New study features added to Sporty’s pilot training apps
Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course app received another big update today, marking the 4th major update to the app in the past 12 months. The app is a comprehensive pilot training iPhone/iPad app incorporating more than 18 hours of engaging in-flight video and animations, along with a full-featured written test prep component. This latest update brings a set of nice enhancements to the test-prep component by integrating the FAA’s new full-color figures and legends supplement into the app. Here we’ll look at some of the recent updates to the app and how they are making home-study easier and more convenient than ever for student pilots.
Written test prep enhancements
Sporty’s test prep apps now includes new high-resolution color figures.
After years of outdated and hard-to-read written test figures and legends, the FAA finally updated the written test supplement with new full-color, high-resolution graphics. These became effective February 10, 2014, and are now fully integrated in the Learn to Fly Course app. To make it easier to answer a question that requires a figure, the app now shows the question text in the same window as the figure. And when viewing a figure, pilots can swipe left or right to view all the figures in the supplement, not just the one required for the current question.
A new pause/resume feature was added to allow pilots to quit a test or study session and resume that session at a later time. This functionality is incorporated into the new Progress Reports section of the app where users can see details on all finished and incomplete sessions. From here, students can also load a previous session to review detailed results, including how they answered each question and see information explaining why their choice was right or wrong. All results in the progress reports are also saved in iCloud so a pilot can start a session on one device and pick up later on another.
After pilots receive two 80% scores on simulated tests and watch all the video training segments in the course, they are then eligible to receive an endorsement right from the app to take the written test at an FAA testing center.
Video enhancements
The video component of the app allows you pause and resume playback, and includes review quizzes after select segments.
Pilots will spend most of their time in the video training section of the app, where each training subject is covered in a series of video segments. To add flexibility when watching the video, the app now allows you to save your progress and resume at a later time. When you go back to finish watching that segment you will be given the option to resume where you previously left off. This video progress is also stored in iCloud, allowing you to start watching on one device and pick up where you left off on another device.
And to help reinforce the content in the videos, quizzes were added to the video segments containing questions from the FAA test. This is a fast way to review as you watch the videos.
Since the videos are delivered in a streaming video format, users always have access to the newest video content as Sporty’s continuously updates the videos behind the scenes. Users also have the option to save video segments directly in the app for viewing at a later time when an internet connection may not be available.
All the updates mentioned above are also available starting today in Sporty’s Instrument Rating course. Both courses are available as a free download and include demo content to explore the various features. The full versions of each course app are available for $199.99, and include the FAA written test endorsement and FAA Wings credit after successful completion. Download them here:
