gear iPad Bi-fold kneeboard uses extra strong vinyl coated metal brackets that are held in place by hook and loop, allowing them to expand and contract to work with different sizes and thicknesses of tablets.

The new design also includes an integrated kickstand that is adjustable in height, and can be used in both portrait and landscape modes. “We’ve found that an iPad laying flat on your lap has a lot of glare,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “Using the kickstand and angling the tablet towards you not only provides a better viewing angle, it also eliminates much of the glare.”

The side flap of the kneeboard has two flat pockets for storing charging cables and screen cleaning cloths. These flat pockets are constructed with extra soft, velvet style material to accept Sporty’s Gear Mods. Gear Mods allow you to further customize your kneeboard with additional pockets and organizers. A zipper pocket is perfect for backup batteries or small Bluetooth GPS units. The zipper has a protective flap so you don’t have to worry about damaging your tablet screen when it is closed.  The center of the kneeboard has two loops for holding a stylus, pen, or even a small flashlight.  There is even a hole that allows you to fold the side flap underneath the board when not in use while still utilizing the elastic knee strap.

Closing the kneeboard reveals a well-designed front flap with an ID holder for a business card. A flat pocket provides just enough space for a chart, checklist, or small notepad.  The kneeboard features two extra-thick padded strips that provide comfort and increased stability while the kneeboard is strapped to your leg.

Sporty’s Flight Gear iPad Bi-fold kneeboard is available in two sizes. The Flight Gear Mini Bi-Fold Kneeboard [5828A] fits iPad Minis 1-5 and some other 8” size tablets. The Flight Gear iPad Bi-Fold Kneeboard [6193A] is designed to fit 9.7” to 11” iPads, but the movable brackets allow it to fit most other sizes too. Each kneeboard is available for $34.95. All Sporty’s iPad products may be purchased at sportys.com or by calling 1-800-SPORTYS.

 

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Sporty’s Celebrates 15 Years on YouTube With Expanded Content

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Sporty’s Celebrates 15 Years on YouTube With Expanded Content

From flying tips to product reviews, the pilots at Sporty’s share videos every week

Sporty’s is celebrating 15 years on YouTube with its most ambitious schedule of content yet. Over 150 new videos have been uploaded so far in 2020, ranging from in-depth product reviews and technical how-tos to flight training tips and webinar recordings. Pilots have responded, with the channel receiving over 3.6 million views in less than a year.

“Being a pilot means more than just sitting in the left seat, and a high quality video is a great way to keep your head in the clouds while you’re on the ground,” said Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “Our goal is to give pilots the inspiration and information they need to keep flying safe, affordable, and fun.”

Sporty’s YouTube channel is organized into multiple playlists to help pilots find the right video for them. Some of the most popular playlists include:

  • Video Tip of the Week: new tips every week, taken from Sporty’s award-winning Learn to Fly and Instrument Rating courses
  • Ask a Sporty’s CFI: five minute tips for safer flying, from the experienced instructional staff at Sporty’s Academy
  • Product PIREPs: hands-on flight tests with the latest new products, from headsets to smartwatches
  • Touch & Go: simple and quick how-to videos for using radios, ADS-B receivers, and E6Bs
  • Flight Simulators: a growing list of videos to help pilots set up Microsoft Flight Simulator and use it efficiently
  • Webinars: complete recordings of Sporty’s webinar series, with in-depth presentations on hot topics in aviation

There are plenty of fun flying videos, too. Sporty’s hosted a “virtual airshow” this summer with product specials, contests, and new videos. This playlist includes product demos from select Sporty’s partners and even an airshow routine from legendary pilot Patty Wagstaff. This thrilling video, shot with an interactive 360-degree camera, has quickly become one of the most popular videos on Sporty’s channel.

Sporty’s has also partnered with other YouTube stars for exclusive videos. This includes the Back to Base series with JP Schulze (better known as the Candourist), which takes viewers on a variety of flights around the US and New Zealand. An upcoming collaboration with Baron Pilot will bring a new flight training series in 2021.

Sporty’s YouTube channel can be found at YouTube.com/SportysPilotShop or in the YouTube app. To watch even more Sporty’s videos, download the Pilot Training app for iOS and Android devices, which includes over 25 aviation courses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deck the Halls with a Cherokee

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Deck the Halls with a Cherokee

Celebrate the holidays with Sporty’s ornament

Sporty’s Crystal Christmas Ornament is an annual tradition for pilots, flight schools, FBOs, and aviation enthusiasts. This year’s ornament, the 36th in the series, features the Piper Cherokee.

“You’d think we would have run out of airplanes pilots love to feature on our Christmas ornament,” says Sporty’s Vice President John Zimmerman. “Even we were surprised when we realized Sporty’s had never featured a Cherokee.”

The Cherokee is a family of two-seat light aircraft built by Piper Aircraft starting in 1960 through present day. Designed for flight training and personal use, the Cherokee is one of the most known low winged aircraft in aviation history.

 Sporty’s custom-etched Piper Cherokee Ornament includes a bright red ribbon for hanging along with an insert card describing the airplane. Boxed for gift giving, Sporty’s 2020 Crystal Christmas Ornament [9833A] is available for $24.95 and may be purchased at sportys.com or by calling 1-800-SPORTYS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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