New Commercial Pilot Training Course and CFI Guide now available

4 min read

Sporty’s Pilot Shop has long offered award-winning training Private Pilot and Instrument Rating courses, along with 23 other courses in their Pilot Training mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.  The latest addition to the training platform is geared towards those ready to take the next step and join the professional pilot ranks, with a new Commercial Pilot Test Prep course.

Sporty’s also added their Ultimate CFI Lesson Plan Guide to the Pilot Training app, a valuable resource for flight instructors to use with students during ground and flight lessons.

Commercial Pilot Training Course

Training for the Commercial Pilot certificate is a bit different than the Private certificate, as the initial focus is on time-building towards the 250 flight hour requirement. The preparation then shifts towards mastering the commercial flight maneuvers (Chandelles, Lazy Eights, Eights on Pylons), studying for the knowledge test and prepping for the checkride.

The Commercial Pilot Test Prep course was designed with these goals in mind with four discrete training tools:

1. Flight Maneuvers Guide

Sporty’s Commercial Pilot Test Prep Course includes 36 video segments, with detailed animations describing exactly how to perform all the maneuvers you’ll have to demonstrate on the checkride. From chandelles to lazy eights, each segment provides step-by-step instructions, Airman Certification Standards for successful completion, and common errors to avoid. It’s over an hour and a half of animations, plus a helpful video section on flying complex and high-performance airplanes. You’ll learn how to fly like a pro, including autopilot best practices and engine management tips.

2. Knowledge Test Prep

Sporty’s powerful test prep tools will help you ace the Commercial Pilot knowledge test with a database of over 800 test questions covers all the essential topics, from airplane systems to weather to FAA regulations. You can choose individual categories or study random questions. It also includes Smart Study Sessions help you focus on topics that need the most work, so you spend less time studying questions you already know.

3. Aviation Library

The course includes all the required study resources in one convenient location for quick reference. This includes the complete Commercial Pilot Airman Certification Standards, your guide to the checkride and an essential checkride study resource. There’s also a complete flight training syllabus, the same one used in Sporty’s flight school, to help you organize your training and record each lesson. The course also highlights relevant sections of the Airplane Flying Handbook, including chapters on performance maneuvers, transition to complex airplanes, flying turboprops and jets, and much more.

All of these documents (and many more) are available in the Pilot Training app or online, and intuitive PDF tools make it easy to organize, search, and print each document.

4. Checkride Prep (online only)

Many pilots say the interview with a designated pilot examiner is the most challenging part of the whole process, and the checkride prep component is designed to make this a breeze. It allows you to gauge your readiness in a self-guided question/answer session using flashcards. Click the card to flip it over and see the answer, complete with a link for further study. Just like the knowledge test section, you can study only marked or missed flashcards, plus take Smart Study sessions for focused review.

The Commercial Pilot Test Prep Course includes lifetime access online, on iPad, iPhone and Android and is available for $149.99.

Sporty’s Ultimate CFI Lesson Plan Guide

To help flight instructors stay organized and prepare for each ground and flight lesson, Sporty’s also launched another new resource in the Pilot Training platform, the Ultimate CFI Lesson Plan Guide. This convenient resource was designed as an instructor’s companion when working with students using Sporty’s Learn to Fly, Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot Courses. It includes the following:

Training Course Outlines (Syllabi) for Private, Sport, Recreational, Instrument and Commercial Pilot
Ground Lesson Guide for Sporty’s Training Course Outlines (TCOs)
Airman Certification Standards (ACS)
Flight Maneuvers Guide for teaching all required maneuvers

Like with the resources in the new Commercial Pilot Course, each document is accessed using a powerful PDF viewer, complete with search, bookmarking, document outline and sharing features.

You can purchases access to any of the 20+ aviation training courses available in the Pilot Training app right from Sporty’s website, including the recently released Intro to Aerobatics course ($49.99) and the Garmin GTN Essentials course ($125). You’ll gain instant access to all the course platforms (mobile, online and TV) for one price, with no expiration.