Getting current after 17 years on the ground.

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SXtrailrunner

Filing Flight Plan
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SXtrailrunner
Hey guys,

Just looked at my logbook, last flight July 2009. I have my private and IFR ratings, couple hundred hours in 150, 172, and PA 28. Looking to get back into recreational flying, VFR only for now.

So obviously I need to renew my medical. I also assume the FARs have drastically changed in 17 years, particularly airspace classification. My plan is to begin self study for the FARs, brush up on weather/charts/procedures/etc, then seek out a school to get current in the air.

How many hours would I realistically be looking at to become proficient again? This is obviously going to be more involved than a BFR, if it's even called that anymore.

Hope I can find a school with a six-pack plane. Glass will be foreign to me, even though it was obviously around back in 2009.

Any other suggestions or hurdles I may not be thinking of?

Many thanks.
 
I was 37 years on the ground. I came back under Sport Pilot (the original rules). I had a half dozen hours with instructors in Sport Planes, a C-172 and even a Citabria. Then I bought an Ercoupe and had another 4 or 5 hours with the same CFI to get my Flight Review done.
 
In the mid 2000's I returned a mid 40'spilot whose last flgiht was 16 YEARS earlier. It took about 7 hours, in 5 sessions. He wasn't the most confident but he met stds and we flew a few times after his signoff. I'm told that's pretty average....
B
 
What is the date on your last medical? If you held any type of medical that was in force after July 14, 2006, and it was never revoked/suspended, skip getting a 3rd class and get a Basic Med instead.

When you get around to IFR, I think you'll find that its dominated by GPS RNAV and LPVs, with much fewer VOR towers and ILS approaches remaining. Training will probably involve a lot of time on the navigation system, be it a GNS, GTN, etc.
 
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SXtrailrunner said:
Hey guys,

Just looked at my logbook, last flight July 2009. I have my private and IFR ratings, couple hundred hours in 150, 172, and PA 28. Looking to get back into recreational flying, VFR only for now.

So obviously I need to renew my medical. I also assume the FARs have drastically changed in 17 years, particularly airspace classification. My plan is to begin self study for the FARs, brush up on weather/charts/procedures/etc, then seek out a school to get current in the air.

How many hours would I realistically be looking at to become proficient again? This is obviously going to be more involved than a BFR, if it's even called that anymore.

Hope I can find a school with a six-pack plane. Glass will be foreign to me, even though it was obviously around back in 2009.

Any other suggestions or hurdles I may not be thinking of?

Many thanks.
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You can fly VFR under the new sport pilot rules without a medical. And if you had a valid medical when you last flew, you can use Basic Med and even fly IFR. But you won't need to worry about any of that until you're ready to solo again, so I wouldn't start there.

No doubt you can find someone in your area to spend 5 hours in a 172 with, but why not make it fun and get back in the air by learning to fly gliders or something else new?
 
WDD said:
What is the date on your last medical? If you held any type of medical that was in force after July 14, 2006, and it was never revoked/suspended, skip getting a 3rd class and get a Basic Med instead.
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I just went digging and can't believe I actually found it. 08/13/2008 Second class. Will look into the basic one.
 
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If you don't have it already, go get a tailwheel endorsement ... fun to do and you get a bit of swagger in your walk. :biggrin:
 
Most schools still have some form of a 6 pack plane. Assuming you have no medical issues, get your 3rd class medical, find a local school and start shaking the rust off. You got this!
 
Welcome back. You’re not in a different position than I was a few years ago. What surprised me is how far electronic courses have progressed. I spent a dreary winter working through a couple of them and lots of training vids on YouTube. Really, airspace is the big change. But if you’re flying VFR and have high personal minimums, even those are less daunting than they first appear. Just separate out airspace with the low minimum VFR details from the actual air traffic control portions, and you’ll find it is quite simple to actually get around. I was building an experimental LSA, so I went sport pilot without the medical, but mine had expired before the change anyway (or I’d done basic med).

The biggest change has been electronic flight bags (EFB) like ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot. Really, they’re game changers. No more trying to refold a chart in the cockpit of a 150 looking for a frequency while at the same time, holding your plotter between your teeth and puzzling a prayer wheel in bumpy air. If you’re about to bump into controlled airspace, it will not only warn you beforehand, but also give you the tower frequency in a pop-up. Pair it with an ADS-B (almost every plane has one now) and your electronic copilot shows you all the planes around you, their altitude and heading relative to your own, and even color codes the risks to you. But these EFBs have a cost in learning curves. The key, is spending a lot of study time after your brush up on the regs with it. Combine this gizmo with the newer suites of IFR avionics and you can see why it seems everyone is getting an IFR ticket nowadays. No more bird dogging NDBs, weird DME rituals, or fussy markers beacons.

Those are the changes I noticed coming back. It took me fewer than 10 hours of dual to feel comfortable, but the instructor signed me off at 6 hours. The last few hours were some nice XC work.
 
In terms of aircraft, you will discover that most schools will have either a traditional six-pack or airplanes in which the AI and DG have been replaced by Garmin G5s. I can tell you that the G5 transition is quick for most. Part of it's popularity is how easy it is to get used to.

You are correct about changes. My recommendation for rusty pilots is to take one of the free knowledge test practice tests to see where you are. If you have lost a lot or need to learn new things, do a ground school. Sporty's has a decent one for rusty pilots.

Someone else mentioned IFR. If you are rated, don't worry about it for a while. Keep your feet dry with VFR flights untill you feel comfortable again. As someone mentioned, for IFR, you will have to learn the new equipment and procedures.

Take your time and don't rush it. It may all come back faster than you think.
 
rhkennerly said:
Pair it with an ADS-B (almost every plane has one now) and your electronic copilot shows you all the planes around you, their altitude and heading relative to your own, and even color codes the risks to you.
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Don't get complacent, this is not true in many parts of the country.
 
ColinD said:
Don't get complacent, this is not true in many parts of the country.
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Geesh, good enough for a person at his stage of return after 17 yrs away. Also there are planes who don’t have ads-b out. Hang gliders, ultralights,& powered parachutes. Most gliders. There are also phantom & ghost signals from time to time. And ads-b is spotty below certain altitudes, particularly in hilly or mountainous terrain. Do I need to add more?
 
SXtrailrunner said:
Hey guys,

Just looked at my logbook, last flight July 2009. I have my private and IFR ratings, couple hundred hours in 150, 172, and PA 28. Looking to get back into recreational flying, VFR only for now.

So obviously I need to renew my medical. I also assume the FARs have drastically changed in 17 years, particularly airspace classification. My plan is to begin self study for the FARs, brush up on weather/charts/procedures/etc, then seek out a school to get current in the air.

How many hours would I realistically be looking at to become proficient again? This is obviously going to be more involved than a BFR, if it's even called that anymore.

Hope I can find a school with a six-pack plane. Glass will be foreign to me, even though it was obviously around back in 2009.

Any other suggestions or hurdles I may not be thinking of?

Many thanks.
Click to expand...
My last flight was 2002 with a total of 65 hours and lost my log book with all hours and high performance complex endorsements. I bought a glasair 2 RG in late 2024 and while my A&P fixed minor issues, I completed a new 3rd class medical, BFR (approx 6 hours), and new complex endorsement with the glasair (1 hour) in 1 month. It was a pretty easy transition back into the cockpit without flying in 22 years (currently 59 y/o).
 
I returned to flying after a decade away - took the AOPA 'Rusty Pilots course' followed by a couple of hours with CFI. Course was worth the membership price (course free if you are a member)
 
SXtrailrunner said:
Hey guys,

Just looked at my logbook, last flight July 2009. I have my private and IFR ratings, couple hundred hours in 150, 172, and PA 28. Looking to get back into recreational flying, VFR only for now.

So obviously I need to renew my medical. I also assume the FARs have drastically changed in 17 years, particularly airspace classification. My plan is to begin self study for the FARs, brush up on weather/charts/procedures/etc, then seek out a school to get current in the air.

How many hours would I realistically be looking at to become proficient again? This is obviously going to be more involved than a BFR, if it's even called that anymore.

Hope I can find a school with a six-pack plane. Glass will be foreign to me, even though it was obviously around back in 2009.

Any other suggestions or hurdles I may not be thinking of?

Many thanks.
Click to expand...
Recognize you have forgotten a lot and download the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge Handbook from the FAA and start reading.

You need some refreshing of knowledge + there have been technology improvements since you left. A Primary Flight Display (glass) is nothing to fear and there are other technology changes the handbook will explain.
 
SXtrailrunner said:
Hey guys,

Just looked at my logbook, last flight July 2009. I have my private and IFR ratings, couple hundred hours in 150, 172, and PA 28. Looking to get back into recreational flying, VFR only for now.

So obviously I need to renew my medical. I also assume the FARs have drastically changed in 17 years, particularly airspace classification. My plan is to begin self study for the FARs, brush up on weather/charts/procedures/etc, then seek out a school to get current in the air.

How many hours would I realistically be looking at to become proficient again? This is obviously going to be more involved than a BFR, if it's even called that anymore.

Hope I can find a school with a six-pack plane. Glass will be foreign to me, even though it was obviously around back in 2009.

Any other suggestions or hurdles I may not be thinking of?

Many thanks.
Click to expand...
I returned in 2021 after a 12 yr hiatus. So- paused the same year as you.
Biggest change- Efbs, IMO. Soooo much more efficient than paper charts, paper afd, etc. and almost a must in complex airspace.

Give glass cockpits a try, too

Consider basic med. It’s super simple if you had a straightforward medical when you took a break in ‘09. Meets my needs.

I wasn’t very efficient at getting back up to speed, from a standpoint of someone getting checked out to rent. Didn’t realize how useful an iPad (or equivalent) and foreflight (or equivalent) would be in SF Bay Area.
I knew how to fly- but not how to efficiently navigate the Charlie’s and bravos here, after a decade away.

Re bfr, I took an online course, reread jepp private pilot text. Latter probably was t needed, really.

Welcome back!
 
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