Pilot Shop Blog - Aviation Products, Education, History and More

Are you a brand-new student pilot? Congratulations! As you count down to the first day of class, you’re probably wondering, “how do I prepare for pilot training?” and “what supplies are needed for flight school?”

“Step on the ball!” You probably remember your flight instructor drilling this into you during initial flight training as a student pilot. When making a turn, we know that the ball (or white triangle if we’re flying a modern glass cockpit) of the turn coordinator is supposed to stay centered. If it’s off to the right or left, we are flying an uncoordinated turn and need to adjust our control inputs.

When we think of the pilot in command, to us that usually means the person who is actually in the left seat flying the aircraft. This generalization is often true, but the details of who counts as the pilot in command (PIC) and when pilots can log pilot in command time, especially on a multi-pilot crew are not always that straightforward.

The sport pilot license, or certificate, is the FAA’s newest addition to the pilot certificate line-up. Developed in 2007, the purpose of the sport pilot certificate is to make flying more affordable and easily available to everyone. Now students who aren’t yet able to afford the time investment or cost of a private pilot license have a quick and inexpensive alternative.