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Owning an airplane is incredibly rewarding: you can choose interior and avionics options to suit your unique mission, manage maintenance the way you prefer, and always know it will be available when you want to fly. Aircraft ownership also brings some responsibilities, including maintenance and paperwork. Fortunately, with the right equipment you can focus more on fun and less on work. Here's our list of 10 must-have products for aircraft owners.
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The only thing you need to start flight training is an open mind, but after a few lessons it will become clear that you need to invest in some aviation gear to really be efficient. This can actually be a lot of fun (like fishing or golf, you have to look the part!), but the huge variety of pilot supplies out there can sometimes be overwhelming. Since we run a flight school at Sporty's, new student pilots often us what you really need for flight training. Here is the list our flight instructors distribute to students at Sporty's. There's plenty more you can buy, but these are the essentials.
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Bose practically invented Active Noise Reduction (ANR) headsets in the 1990s, and since then they have remained the top-selling ANR headset brand in aviation. What makes their headsets so popular? In a word, balance. We just finished about three months of flight testing with the latest version of the A20, and found a satisfying mix of quiet, comfort, clarity and features. Here's our pilot report.
Looking for an honest opinion on the latest pilot gear? Count on Sporty's. Our team of product testers is constantly flying with the products we sell, from flight bags and kneeboards to headsets and ADS-B receivers. Watch our series of Product PIREP videos to see how some of the most popular gear performs in the cockpit of general aviation aircraft.
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Share your track log and get entered to win a $200 Sporty’s Gift Card!
Stratus is the most powerful ADS-B receiver you can buy, delivering in-flight weather, traffic, GPS position, and backup attitude to ForeFlight. Stratus also includes a flight data recorder, which automatically logs all of your flights, complete with GPS position and attitude. These track logs are a great way to review a training flight or relive a memorable trip, and can be viewed on ForeFlight’s website or in the CloudAhoy app.
Now your track logs could win you a $200 Sporty’s Gift Card and other prizes. Just share your most interesting flight with us: your first solo, a flight to Oshkosh, the perfect S-turn, a unique instrument approach, or whatever else you found memorable.
Inevitably, there will probably come a time when most of us pilots will need to have some sort of hearing aid. After all, much like losing hair, it can be a natural part of aging. So it comes as no surprise that we get a lot of questions about hearing aids and aviation headsets. Which headset is the most compatible? Does my brand “X” hearing aid work well with ANR headsets? Should I take hearing aids out before starting up?
Attending a fly-in should be on every pilot's to-do list. It's a great way to stay fresh on cross country flight planning and gives you an excuse to go fly. Make sure you do your homework and check for NOTAMs, as large gatherings of aircraft usually call for special arrival procedures. Even if you can't make it to Oshkosh, try to find a regional EAA or AOPA fly-in and go rub shoulders with some fellow aviators for a while. Before departing on a fly-in adventure, be sure to stock up on these must-have supplies.
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Buying a headset can be confusing. Do you need ANR? How does Bluetooth music input work? Which brands are the most popular? Join Sporty's for a guided tour of the aviation headset market in this fast-paced webinar recording. From the technology behind the products to some real world advice on making the right choice, you'll get the information you need to make a good decision.
Sporty's was founded 55 years ago by a flight instructor, and ever since we've been for pilots, by pilots. More than just a store, we're involved in all aspects of general aviation, from flight training to aircraft maintenance to airport management. Many of the products we sell are designed in-house by our staff of 30+ pilots and tested in our airport businesses. Our experience as pilots, as educators, as airport managers, as aviation advocates – along with our many other endeavors – affords us a unique qualification to provide only the products and services that are the best value to our customers.
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One of the longest-running, most successful scholarship initiatives in aviation is one you may not know about: the annual Aviation Exploring scholarship program. Every year, $50,000 is awarded to a dozen youth who are interested in airplanes and a career in the industry. Now you can help support this important investment in the next generation of aviators by donating to The Sporty's Foundation, which manages fundraising on behalf of Aviation Exploring.
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