I bought this to supplement a cheaper PPL ground school that I went thru before I knew anything about aviation. I wish I would have started with Sporty’s. The training is so well done and easy to understand. However I would recommend going directly to their website to buy the courses instead of using the Apple in app purchase. I ran into an issue where progress would not sync to their server and ended up losing many hours of work because I didn’t have a sporty’s account logged in at the time of the in app purchase. It was frustrating and customer service had to help resolve. I don’t think it would have happened if I had just bought it directly from their web portal. They really need to fix their app to handle this situation its a big hole in the system and I’m sure I’m not the only one who fell in it.
Video downloading is an exercise in frustration, hosed my iCloud backups
For whatever reason the developers of this app store any videos downloaded for offline use in the app’s “documents” directory, meaning that they’ll be automatically be backed up to iCloud as part of iOS’s iCloud backup feature. This is not only a waste of iCloud storage space (I can download the videos again via the app if necessary), but in my case it prevented iOS from backing up altogether as uploading 6GB of instrument training videos over my slow DSL connection would take an eternity. I’m very lucky that nothing happened to my iPad in the weeks between downloading the videos and iOS notifying me of the lack of completed backups, as it very likely would have resulted in losing important data. Additionally, the offline download functionality is poorly implemented. Want to download all videos in a given section? The app will begin downloading all videos at once, leading to it taking an eternity for even a single video to complete. What’s more, if you switch away from the app for more than a moment or two, the video downloads are interrupted and you’ll need to manually start them again. And start again they will. Even if the video was 90% downloaded, an interrupted download will start over from scratch. This means that on all but the fastest connections you’re forced to sit and keep your device awake to let the download complete, lest you be forced to start the download over again.
By far the best study app you can use. I studied with it for two months straight and was able to pass my private pilot written exam with a 90%. Practice questions are in a similar layout with some questions very similar to the exam. If you pass the practice exam on here with over an 80% you’re guaranteed to pass the exam. The studying resources the app off is second to none. I will have to say…I do wish the app video segment would go in order instead of jumping around, circling back around in later segments. Example weather will be discussed in multiple chapters making it hard to take notes, that’s the only shortfall. Overall, this WILL make you pass your exam if you’re consistently getting over 80%.
I downloaded this about 2 weeks ago and have completed about 1/2 of the course. I was following everything fine until about the 25% way through the program, I am guessing because it was fairly simple stuff. When things get more complicated they really rush through the charts and explanations and might cover 5 topics in a 8-10 minute video. It is almost like they are assuming that you are already exposed to a decent amount of the IFR language, charts and acronyms. I constantly find myself going back on the video to try to figure out what he is talking about. Personally, I feel that a 17 minute video with many new introductions is completely overwhelming. I am taking this course because I am a novice and do not know IFR and the charts. I also purchased the private pilot program 2 years ago and found it to be better and it didn't just whip through the explanations and terminology's. I am not impressed for the price they charged. Wish I had tried one of the cheaper ones first.
Absolutely amazing. I recommend everything Sportys. I paid for the instrument course 4 years ago when it was still on its own platform. I did the entire corse along with reading all the material the FAA has online an passed the written with flying colors. But due to certain circumstances I didn’t finish my rating. Now that’s it’s time to get it done unfortunately I have to retake the exam again so I contacted Sportys because the videos where no longer functioning in the old app. The guy that helped me gave me access to the new platform with proof of purchase and to top it all off they sent me a second endorsement to take the exam this second time no extra charge! Five stars all the way!
First, if you’re training for your private pilot certificate, get this course! It’s VERY helpful. I had this as a 4 star rating previously. I’ve moved it to a 5 star with the latest release. The prior version had terrible downloading capabilities if you wanted to download all the video for viewing while on the go. Several of us customers raised the issue and they resolved it. The app now properly queues multiple downloads so they don’t all start at the same time and for each chapter you can download all the videos in that chapter (tap of the three dots in the upper right hand corner). You can also set it to play continuously. The app works great on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV and the developers are responsive to feedback as to how to improve the app. Also, I have exchanged emails a few times with their CFIs to get clarity on some issues I wanted a better understanding of. They were responsive and helpful. Combine the great customer service with the great content and the great apps and throw in the guarantee that you pass or your money back and it really doesn’t make sense to me why you wouldn’t get this course if you’re serious about getting your pilot license. Do it. Do it noooow.
