Rusty Pilot Advice

O

Outbreak

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Jan 23, 2018
Messages
6
Location
NM
Display Name
Display name:
Outbreak
Hi all,
I'm Outbreak. A little background, I have been flying since 2001, civilian and military. I got my PPL in highschool, went to Embry-Riddle and got Commercial, Instrument, and Multi-engine ratings there. I flew my multi-checkride 19 December, 2006, then went home for Christmas break. On Christmas, a tornado hit the Riddle flight-line, destroying most of the fleet. I withdrew from the CFI course, having all the credits I needed to graduate in May, 07, and knowing flight time would be scarce with the damaged fleet. I commissioned in the Air Force, became a Navigator, and flew C-130's for a few years (no stick time; this will be important as we go on). Then I switched to "drones," or RPA's, Remotely Piloted Aircraft. They're airplanes, I promise, but they do fly a little differently from the ones you sit in. I've been flying MQ-1 and MQ-9 for the last 6 years or so. I'm an instructor pilot, looking at evaluator upgrade soon. Total time, including Nav and RPA, 3500+ hours.
So now I'm looking at a change. I am applying for jobs that require a Commercial IFR ticket (my time is sufficient) so after 11 years, I need to get current in the eyes of the FAA. My knowledge is still pretty sharp, but my hands are rusty. I have a friend who is a CFII an owns several aircraft that he can re-train me in. He has a 172, and a Mooney M20K. I've got several hundred hours in a Skyhawk, so I'd be very comfortable there. He recommended the Mooney. I've never flown one, but I do have about 1400 hours flying complex turbocharged piston singles (MQ-1B), plus the Arrow I got my complex in.
The question is, do I need the complexity of the Mooney to get current for Commercial? Does the complex endorsement have currency requirements? If not, is it worth the expense, and surely time, to train in such an aircraft?

Thanks for all the responses in advance, and for having me in the group.

Outbreak
 
All you need to watch out for in the Mooney is the proper speed, and the position of the gear. Without all the drag fro the tall Cessna fuselage, fat wing and struts, the Mooney will pick up speed in a descent in a hurry. You will need to maintain airspeed control in the pattern, too, as going too fast on short final can lead to bad things happening.

Welcome back to GA, and have fun flying (yourself) again!
 
The requirements will be driven by whoever it is you are applying to. If I were in your shoes, I'd fly anything I could to beef up my resume. Some complex time would probably be good, but it isn't required in the sense that you are asking.
 
Timbeck2 said:
What's the difference in a Taliban training camp and an Afghanistan school playground?

I don't know, I'm just the drone pilot.
Click to expand...

Welp...thanks for the welcome, dude.

Cooter said:
The requirements will be driven by whoever it is you are applying to. If I were in your shoes, I'd fly anything I could to beef up my resume. Some complex time would probably be good, but it isn't required in the sense that you are asking.
Click to expand...

I don't think the complex time will be a factor for the job I'm applying to. My total time, in the amounts I have it is what I'm going to be hired for.
That said, I am considering buying a plane for personal travel in the next few years, and complex could be useful for a better insurance quote. Thanks for the reply!

Hank S said:
All you need to watch out for in the Mooney is the proper speed, and the position of the gear. Without all the drag fro the tall Cessna fuselage, fat wing and struts, the Mooney will pick up speed in a descent in a hurry. You will need to maintain airspeed control in the pattern, too, as going too fast on short final can lead to bad things happening.

Welcome back to GA, and have fun flying (yourself) again!
Click to expand...

Thanks! I got maybe 0.7 in a Warrior with my boss a couple weeks ago, and apparently I still know how to fly inside an airplane! But there's a big difference between being able to use the plane again, and true proficiency. The end goal is to be good enough that I trust myself to take my son up. That's a few hours away.
 
Ya know, you can almost guarantee when on a public forum, whatever you say will be taken the wrong way.

<--- retired AF, three deployments. It was a joke.
 
Outbreak said:
I don't think the complex time will be a factor for the job I'm applying to. My total time, in the amounts I have it is what I'm going to be hired for.
Click to expand...

No checkride? Not even a sim ride? Procedures check? Instrument check?

No, there’s no specific complex currency requirements, but one instructor pointed out to me that if someone is getting current after a break and has a choice, flying the most complex thing they’re rated for is a better brain workout than flying the simplest aircraft they’re rated in, and will serve them better mentally.

Another wise old owl here on the board puts it this way, “Don’t accept minimum standards.”

As a gentle aside... one of the mental and physical tasks the brain and body need to get used to again after a long flying hiatus is...

Looking this stuff up for yourself in the regs. ;)

Crack open a cold FAR/AIM from the fridge, and familiarize the brain with it again.

