Bret Koebbe

The magnetic compass is the only "self-powered", north-seeking instrument in the panel and you'll find one in just about every airplane. It's not a perfect instrument though and has some inherent errors due to its design and construction. This week's tip takes a look at when you're most likely to experience these errors and how to compensate for them should you ever need to rely on the compass for primary navigation guidance.

Clouds are often referred to as "sign posts in the sky", and for good reason since they are one of the best visual indicators of what mother nature has planned for the weather. This week's tip takes a look at the various types of clouds, when and where they form and what kind of flying conditions pilots can expect when flying in and around them.

Just about every airplane includes performance data in the Pilot's Operating Handbook to calculate the runway length required for takeoff and landing under various conditions. The FARs require you to determine these distances as part of your preflight responsibilities, but fortunately the charts published for today's modern airplanes make this task a breeze. This week's tip takes a look at how perform this calculation using the common "chase-around" style charts.

The Chandelle is one of several maneuvers you'll learn to fly during your training towards the Commercial Pilot certificate. It is a maximum performance,...

Sometimes terrain, icing, lack of instrument rating or proper equipment can make flying on an Instrument Flight Plan (IFR) not an option. But that doesn't mean you need to cancel a flight though just because there's weather along the route or it's not perfect VFR.

It's important for pilots to have a good understanding of airplane systems to know how to properly operate their controls and troubleshoot them when things don't work as expected. This week's tip takes a look at the Cessna 172 fuel system to show each component and give you a better understanding of how all the parts work together.

Class B airspace surrounds the busiest airports, which means there are some important restrictions to remember anytime you're operating within it - or underneath it. In this week's video tip, we review how Class B airspace works, what you need to do to fly legally in it and how to stay safe. Take four minutes and get current today.

Earning a multiengine rating can open up a world of adventure, from reliable cross country travel to new career options. Our latest video tip includes a segment from Sporty's new Multiengine Training Course, to give you a feel for the steps to safely operate a multiengine airplane on a normal VFR flight, from startup to landing.

Standard traffic patterns are established at nontowered airports to provide a smooth flow of traffic from the arrival phase of flight through approach and landing. Here are the steps to follow to safely and efficiently join the pattern and get established on the final approach leg for landing.

In a perfect world we'd always fly in blue skies with a tailwind, but unfortunately mother nature is an ever-present force that can deliver inclement weather from time to time. This week's tip takes a look at a few weather forecast products to help you stay away these conditions, like thunderstorms, turbulence, wind shear, icing and other in-flight weather hazards.