How Do I Start To Restart?

[Dirty A]

Abandoned PPL flight training 6 years ago with ~45 hours when I took off to go to university...ground school, solo cross country completed. Now I have been getting the urge to get back into it but am at a loss where to begin. Money is somewhat of an issue, especially considering my student loans and lack of employment, so I would like to know how I can go about doing this as efficiently as possible. I would hate to have to invest hundreds of dollars reviewing the basics when I've already logged this much time. Should I begin by mastering the literature? Has much changed that would render my older books invalid? Anyone ever been in this situation before?

I've recently moved to Toronto if that makes a difference.

Thanks for your time!

[Colonel Sanders]

Tell me that you have your PTR and logbook, both
with all pages certified. Lie to me if necessary.
Remember, this is aviation where paperwork
matters more than anything else.

I've recently moved to Toronto if that makes a difference.

Not really. Wretched place, though. My sympathies.

[frog]

You can expect some reviews, but to keep it to the minimum hit the books, simulate in your armchair X country procedures with the wheel, review emergencies etc...

[Dirty A]

Tell me that you have your PTR and logbook, both
with all pages certified. Lie to me if necessary.
Remember, this is aviation where paperwork
matters more than anything else.

YES! Guess I should have mentioned that. Went to my old flight school this past weekend and was incredibly relieved (and extremely fortunate) to find they hadn't been purged. Last page wasn't certified, does this create an issue?

[Beefitarian]

I know you'd like to read, "Hey bro, no worries. Flight training is less expensive than ever before. Do a quick half hour review lesson and you should be ready to test." And I'd love to write it. Oh look, I just did. Sorry it's not true.

I would hate to have to invest hundreds of dollars reviewing the basics when I've already logged this much time. Should I begin by mastering the literature? Has much changed that would render my older books invalid? Anyone ever been in this situation before?

I've recently moved to Toronto if that makes a difference.

Thanks for your time!

I had a PPL and couple hundred hours. Took nearly 5 years off and there's no way around spending hundreds of dollars reviewing the basics. Air law changes all the time. Wx is kind of the same but there's options to read it in plain (somewhat) english on the websites. Engines and airframes are the same. I'd grab a new "From the Ground up." and start with that.

The good news and truth. It's well worth every penny. Best of luck on the comeback and finding the best FTU near you.

[Dirty A]

Thanks for the replies! What is the current edition of FTGU? I have the 28th.

And yeah...as much as I'd love to hear that sort of reply, I figured the reality was far from it.

[trey kule]

If you go to a reputable FTU, they should essentially first do a flight test with you to evaluate those areas you may be rusty in..Then you can sit down with the instructor and go through what you need to brush up on, and have a good idea of cost. If you are really rusty, maybe two flights, the first just to let you fly around and get used to the plane again..
If you are pre ppl, and have not flown for 6 years, you just might be surprised how much you have forgotten.The problem is in these situations, people dont know what they dont know...I run into this all the time checking out pilots who have not flown a particular type for years...
Hitting the books is good, but also walk yourself through the practical side..Get some weather and work through it.

Do some flight planning. Review how to file a flight plan. Then review all the exercises in the Flight training manual..Work on the details .. Not the big picture..Not the exceptions. Can you still list off the documents to be carried? Remember the procedure word perfect for a spin recovery? Remember how to fill out one of those horrendous flight planning forms for x country converting airspeeds, mag var, deviation, true heading, and the myriad of other stuff. Remember how to use a e6b?

You can do a great deal to make the renewing process go faster.

Best of luck.

[Beefitarian]

I have the 29th edition From the Ground up, published 2011. You might want to wait for the 30th, they're updated every 3 years according to wikipedia. It also mentions another book called, "Flying Beyond" based on it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_the_Ground_Up_(book)

The AIM is online so that's free but still tough to get through.

[Colonel Sanders]

Went to my old flight school this past weekend and was incredibly relieved (and extremely fortunate) to find they hadn't been purged.

Sir: you have horseshoes up your @ss. As they say, I'd rather be lucky than good.

Last page wasn't certified, does this create an issue?

Get ALL pages of your PTR and logbook certified by
CFI (or delegate) at your old school. "Z" the pages
to finish them off. They may be reluctant to do this,
but be persistent.

Photoshop pictures of the CFI with a goat, as required.

Your Student Pilot Permit will have expired (5 years).

Get an aircrew medical - your choice, category 1/3.

With the medical, an AP can issue you another SPP.

Hold on a sec. Did you get the results of your PSTAR
from your old school? If so, you can try to use that
for your new SPP but your new FTU may insist on
you rewriting the PSTAR regardless.

Download the PDF of the AIM from here:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/p ... u-3092.htm

PSTAR is here:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/p ... u-3092.htm

Study for the PSTAR here:
http://www.flyingstart.ca/FlightTrainin ... RIndex.htm

[Shiny Side Up]

Went to my old flight school this past weekend and was incredibly relieved (and extremely fortunate) to find they hadn't been purged.