Edit: Looks like video completion status syncs between all devices now. Thanks! 10 days after purchase, I have completed all the modules and I am scoring over 80 on all the practice tests. Very satisfied. 1: Show progress / completion status of each video within a module. If I take a couple of days off, sometimes I need to select a few videos to remember where I left off. 2: Sync video progress across all devices. I watched 4 videos from module 2 on the AppleTV platform, and on my iPad OS progress, it only shows completing 10 of 14 videos. Otherwise, so far so good, and I am enjoying the course.
I am currently finishing up my private pilot certification and bought both Sporty’s and Kings ground schools. I will be continuing on with the goal of becoming an airline pilot. Of the two schools I personally believe Sporty’s is the superior choice. Sporty’s is more interactive, better teaches you how to use the information thought and how to fly, and gives better real world views of the information. Kings is more talking head based and feels more like a test prep course that gives the information needed to pass the FAA written exam. I think there are positives to both but if I were to do it over I would forgo Kings completely and only buy Sporty’s.
I went through Sporty’s learn to fly course in its entirety before beginning my flight training. It was an approachable way to get more familiar with aircraft, their systems, weather, airspace, and procedures. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the remote pilot course - also worth the money - and took the FAA part 107 test, only missing a single question. The recent updates have fixed a bug where the remote pilot course would disappear and I’d have to restore the purchase every single time. The only thing I’d like to see improved is not having to chromecast each individual video, but automatically play the next if there isn’t a post-lesson quiz.
This course is the best resource I’m aware of. Tue sample tests were so accurate, I actually scored tue exact same on my FAA written as I did on the Sporty’s practice tests. I took a 20 hour ground school as well, and got little to nothing from it. The instructor stood up for two hours and taught, with no opportunity to discuss or ask questions. At least with this app (and online) I could rewatch and rewind as many times as necessary. ALSO, there is an “audio only” option so you can listen while commuting. This course touched on every topic needed to master private pilot knowledge fundamentals and establish the foundation you need to grow in the future. Can’t say enough great things! Sporty’s customer service is out of this world. I originally purchased the pilot training in 2016, life happened and I never got through it. Fast forward 5 years to October 2021 and I couldn’t access the program, called Sporty’s and they got me set up with the new pilot training app and online access at no additional charge!
Background: Retired military helicopter pilot with commercial helicopter instrument certification. Nine years later, I started private pilot training in airplanes. I am also a former public school teacher. The instructional delivery and quality of the presentations found in this course are exceptional. This course allowed me to acquire the knowledge I needed and refresh that which had been forgotten in an incredibly efficient manner. I passed my checkride with the absolute minimum flight hours and did it within three weeks from starting the training. I have already purchased the instrument course and will begin this add on rating immediately.
At my CFI’s suggestion, I decided to use Sporty’s Instrument training course for my Instrument written/knowledge learning. So far, I’m picking it up fairly easy. I plan on going through the course at least two, if not 3, times. The beauty is you can do this as much as you need…..to chop down that test when you’re ready to take it. And, did you know that some DPE’s will pull your test results and really focus on testing you in the area(s) that you weren’t proficient in? Neither did I, until I heard one admit to it in an interview. If I were a DPE, I might use that as a tool myself.
This is an excellent 1st class course for new pilots or for those like me who flew long ago & now wish to become current again. In my younger days I was a CFI, but I needed to get a career started & I stopped flying. The videos & text reviews are spot on. They are very thorough. They explain everything a private pilot needs to know & more. The flying videos demonstrate most of the maneuvers in ways easy to understand. And the quizzes are fun. Some are a little tricky in that one should look at the words carefully before answering, but then pilots should always look at things carefully for safety reasons.
After not flying for 25 years, the hardest thing to deal with was the rapid fire ATC communications. The flying comes back fast, the navigation and weather have been made crazy simple by tech but communications, oh my goodness it was way harder than I expected. This course is fantastic as it updates you on the best practices and shows you real examples for much of what you need for cross country flights. Arriving/departing Cass D, C & B airports. I would have liked more interaction of filing VFR ICAO flight plans and more interaction with Flight Service. But it helped me a lot!
Great app, however there are two things that are not working: 1. It doesn’t track the watched videos like the webpage 2. Some videos after being downloaded and click play they play another video, happened with “Get Started Learning To Fly”, “How do you Learn to Fly?” Every time I click it played the first video “Why learn to Fly?” Even after removing the download, restarting the app and trying again. A recommendation, would be nice to be able to Airplay directly without having to download a third party app, which doesn’t work with pausing and volume controls.
The information was well presented and informative. For pilots like myself who may have not flown in years, this course brings you up to speed with present day tools and techniques. The curriculum skillfully explains the various aspects of flying from regulations, airspace categories, weather, all the way to practical flying recommendations. I have my flight review scheduled in a few days and I feel much more confident after reviewing this course. Well done!
The content is great! App experience is severely lacking.
The online tests and videos match my experience in the private pilot with jeppesen. This review is not about the content. This review is about the download ability in the app. If you have no problems being tethered to WiFi. If you can afford to download 185+mb videos over your cellular connection the app is great! However if you like to download videos at home to take on travel, the functionality is severely lacking. The video will start downloading, but they take forever to download. If you switch apps, your downloads resets to zero and stops when you switch back. The download functionality is rendered useless by this. I’m doing this on a 15Mbps connection so it’s not the internet connection.
I used the older version for the pts standards and I scored a 93 on my written. Now with this later version it is so much better being able to cue the videos 15 sec forward and back. I just passed my BFR with the help of this. I used the older instrument course but my eyes started to glaze over from that content. But now with the cueing feature. I might be able to back up the videos often enough to make it sink in. I’ll be getting to work on that soon Thanks Sporty’s. Nice Update!
Highly recommended and agree to worth recommending!
I didn’t do a lot of research of other institutions programs. I was recommended this route per instructor, fellow pilots, as well as determing it’s what I was going to use from other students using other courses and having trouble passing FAA written. I breezed through videos, took practice tests, and passed written on first try. This took two weeks from start to finish! Due to my personal success, I continue to recommend.
They did a great job simplifying the information with attractive videos that are easy to follow along. My only gripe is that the app will occasionally crash. Not the end of the world. It was the reason I passed my written. Not sure where they get their average for students because no one asked what my final score was. I passed. Whatever. I’ll absolutely buy the other courses and hopefully they are as good as the private pilot package I purchased.
This app is fine for what it is. I would say the best functionality of the app is allowing one to download the videos for offline use. Overall the desktop browser site is 99% of the time what I use just because the tools for studying tend to be much better. Also you can click to watch specific parts of a video pertaining to a question on the desktop site. The app is good but could use some work and I find myself gravitating to the desktop browser version even when on the iPad.
Sporty’s does a great job. High quality video production, a wide breadth and depth of content, and cross references to lots of additional resources. Can’t recommend them highly enough. While I’m not crazy about their Flight Review program being based on a subscription, the content is excellent, and they’ve increased the subscription from one year to two. Not bad for $40. My dad is still flying at 80 years old, and he loves the Flight Review course! Thank you Sporty’s!
I’ve tried a handful of different training apps (4 to be exact) of some of the other most popular ones out there, and this training program and app is by far the best developed and user friendly online training that I’ve use so far. The difference is, this program was noticeably designed for its users, YOU. Not for the people behind the program. I’d recommend the Sporty’s Pilot Training to everyone. Happy confirmed customer rite here.
I am working to get my written test out of the way before starting flight training. This app/system really has helped. The practice test make you work out the problem and really understand the information. What ever I didn’t get from the videos was easily searched online for and helped me understand the questions and work through them rather than memorizing the questions for othe tests. A must have for anyone getting ready for the written test.
After many years of not flying I decided to get back into training. This program has made it easy to understand the concepts of ground school. The ability to work on my Mac, Roku and even listed using carplay is great! Practice tests allow me to try out my knowledge before going for the real test. Any questions that I miss are presented in a study session to really help me understand what I need to work on.
I like sportys. With their program I got a perfect score on my Private pilot test. But I was mostly using the desktop site. I would’ve used the mobile app but you can’t see your stats on testing and categories like you can on the desktop website. It only shows how you performed in each category on that specific practice session. This makes it really hard to see what areas you’re improving in and which ones you aren’t. Also it doesn’t seem to accurately sync with what you’ve done on the desktop site.
