Recieved PPL in 2000 and haven't flow since - What should I be doing?

T

TheGunCollector

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
4
Display Name
Display name:
TheGunCollector
Looking to pick up flying again as I live in a wonderful area of the country and looking to share the passion with my kids as well as possibly purchasing a plane in the future ( we'll rent first ). First if getting current, and then I'll be focusing on getting my instrument rating.

I'm just not sure where to begin. I've scheduled a flight for next week with an instructor as well as a medical.

What should I be doing, or should I just wait to discuss it with the instructor? Should I re-read some of the txt books from then? Are there any online resources where I can brush up on info?

First post, and I look forward to spending some time here contributing and especially learning.

Thanks.

John
 
IMO it wouldn't hurt to sign up for FAA wings and take some free courses. There are some decent ones.

And welcome (back)!
 
Welcome back!

First tell us where you are? What plane type did you train in?

Second, there have been some significant changes in the Medical requirements. Spend some time browsing the Medical Topics forum here. Be sure you can pass the medical exam BEFORE you hand in any paperwork to the AME because if you fail for any reason, you are then unable to fly under the new sport pilot regulations (using the so-called Drivers License Medical "DLM"). With logic only a government bureaucrat can understand, you can fly Sport Pilot with a DLM if you have not failed... so it is important to know you will pass before you put pen to paper.

If you think there is a chance you won't pass, it may be worth a visit to an AME for a Consultation for his advice.

Everything else is pretty much the same - except the thirty year old bird you trained in is now a 40 year old bird!

-Skip
 
Welcome to the forum,and welcome back to aviation. Visit with your doctor first,then an ame. I would get a copy of the FAR s ,then have an in-depth talk with the FBO and instructor.
 
Copy of the FARS? :rofl: Reading that **** will rot your brain. Don't be that guy who quotes the FARS. :no:

Go fly after you get your medical. You are a pilot.
 
Geico266 said:
Copy of the FARS? :rofl: Reading that **** will rot your brain. Don't be that guy who quotes the FARS. :no:

Go fly after you get your medical. You are a pilot.
Click to expand...

You'll need a Flight Review, required every two years. Work with a good instructor, expect to spend a few hours in ground and air study. He should not sign you off for the flight review until you can fly the maneuvers to PTS standards. You'll be surprised how quickly your skills return.
 
Go fly with your instructor. I'm sure he'll find your weak spots. Listen to him, and not the peanut gallery here.

Pretty simple!
 
Welcome back. If you don't have an iPad yet, odds are you will soon. Enjoy being back in the sky!
 
First of, let me say thanks for all the welcomes! I'm excited to get in the air again, and as soon as my wife give birth to our son ( today maybe? ), and things settle down, I'll be back in the air!

Skip Miller said:
First tell us where you are? Grand Junction, Colorado What plane type did you train in? Piper Warrior

Second, there have been some significant changes in the Medical requirements. No worries there.

-Skip
Click to expand...

Thanks!

LDJones said:
Welcome back. If you don't have an iPad yet, odds are you will soon. Enjoy being back in the sky!
Click to expand...


I've had an iPad since the beginning.

Been thinking about buying another handheld navcom - are they still a worthy and valuable thing to have or have they been replaced by some app?:D

Thanks
 
What you should be doing is quite simple: get thee to an airport, and fly with an instructor!

Congrats on the forthcoming family addition, too. Things may calm down enough by the fall to clear enough time for a refresher course. In the meantime, there are lots of good videos available on line and through Sportys that you can watch to come up to speed.

Yes, a handheld radio is still of value. There are many nice ones available. Don't do like me and leave it in the hangar, saving it for "trips." The one time I needed it was on a flight with my CFII when I had an electrical failure, than on landing the inside door latch broke off. Fortunately so done was there that I could wave at through the little storm window to come let us out.
 
Congrats on the family

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk
 
Geico266 said:
Copy of the FARS? :rofl: Reading that **** will rot your brain. Don't be that guy who quotes the FARS. :no:

Go fly after you get your medical. You are a pilot.
Click to expand...

I was gonna say, why do people suggest reading the FAR|AIM...I can't think of anything more confusing than wading through hundreds of pages of dry material without context. There are tons of other resources to break down the rules in a more "real-world" context.
 
Although I ain't crazy about AOPA and what it does with our money, I'll second their online courses for brushing up.

Microsoft X or X plane will sharpen your skills up to a point.

Fly. Rinse. Repeat. :)
 
TheGunCollector said:
First of, let me say thanks for all the welcomes! I'm excited to get in the air again, and as soon as my wife give birth to our son ( today maybe? ), and things settle down, I'll be back in the air!



Thanks!




I've had an iPad since the beginning.

Been thinking about buying another handheld navcom - are they still a worthy and valuable thing to have or have they been replaced by some app?:D

Thanks
Click to expand...

Humming birth of a child and waiting for things to settle down. That event stops Lot of us from flying. Good luck. And congrats on the new baby
 
Last edited:
I haven't read all of the responses, but I would recommend that you:
1. Get a current ground school course and review it until you're back up to speed knowledge wise. It will be a good review. Most things haven't changed much, but some things have. And there's been somewhat of a revolution in the cockpit while you've been gone thanks to the iPad.
2. Get your flight physical renewed.
3. Find a CFI and get your biannual flight review knocked out.

It probably won't take long to get your flying back up to speed, it usually doesn't. Have fun!
 
evapilotaz said:
Humming birth of a child and waiting for things to settle down. That event stops Lot of us from flying. Good luck. And congrats on the new baby
Click to expand...


Yep. Thankfully I'm fortunate to be self employed, so I don't have to contend with juggling a traditional 8-10 hour work day around the other, normal family obligations.
 
Enjoy the child first.... Congrats. May want to get a Sportys app or video for flight review. After review interview instructors. When you find one u think u can work with, get up there.
 
Just did this myself form a longer layoff. I am now signed off and flying. I would:

1. Make sure you can pass the medical. If there is any question make sure you understand the repercussions of failing and how sport pilot may fit in for you if there is an issue.

2. Start studying. There is tons of material on Youtube and online for free. The topics are the same as your initial studies just a few changes but make sure you know them.

3. Get with a good instructor and fly. Took me about 7.5 hours before I got signed off but as I mentioned my layoff was longer and I was figuring it would be closer to 10 hours. Your mileage may vary.

Welcome back.
 
I was in the same boat not long ago. When I bought my TR182, I hadn't flown as PIC in over 10 years. I had done a BFR and a little tune-up flying but 100% with instructors.

To really get back into it, I got with a reputable flight school and flew until they thought I was competent. It didn't take long to be able to handle the aircraft again. But it was rule changes and procedures at KAPA that gave me heartburn. So I got onto AOPA's website and found their documents on getting back in the air. They had a doc that listed all the changes that had occurred since... whatever date you picked. It was helpful. I watched a bunch of the ASF videos and attended a few Wings seminars. And I read up on TFRs.

Then I got an instrument rating and really got into procedures and stuff. Now I'm back in the saddle and more competent and confident than ever but still learning.

Oh! The other thing that really got me back into flying was ForeFlight! Download that sucker for sure. So much info there and so easy to use in flight. EFBs, especially ipads, have changed my flying life. It is so easy to just pull it up and look at any place in the country, plan flights, look at A/FD pages, look at weather charts, read METARs and TAFs (with cheater decoding!). What a great way to tune up all that background pilot knowledge after a long period off.


...and welcome back to the skies! :thumbsup:
 
Last edited:
TheGunCollector said:
Yep. Thankfully I'm fortunate to be self employed, so I don't have to contend with juggling a traditional 8-10 hour work day around the other, normal family obligations.
Click to expand...

Congrats on the new addition. Kids will bring some of the most joy in your life.

My wife and I were convinced that our children would not change us or the pursuit of our passions.....mine flying and her's Morgan horses. Our second daughter is named Piper Morgan in memorance of what got sacrificed. ;)
 
Horses now there is an expensive hobby. You give them fuel "hay" and it comes out of their butt. With fuel in a airplane your going places.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top