Sir: you have horseshoes up your @ss. As they say, I'd rather be lucky than good.

One should also note that its also a sign they are probably a decent school, though not a definitive one.

[Colonel Sanders]

After two years, all bets are off.

[Shiny Side Up]

While true, if the records are kept it generally means there's someone there who cares for such things and isn't ashamed of any past records and training the school has done. Bad schools on the other hand usually are quick to destroy any incriminating evidence. Like I said, not a defining good trait of the school, but certainly a small plus.

[Dirty A]

Yes, extremely lucky. The flight school is undergoing some restructuring due to a conflict with airport management and is now operating with a very limited staff from a private hangar. When I arrived I was told that most of the older books had been tossed in the move, but mine was found in the last of three boxes waiting their fate.

Anyways, the responses here have been overwhelmingly useful - and I think I am going to maximize my free learning via the books and online Transport Canada material before assuming practical flight.

No I did not retrieve my PSTAR results and I doubt they were still available but I don't think it would be useless for me to review/retest on this material.

What is the cost of a Cat. I vs. Cat III medical these days?

If I am unable to get my hours signed off at my former school, are there any alternatives? What happens to people who lose their books?

At age 23/24 am I considered too old to start from the bottom and do well in this industry? I know there are people my age in the right seat at the regionals but I assume there are guys/girls who make the career jump later on in their lives.

Once again, thank you all for your guidance.

[Colonel Sanders]

If I am unable to get my hours signed off at my former school

Sigh. Ok, "Z" the pages of your PTR and logbook
off yourself, and sign them. Try really hard to get
someone - anyone - at your old school to sign off
on them. They probably will.

If they won't, hope that the AP at your new FTU
is a reasonable guy. If not, get pictures of him with
a goat. Some entrapment may be required. Perhaps
even a roofie.

The important thing is that you have your old PTR
and logbook. Regardless of what anyone says, or
wants, those hours are forever. They never, ever
expire and will always count towards your experience.

At age 23/24 am I considered too old to start

um, no. I have parts in the cupboard that are older than you.

[Dirty A]

Colonel, you mean "Z" off every single remaining page? Excuse my ignorance...I am not sure I understand.

[Colonel Sanders]

No, no. Only the pages that have entries in them.

You want the pages in your PTR and logbook
certified, even the last ones that are only partially
filled in.

However, you can't certify blank entries. Like
writing blank cheques. That's why you "Z" them
off.

[LousyFisherman]

At age 23/24 am I considered too old to start

um, no. I have parts in the cupboard that are older than you.

Heck I've got food in the refrigerator older than you

Best of luck
LF

[Shiny Side Up]

No, no. Only the pages that have entries in them.

You want the pages in your PTR and logbook
certified, even the last ones that are only partially
filled in.

However, you can't certify blank entries. Like
writing blank cheques. That's why you "Z" them
off.

Come on Colonel, show him a picture of your log book with part of the page "Z"ed off. You can always white out the Z later. Personally I prefer making "X"s to avoid discussions on whether it has been Zeed off or Zedded off.

[Colonel Sanders]

What bugs me is that there is absolutely
NO regulatory requirement for a logbook
to be certified by the CFI/CP/Owner/etc.

But we have to do it anyways.

[photofly]

Who has to do it?

I think I've only ever had my logbook certified, once, by an overzealous instructor, and nobody gave a toss. It's a nasty American habit.

[chipmunk]

What is the cost of a Cat. I vs. Cat III medical these days?

Depends where you go. I spend around $200 to get both my TC (Cat I) & FAA renewed in Toronto, but for just the TC Category I you can probably expect anywhere from $100 to $150 (some doctors will give you a break if you have to pay for it, vs. your company paying for it.)

BUT for the love of God, please get an initial Cat I if you decide to get back into flying. If you just pass the Cat III and then spend thousands of dollars on flight training, only to find out when it's time for a Cat I that for some reason you can't pass it... it's a pretty big waste.

[pelmet]

If I am unable to get my hours signed off at my former school, are there any alternatives? What happens to people who lose their books?

I had a job interview with an airline and after going through my logbook, there was a small percentage of my flights from way back in the old days at one operator that were not signed off. Oh my god!!!!!

So I had to go to a notary and swear that these entries were accurate and now I have a piece of paper officially stamped confirming those particular flights as accurate and this is the equivalent of a certification. Not sure if TC accepts this for a training log.

[Colonel Sanders]

Who has to do it? (certify pilot logbook)

For private aircraft: owner
For CAR 406 FTU: CFI (or delegate)
For CAR 604/702/703/704/705: CP (or delegate)

That's pretty close. I'm sure someone will come
up with something slightly different from 1978.

As I said, there is absolutely no regulatory
requirement for this. Modern Canadian logbooks
have a spot at the bottom of the page for the
pilot signature, and that's it. The rest is of the
certification is freestyle, and implies that a pilot
logbook is worthless without it, which is ridiculous.

[dave_091]

Well my friend, you have come to the right place!
I am a walking, living, breathing example of what you are about to take part in.

Where do I start? I could write a book on getting my PPL (took me just over 10 years).

I started my flight training on December 1st 2002. I'll never forget that first flight. I had just moved in from Victoria a few months earlier and it was my first Ontario winter. I thought that was the coldest day ever!
Anyways, I'm not going to go into too much detail about my PPL journey. I ceased my flight training in September of 2003. I received a call from a employer telling me that I had a job and that if I wanted it I had to leave and start work in two days (it was the military). So, after 16 hours of no sleep and lots of deliberation I called them back the following day and told them that I'll take the job.
At that point in time I had my flight test booked, and my ground school was almost completed. But, I called the flight school and told them the good news that I got a job I had been waiting over a year and a half for. I told them the bad news as well that my flight training would have to be continued at a later date because I am packing up and moving out.

It would be almost 10 years before I sat in the left seat of an aircraft again.

So, Christmas break 2011/2012 rolls around. I have a lot of time on my hands. I am kicking around the house relaxing and enjoying my time off work. The wife sees this as a great opportunity to use this spare time to clean the basement ( I had been putting it off for weeks... okay months). So, off I trudge into the unknown. The basement really needed to be cleaned alright. It flooded in the summer when I was away fighting Ghadaffi overseas. It was a sewer back up so almost everything got wet with 3-4 inches of water, sewer water. However, by the time I got to cleaning the basement all that was left was a dried crust of sh*t over EVERYTHING. I spent days cleaning out that basement. I came across a ziplock bag full of papers. I opened it to see if it was worthy of keeping. Inside was my PTR, Logbook, and all my flying receipts ( I was told to never throw them out) from ten years prior. I remember my thoughts when I started flipping my logbook pages. I thought that it was cool to have almost got my private pilots license. I was SO CLOSE but yet so far. I put the books back in the ziplock bags and left them there for a while. But, I couldn't stop thinking about flying. Flying was on the brain..

I was in a small town of about 17,000 people at the time and I didn't think we had a flight school. I decided to get online and look anyways. Turns out there was a two man operation flying out of the regional airport ( I had no idea we even had a regional airport in that small town). I decided to test the waters and give them a call. After that call I had a flight booked for January 15th 2012!

I went there for my flight on January 15th and brought my PTR and my logbook. The flight instructor there told me that even though my hours are a decade old they still count towards the PPL. I couldn't have been happier!
Since I had almost everything done in my PTR all they had to do was get me ready for the flight test. The two instructors sat down with each other and devised a plan for me.
They took me up flying and assessed my flying skills. They said that I was a little rusty but I remembered the big picture. I remember them saying that I had great prior training and that I had good habits ( thank-you OAS).
After ten years without flying I still had these habits, I guess it goes to show that flying is like riding a bike. You might be a little off balance at first but you pick it up pretty quick.

Before I could fly solo again I had to get a medical and do the PSTAR.
About my radio operators license, I cant remember who I contacted online but I eventually found the right department. I filled in some information about myeslf and it turns out they still had record of me completing my radio operators licence. Nice! They sent me a copy of my licence in the mail... free!

I was about 5 or 6 hours into my refresher flight training before I had all my ducks in a row to go solo. That solo flight was definitely not as dramatic as my first solo, I don't even remember that solo flight to tell you the truth. But, I will never forget my first ever solo.

So, April 9 2012 was my flight test. Passed with a 94%.
I did my ground school at the same time as my flying through Harvs Air online ( I highly recommend them). I passed my ground school as well with a 94%, getting 100% in the air law section.
It took me about 15 flying hours before I was ready for the flight test. I am glad I did those 15 hours flying, I learned a LOT from those 15 hours. My instructors at that small school were top notch.

Where am I now? I have bought my own plane ( a share) and I am continuing on with my CPL.

I think my wife regrets having me clean the basement that winter because my life since then entirely revolves around flying.
So, I guess I owe my new found flying career to my wife!

[Colonel Sanders]

I have bought my own plane ( a share) and I am continuing on with my CPL

Congratulations!

This is actually very common. People do some flight
instruction - perhaps even go solo - and have to give
it up. But then 10 years later they pick it up again
and finish off their PPL.

The flight instructor there told me that even though my hours are a decade old they still count towards the PPL

This is really important: your ex-wife can take all your
possessions. TC can take away your qualifications. But
no one can ever take away your flight experience. Those
hours are yours forever, regardless.

The moral of the story: paperwork is the most important
thing in aviation. More important than not crashing, but
I digress.

Take care of your paper. Get it certified regularly so no
one can give you any hassle in the future. Don't leave
it in the back of your car, in what looks like an attractive
camera bag, to theives. If you must leave it in your
car, leave it in your trunk.

Remember, the guy who dies with the most pieces of
paper, wins!