The course balances conceptual learning with exam preparation extremely well. The videos are produced very professionally and the material is solid. I found the videos helped me with conceptual knowledge while the exam practice sections helped me for the often crazy FAA exams questions. The FAA exams contain many silly & irrelevant questions on redundant technology, but still need to be passed to get your license, so I appreciate the balanced approach this course took.
I am using the Sporty’s app for my instrument rating. The content is high quality and up to date. It has a great user interface and I like how the videos are broken down into easy to digest segments. The multiple types of test prep was extremely useful for preparing me for my instrument written which I got a 97% on. I will definitely use this app for my future ratings as well and I highly recommend it to others.
Student here, the main reason why I went with Sporty’s then KINGS is that I thought it was more up to date as far as video quality, there stuff is available for any large or small questions and responded with in 24hrs. Also Sporty’s gives you free updates even after you purchase the training well Worth The Money. So what are you waiting for?!?! Buy now.....
I took the Private Pilot Course: The material was presented graphically, making it quick and easy to understand. The knowledge reviews/exams were very close to to the FAA knowledge exam. I passed the FAA exam the first try making 95% with plenty of time to spare. I am taking the Sporty’s IFR class now. I love the fact that Sporty’s gives lifetime training for each purchase also.
Really well done training videos and practice quizzes. Main problem with the app is the fact that there’s no option to have the videos auto play one after the other. I drive a lot for work so this is pretty much the only time I can listen to the videos, but it’s very disruptive to have to reopen my phone to click the “play next video button”. I had sent an email to customer service when I first purchased the $200 PPL course, but it didn’t get me anywhere. Hopefully sportys app techs get this message and implement an auto play option for continuous video play.
I bought the private pilot course based on all the good reviews. Although I enjoyed watching the videos (I watched all of them), they don’t even come Close in preparing you for the test questions. I feel I am basically going through the questions and learning as I go. Which is difficult because there are not good explainations when you get them wrong. Just a general description and reference to a chapter in a book. Not a page number. So it makes cross referencing time consuming and difficult. There has to be a better course out there.
Does exactly what you expect it to do and does it well. My only gripe is that updates to the IOS app test questions appear to fall behind updates to the web version test questions, at least for the remote pilot test training. I’ve emailed to let them know about not having any Category questions but have received no response and no updates to the iOS app. More consistent and timely updates would make this a 5 star app easily.
The course itself is great, however there is a bit of a headache in keeping the course progress in sync. I use it on my iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, and am logged into my sports account on all three. The progress sync between the iPad and iPhone is quick and great, but that progress doesn’t sync with the Apple TV or vice versa. It’s creates quite a bit of a headache.
Passed my Private exam with an A so that was worth it. Knee deep in the IFR course now. Only docked one star because the phone/iPad/or computer get out of sync on progress a lot and it’s kind of irritating. You have to log off and back on again to make it work. Seems clunky. I have some other small gripes that I might update later but the focus should be on how great this is as a tool for learning to fly. I highly recommend.
I'm enjoying this. Had it for PPL and working on IFR and CPL. Happy they added quizzes to the TV now. Wish there was a little more with both type of guages and they split the videos so you don't have to watch one to get the other. Fortunately that's one of the few critiques I could make. Good Study product.
I’ve been flying most of my life, I’m currently a CFI and this app helps me stay current. The one thing that would make this better would be if it had a continuous play mode. I like to listen to the lessons as I drive and would rather not have to look at the phone to start the next lesson while I’m driving.
Sportys does a fantastic job of knowledge transferring a huge amount of information to not only give you the knowledge you need to pass your checkride but more importantly to be a safe pilot! Highly recommend! Also huge thanks to Sportys for making this available on my iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV!!!
I purchased sportys for my PAR. Went into this with zero flight experience. Studied 2-4hrs/day for about a month using this program. Took over 30 practice exams with my scores ranging from 67% (my first practice exam) to 92%. Scored an 85% on the PAR on my first attempt. Safe to say I felt very prepared using this program. Would highly recommend.
As you start the process of ground work, there are many books and courses to choose from. I found in the start that I was jumping from book to book with no real structure. Sporty’s Pilot course gave me the right sequence to follow and I feel that now everything is logical to my training and in order.
The best training software on the market. Easily integrated training products that centralize your learning experience. The content is grade A and is incredibly applicable in the real world. Highly recommend the IPC, basic learn to fly course, and instrument rating course.