I can’t think of any paid flying job that isn’t going to have you in a scenario or two once in a while where you don’t need to look something up to make sure you and the aircraft are legal... :)

How about “button-ology”? What avionics are in the aircraft they’re hiring you to fly? You up to speed on those?
 
Timbeck2 said:
Ya know, you can almost guarantee when on a public forum, whatever you say will be taken the wrong way.

<--- retired AF, three deployments. It was a joke.
Click to expand...

Did I hit it?
I dunno, said the Viper pilot.
No, said the JTAC.
 
Outbreak....I have nothing to add in regard to your question, but thank you for your service. Enjoy flying in GA again!
 
First thing, it doesn’t matter which airplane you retrain in. I would go with the Mooney. It is just the on I would prefer to fly later.

Second - no stick time as a Nav and a large amount of your time as a drone operator. I don’t mean this as an insult, but you ARE aware that there are many in the aviation world that won’t count these as time, right? When you are evaluated, you might not even qualify if these times are discounted. If your piloting experience is just a few hundred hours of GA flying in SEL and MEL, that might be what you are judged on.

Again, just pointing it out. There is a difference between what a company will value and what you can log. The kind of flying is important too.
 
To the OP, another thanks for your service in defending our great nation. And I don't even have any good drone jokes.

My philosophy going through life has been to never take the easy way out. My question has never been what's the easiest way, but what's the best way? My guess is you know which that is, but was just looking for some confirmation.
 
Legally it doesn't matter what you fly, the 172 or the Mooney. You do need a Flight Review(aka BFR) and an IPC. Hell fly 'em both. Good luck.

Another Ret USAF
 
bflynn said:
Second - no stick time as a Nav and a large amount of your time as a drone operator. I don’t mean this as an insult, but you ARE aware that there are many in the aviation world that won’t count these as time, right? When you are evaluated, you might not even qualify if these times are discounted. If your piloting experience is just a few hundred hours of GA flying in SEL and MEL, that might be what you are judged on.

Again, just pointing it out. There is a difference between what a company will value and what you can log. The kind of flying is important too.
Click to expand...

No offense taken. That's why I found a job that counts all that time.
 
Nothing to add other than you don't sound rusty, just a few flights from proficiency, good luck.
 
denverpilot said:
No checkride? Not even a sim ride? Procedures check? Instrument check?

No, there’s no specific complex currency requirements, but one instructor pointed out to me that if someone is getting current after a break and has a choice, flying the most complex thing they’re rated for is a better brain workout than flying the simplest aircraft they’re rated in, and will serve them better mentally.

Another wise old owl here on the board puts it this way, “Don’t accept minimum standards.”

As a gentle aside... one of the mental and physical tasks the brain and body need to get used to again after a long flying hiatus is...

Looking this stuff up for yourself in the regs. ;)

Crack open a cold FAR/AIM from the fridge, and familiarize the brain with it again.

I can’t think of any paid flying job that isn’t going to have you in a scenario or two once in a while where you don’t need to look something up to make sure you and the aircraft are legal... :)

How about “button-ology”? What avionics are in the aircraft they’re hiring you to fly? You up to speed on those?
Click to expand...

I'm definitely getting back into the GA-specific knowledge, but my new FAR/AIM hasn't arrived from Amazon yet. I'm quite adept at looking things up in mililtary pubs, so just need to use that skill on a different set of books.
Minimum standards have never been my thing. I like to have some cushion between me and the minimums, because we all screw up sometimes. The space between your skills and the minimum is how much you can afford to mess up.
Button-ology is not a big concern, and the new employer is going to put me through their training program anyway, and I tend to do very well in type courses, but definitely a good thought. I'm more concerned with knowing the plane(s) I'll be flying in my off time at a level that I find acceptable (again, those high standards.)
 
Outbreak said:
I'm definitely getting back into the GA-specific knowledge, but my new FAR/AIM hasn't arrived from Amazon yet. I'm quite adept at looking things up in mililtary pubs, so just need to use that skill on a different set of books.
Minimum standards have never been my thing. I like to have some cushion between me and the minimums, because we all screw up sometimes. The space between your skills and the minimum is how much you can afford to mess up.
Button-ology is not a big concern, and the new employer is going to put me through their training program anyway, and I tend to do very well in type courses, but definitely a good thought. I'm more concerned with knowing the plane(s) I'll be flying in my off time at a level that I find acceptable (again, those high standards.)
Click to expand...

If you're in a rush to fall asleep, the FARs and AIM are free to DL or read online at faa.gov

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/faa_regulations/
 
mscard88 said:
If you're in a rush to fall asleep, the FARs and AIM are free to DL or read online at faa.gov

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/faa_regulations/
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know, but remember, I'm a Navigator by trade. That makes me a classically trained luddite. I still carry, and use, a whiz wheel, even in the RPAs where I have 8 monitors to access anything electronic I want. I'm a dead-tree kind of guy when it comes to studying.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top