June 1, 2020 : Sporty's Academy

Biweekly Bulletin – June 1, 2020

SPORTY’S ECA UPGRADES TRAINING FLEET

Garmin G5 installations replace vacuum systems

Sporty’s ECA has upgraded its Cessna Skyhawk fleet to meet technically advanced aircraft (TAA) standards and provide greater safety and reliability to pilots. Dual Garmin G5 installations were recently completed, delivering bright LCD color instrument displays and a modern cockpit to the Cessna fleet.

Combining information from a number of traditional flight instruments, including attitude, airspeed, altitude, and more, the Garmin G5 attitude indicator makes flight information easier to scan so pilots can respond quickly and intuitively. The addition of the second G5 display for heading/HSI guidance, provides pilots with backup attitude redundancy. The secondary G5 will automatically revert to displaying attitude information in the unlikely event of a failure of the primary attitude indicator.

For added protection and safety, each G5 display is equipped with a backup battery providing 4 hours of emergency operation in case of electrical failure. The weight of the Skyhawks was reduced during the upgrade resulting in an increase in useful load. This benefit was realized through the removal of vacuum pumps that supported the traditional attitude and heading indicator.

The TAA Skyhawk fleet is now an option for Sporty’s students to fulfill the Commercial pilot training requirement of 10 hours in a complex airplane or TAA.

FMI: SportysAcademy.com

FREE GETTING STARTED COURSE AVAILABLE FROM SPORTY’S

Provides helpful resources to begin your pilot training

Learning to fly is a process, but oftentimes the most confusing part is taking that first step. How do you find a flight school? What should you ask a prospective flight instructor? What’s the difference between a Sport Pilot and Private Pilot certificate? Sporty’s has recently released a new course to help answer these questions, and it’s completely free.

The course, called Get Started with Learning to Fly, features videos, articles, and other resources for the brand-new pilot. This includes:

Four video segments covering the basics of learning to fly, finding a flight school, and what a first lesson looks like
A Twelve-part article series that addresses common questions, like Part 61 vs. 141 schools, FAA medical requirements, and cost
A flight school directory, searchable by zip code, with contact information for nearby schools
A high-resolution Cessna 172 cockpit poster, great for getting acquainted with a common training airplane
Helpful links to other resources and essential pilot supplies.

The course works on a variety of devices, including web browsers, iOS devices, and Android devices. The course is 100% free, but registration is required. You can sign up here.

WEBINAR VIDEO: ASK A CONTROLLER

Did you miss the live broadcast?

It’s not uncommon for pilots to have some fear of interacting with Air Traffic Control (ATC) often concerned with making a mistake or of being judged by others on frequency. Not only is that the wrong attitude, but can also deprive you of valuable services and even compromise safety. Controllers are humans just like pilots, and they’re actually there to help. Join ATC Specialist Eddy Albert from Cincinnati Approach Control and learn what controllers expect from pilots, plus some tips for your next request to ATC (see below for shortcuts to specific training topics in the presentation).

NEW NOTAM SEARCH TOOL FROM FAA

And NOTAM Publication offically comes to an end

The FAA has created a new NOTAM search site at notams.aim.faa.gov/notamSearch. The site provides a one-stop shop that lets you customize your NOTAM search. You can use criteria such as time and date, location, flight path, geographic area, latitude/longitude, keywords, and more. You’ll also find Letters to Airmen and a link to Airport Construction Notices in pdf format.

As a reminder, as part of the NOTAM modernization effort, the NOTAM Publication (NTAP) will be discontinued effective June 18, 2020; the last NTAP was published on May 21, 2020. Please reference the NOTAM Search website (https://notams.aim.faa.gov/notamSearch/) or your favorite flight planning app.

FAA MEDICALS AND BASIC MED AT SPORTY’S

Scheduling now for summer 2020

Regulatory update: the FAA is allowing pilots to continue to fly if their medical certificate expires between March 31 and June 30 to reduce the burden on the country’s healthcare system and limit the potential spread of the virus. Dr. John Held is resuming medical exams this month; the next avaialble appointment dates are noted below.

FAA Aviation Medical Examiner, Dr. John Held, offers aviation medical exams and basic med evaluations at Sporty’s Clermont County Airport on select Saturdays. The cost of the exam is $120 payable by cash or check (no credit cards accepted). An EKG (if required) is subject to an additional $35 fee.

DATE	TIME
Saturday, June 13	9am – 1pm
Saturday, July 11	9am – 1pm
Saturday, August 1	9am – 1pm
Saturday, August 29	9am – 1pm

To schedule, please call Sporty’s at 513.735.9100 ext. 0.

For pilots pursuing Basic Med, the required online training is available through two approved sources – AOPA and Mayo Clinic.

STARTING FLIGHT TRAINING LATER IN LIFE: SOME TIPS FOR SUCCESS

from Sporty’s Student Pilot News

by John Zimmerman

As we get older, most of us get worse at being a student—no matter what the subject. The first 20 years of life are filled with classes, tests, and homework, so we’re used to absorbing new information and occasionally stumbling on our path to mastery. The typical 45-65 year old, on the other hand, likely hasn’t been in a formal educational setting in a long time. It can feel uncomfortable or even embarrassing to make a mistake or confess, “I don’t know.” After all, you’re used to being the expert.

This difference in mindset has been reinforced for me recently, as I’ve become a student again, this time of music. After years of thinking about it, I finally took up the violin. Much like flying, this process has been exciting, challenging, occasionally frustrating, but mostly very satisfying. I’ve kept a learning journal (a trick I learned from flight training, of course), and in reviewing this, I noticed some lessons that apply to any later-in-life student.

VIDEO TIP: OPERATIONS AT CLASS C AND D AIRPORTS

Class C and D airspace will surround airports that can handle a moderate amount of air traffic. This means there are some important restrictions to remember any time you’re operating within – or underneath this airspace. In this week’s video tip, we review how Class C and D airspace works, what you need to do to fly legally in it and how to stay safe.