Links and Resources


Flight Planning/Charts/Weather

AirNav.Com - This website allows you to look up info about airports and navaids, providing the same information that is found in the A/FD, plus a lot more (aerial views, roadmap views, approach plate downloads, etc)! It also includes FBO names, phone numbers, and fuel prices (when available).

Aviation Digital Data Service - Has all the weather info that you could possibly need. This website is a great way to familiarize yourself with the weather before getting a briefing. Not only does it include classic items like METARS, TAFS, and Winds Aloft, but it also provides advanced products like Airmet/Sigmet maps, predicted icing, and a flight path tool. No registration is required.

Duat.Com - DUAT is the FAA's Direct User Access Terminal (DUAT) service for pilots. This service provides direct access to weather briefing, flight planning, and flight plan filing information to allow pilots to obtain a self briefing and file a flight plan prior to flying. The service is free to qualified pilots, dispatchers, and other authorized users. You can file both VFR and IFR flight plans, and even close flight plans through this website. Similar to FltPlan.Com, you can program various aircraft profiles with climb, cruise, and descent performance info. Registration is required but is free.

FltPlan.Com - This site allows you to input various aircraft and appropriate performance figures for each phase of flight (airspeeds, climb/descent rates, fuel burn, etc). The performance data for many common aircraft is already included, which makes getting started with this website a lot easier. Some other great features: the ability to file IFR flight plans, and also print nav logs automatically created by the website using current wind info, etc. Registration is required but is free and all you need is a valid email.

Flyagogo.Net - A simple and free flight planning website. It has full color VFR sectional charts on which you can overlay your route of flight. It can also perform hdg/gs calculations for you if you input a wind value, and will show terrain profiles. Registration is not required but if you do decide to register (free registration) you can input your own aircraft with performance specs (unfortunately the only preprogrammed airplane is a C-172SP).

FAA's Pilotweb - Pilotweb is a free FAA resource which provides NOTAMs, TFRs, weather, and other miscellaneous information. No registration is required.

RunwayFinder.Com - Similar to Flyagogo.Net, this website allows you to overlay a route (or multiple legs) onto a scrollable VFR sectional. This website does not allow you to input aircraft performance specs, nor will it do hdg/gs calculations, but it does give true course and distance info, as well as current METARS and airport info (similar to what you'd see in the A/FD). You can also change the overlay from a VFR sectional to a street map or even a satellite view. Great way to initially prepare for a flight (distance, true course, airport info, and weather). No registration is required.

SkyVector.Com - Very similar to RunwayFinder.Com, this site also has IFR sectionals and can be a little easier to build flight plans. This site also shows real time METAR reports. One downside to this site compared to RunwayFinder is that when you scroll to the edge of a chart you have to click on the new chart to view it instead of seamlessly scrolling to it. No registration required.

Knowledge Exam/Interview Prep

WebExams.Com - This website allows you to study for and take practice FAA knowledge exams (Rec, Private, Instrument, Commercial, and CFI). Registration is free and recommended (allows you to save tests, etc) but not required.

Sporty's Online FAA Knowledge Tests - Sporty's.com now provides a section where you can study for and take practice FAA knowledge exams. They have sections for Private, Recreational, Instrument, and Commercial. Registration is required but is free.

Aviation Interviews.Com - Probably one of the most well known "interview gouge" websites available. If you're not familiar, here's how it works: After someone goes on an interview they log on to this website and recount exactly what the interview was like. There are very specific details like the exact questions that were asked on the written exams, the procedures they had to do in the sim, and the questions they were asked during the oral portion of the interview. There's also information about different airlines including pay rates. Registration is not required but highly recommended. There is a free registration which allows you to view the last 5 gouges on each airline. The paid registration allows you to view all the gouges as well as get tech support, etc. There is a 30 day membership available for $6.95, and a 90 day membership available for $13.95. Definitely a small price to pay for such a valuable source of information.

Airline Pilot Central - Lots of information available on the life of a corporate/fractional/regional/major airline pilot. Includes day-to-day life stories, how-to's, airline profiles (pay rates, hiring minimums, etc), and industry news. Also contains video tutorials on resumes, cover letters, and other interview/hiring related stuff.

Pilot Shops

Sporty's Pilot Shop - Probably one of the most popular aviation pilot supply catalog, now available online. They have everything you could imagine like headsets, charts, flashlights, GPS receivers, flight bags, etc.

MyPilotStore.Com - Similar to Sporty's Pilot Shop, they have just about anything you could imagine that is aviation related.

Aircraft Spruce - This website mainly specializes in the sale of aircraft components/parts (mostly for homebuilt airplanes), but also sells pilot supplies including headsets, flight bags, and much more.

Miscellaneous

AOPA - Excellent resource for pilot information, news, weather, training, etc. There are some parts of the website accessible to non-members, but membership is required for full access (and highly recommended too!). Membership is $39 per year and not only provides you with full access to the website, but also a subscription to either AOPA or Flight Training magazine (your choice), and also access to AOPA's Pilot Information Center hotline. For more info about membership benefits, visit http://www.aopa.org/join/benefits.html.

AvWeb.Com - Great source for industry and GA news, also contains a lot of different columns and podcasts. Registration is free and required to view full versions of articles.