Pilot's Discretion from Sporty's

Whether he’s circling the globe in his Bonanza or crossing the Pacific in a Gulfstream, Adrian Eichhorn says he monitors four key risks on every flight. In this episode, he explains why they matter and how preflight...

As an astronaut for Virgin Galactic, Mike Masucci flies one of the most unique aircraft ever built, but at the end of the day he says his job is to be a great glider pilot. In this fascinating episode, he takes us...

Making good decisions is a critical skill for safe flying, but it’s something most pilots rarely think about. Not Ken Stahl. He explains how to think smarter, especially under pressure, with valuable insights from his...

Should drones have the right of way over airplanes? The FAA has proposed just that (under certain conditions) in its recent Part 108 rule, but Christian Ramsey says it doesn’t have to be bad news for GA pilots. The UAS...

David Gagliardi has spent many summers flying big airplanes at low altitude, dropping fire retardant on wildfires all over North America. In this episode, he takes us behind the scenes, explaining how pilots maintain...

Designing a clean sheet airplane and introducing it to the world by flying to Oshkosh is a bold plan, but that’s exactly what Steve Wood did this year. He tells us all about the Spirit Engineering SE-1, including why...

Flying a turbine airplane like a Citation Mustang requires a new approach to training and procedures. Longtime jet pilot and safety expert David Miller shares what he’s learned over 50+ years of flying, including how to...

Experienced airplane broker and all-around Cessna expert Mark Pilkington shares invaluable tips for avoiding disaster when buying an airplane, including his advice for first-time buyers, the right way to do a pre-buy...

Learning to fly does not mean learning to travel by light airplane. In this episode, longtime aviation journalist Tom Haines shares tips he’s learned from a lifetime of cross-country flying in piston airplanes...

The job market for pilots has been through some wild swings lately, but aviation career coach (and former airline pilot) James Onieal says it’s neither as good nor as bad as you might think. He offers frank advice about...

Learning to fly is all about the challenge for YouTube creator Ethan O’Rourke. That meant training in a J-3 Cub with no electrical system and now traveling the country in an Aeronca Chief. Ethan explains the joy of low...

We train mechanics to attack airplanes with tools, but A&P/IA Colleen Sterling says there’s a better way. She shares her advice for using modern tools like engine monitors and borescopes to maintain airplanes on...

From ATC modernization to the new MOSAIC rule to unleaded avgas, AOPA is involved in all the key issues for pilots. New President Darren Pleasance shares his opinion on each of these topics and explains what role his...

Breaking the sound barrier isn’t like the movies, and Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg would know: he’s done it both as a Navy F/A-18 fighter pilot and as a test pilot in Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator aircraft. He...

As the first CEO of Robinson Helicopter not named Robinson, David Smith has combined the company’s old fashioned manufacturing philosophy with a new focus on innovation. He talks about the result of that work, including...

Jack Long’s urge to explore is stronger than most people: he has flown his Pilatus PC-12 around the world in both directions, over the north and south poles, and completed two dozen Atlantic crossings. But he insists...

Aircraft owners have more choices for avionics upgrades than ever before, but a fun project can quickly become a nightmare if you don’t do your homework. Larry Anglisano, a pilot, avionics technician, and editor at...

From the Lockheed Constellation to the Boeing 747 to competition gliders, Wally Moran’s flying career has covered an incredible variety of airplanes. He describes some key concepts that have stayed the same across all...

In this special episode, we turn the tables on host John Zimmerman and put him in the guest chair to reflect on a Pilot’s Discretion milestone. Sporty’s Eric Radtke asks John about his favorite episodes, what he’s...

After building a billion-dollar music business, Chuck Surack is applying the lessons he learned to save an aviation icon. He talks about his passion for flying helicopters, why he decided to buy Enstrom, and the...

Whether it’s an open cockpit biplane or a brand new Cirrus, Shane Vande Voort says “good stick and rudder skills carry through into every airplane.” He explains why the Cirrus accident record has improved so much, how...

Few pilots have lived as interesting a life as Martha Lunken: from giving checkrides in DC-3s to teaching Neil Armstrong’s wife to fly, she has met some of aviation’s most colorful characters and flown some of...

Over 40% of active student pilots are under age 30 and Clay Simmons is one of them (he even built a Carbon Cub at age 22). He explains the unique expectations this new generation of pilots has, how the GA industry can...

Not all airline careers are smooth, but veteran pilot Steve McNeilly says the rewards make the turbulence worthwhile. He talks about the value of building experience in piston twins, learning to land the Boeing 737, and...

The legendary T-38 Talon has been the aerial classroom for generations of Air Force pilots, and Matt Johnson spent many hours teaching there. He shares what he learned from that time, including the benefits of...