This sporty program has it all. You literally need nothing else except the airplane and the CFI. If you come across a glitch in the program, simply email them and they will fix it immediately. I promise👍🏽
The interface is very intuitive and easy to use, the post video quizzes and key points are helpful for remembering important and testable questions. The study tools are diverse so I was able to find the perfect method of studying.
Provides a great source of a user friendly way to learn at your pace. Very thorough and easy to navigate back for study refreshing. I work full time and am able to start and stop study sessions throughout the day. Thanks Sporty’s
So here’s the thing I’m neck deep into my flight training been through a 141 ground school already and that didn’t really demonstrate a lot of the things necessary to pass the FAA written. If you use this program in conjunction with a flight instructor its worth its weight in gold.
Since I open the course in my app, I can no longer launch the course on my laptop. I am trying to do some studying tonight with my laptop, but it keeps spinning for 2 hour now and still not able to access any content. It stuck at the launching page. This is very frustrating now that I close my app, restart my laptop, reboot my internet and yet still not able to access the content on my laptop.
Bought the private pilot course in December studied until I was confident I could pass FAA test took my ground school certificate to FAA test facility and passed on my first attempt. It was a lot of work for a 62 year old but I enjoyed it, now looking for a CFI in my area.
I am enjoying learning my private pilot material with the app and it’s great to be able to switch between CPU and device. One problem I’m having is that the app does not sync with my online work unless I log off and log back in. Minor inconvenience, but I’m not sure if there is a fix or not.
Overall great app, definitely worth the money! Easy to access interface, smooth video playback. I would say without a doubt it’s the best practice FAA test app on the market. If you have not done the written I highly recommend buying this app!
I really like the way this app has expanded my knowledge so far. One issue though; The app crashes on me fairly easy. Especially when I try to open a document. All in all the positives majorly outweigh the negatives.
Sporty’s innovative Pilot Training app brings a variety of aviation training courses to one location, allowing you to access all of your Sporty's aviation content from your iPad, iPhone or AppleTV. It’s free to get started - including interactive free FAA handbooks, free FAR/AIM, FAA practice tests and HD/4K training videos. SPORTY’S 2023 LEARN TO FLY COURSE For the cost of a single flight lesson, Sporty’s Learn to Fly course will save you time and money earning your pilot certificate. This is not a weekend “cram course” or a boring ground school lecture on video. It is a comprehensive flight-training companion designed to make your lessons more efficient, more complete and more fun. There is nothing extra to buy—just add flight instructor! INCLUDES: 20 hours of HD video training with search, knowledge test prep, interactive flight maneuvers guide, video-referenced Airman Certification Standards (ACS), Flight Training Syllabus, Ask a CFI service. After successful course completion, you’ll earn an FAA knowledge test endorsement and FAA WINGS credit. SPORTY’S 2023 INSTRUMENT RATING COURSE With Sporty’s Complete Instrument Rating Course, you’ll ace your FAA written test—we guarantee it! But this app is much more than just test prep. With incredible in-flight footage and 3D animations, we unlock the secrets of the IFR system so you can be a safe, smooth and proficient pilot. Detailed video segments cover both glass cockpits and analog gauges. INCLUDES: 13 hours of video training, knowledge test prep, interactive instrument maneuvers guide, video-referenced Airman Certification Standards (ACS), Flight Training Syllabus, Ask a CFI service. AVIATION COURSE LIBRARY 2023 Learn to Fly/Private Pilot Training Course 2023 Instrument Rating Course 2023 Commercial Pilot Test Prep Course Aviation Weather Multiengine Training Course Tailwheel Checkout Course with Patty Wagstaff Flying with ForeFlight Flight Review Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) Takeoffs and Landings VFR Communications IFR Communications Pilot's Guide to Airspace Basic Aerobatics with Patty Wagstaff Garmin G1000 Checkout Course Garmin G5000 Training Course Garmin GTN 650/750 Essentials Garmin Aviation Weather Radar Garmin TXi Essentials Garmin GFC500 Autopilot Essentials Flying the Aspen Evolution So You Want to Fly Twins So You Want to Fly Seaplanes So You Want to Fly Gliders
The new era of mobile app marketing starts with SplitMetrics AI
