Recurrency- can you lose the touch?

PPLStudent · Post by **PPLStudent** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:40 pm

I got my rec licence last September and due to school etc wasnt able to fly at all during the winter months.... the only recurrency is 5 take offs and landings without a passenger...in your opinion is it hard to get back in the left seat or does it usually come back quickly? Should I get an instructor to take a ride? Study books?

Louis · Post by **Louis** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:10 pm

Hello,

You could already start by reviewing your checklists, POH, AIM and ground school material.

Do get some dual time. My guess is that you'll want to do some pleasure flying, maybe take some friends in the air? Or work on getting the PPL?

In any case you'll likely require some sort of checkout for insurance purposes. Do take care to read the FTU's rental contracts, it should outline rental conditions, limitations, insurance among other topics.

Depending on just how much "rust" you got over winter, you should be able to get back into it in with one or two flights. Those flights would involve touch and goes along with some air work.

I wouldn't mind if others added their input.

Goodbye,

Louis

xsbank · Post by **xsbank** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:27 pm

Yes! These skills deteriorate very rapidly - do it all. Instructor, study, that little quiz in the back of the safety letter. All of it. You will be very happy you did, and if you find that you are red hot you are just getting used to the 6-monthly recurrent you will do for the rest of your career.

fougapilot · Post by **fougapilot** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 4:59 am

I agree with both Louis ans Xsbank.

Skills deteriorate very rapidly specialy when the log book is thin. If you rent an airplane from a FTU you will most likely need a check on type (there is a reason for that and is not alway money related) if you have access to a private airplane spend the little extra $$ and have an instructor sit with you for the first hour.

F

Falken · Post by **Falken** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 6:02 am

I had three years essentially off of flying. Technically, I stayed current / recent during that time... but I still had a ton of rust by the time it was done.

Also, because I dragged out the 'getting back on the horse' phase over 6 months, it took almost 20 hours to get back to my old proficiency. Do yourself a favor and take a few days off work or school and just get it all done at once.. it'll work out to half the price.

Highflyinpilot · Post by **Highflyinpilot** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:48 am

I took about 9 months off of flying, when I was set to get back into it i did all the recurrent training, On the airwork it came back to me very very quickly(I studied procedures for al the air exercises before hand and I didnt have any problem with it in the air)

One thing that was hit the hardest with not flying for so long was all the regs, ex: how do i enter the pattern at uncontrolled airports, what are the VFR minimums etc. etc.

I found the actual flying was like going from a standard car to a automatic, then a year later switching back to a manual transmision, wasnt much of an issue.

P.S I am not saying i would go years and not fly then jump in a plane alone and take some friends up or nothing, always make sure that your comfortable flying with a qualified instructor before heading off on your own after a break from flying.

Qualified instructor, hahaha some of them probably shouldn't even be there but thats another topic of its own.

Rudderless · Post by **Rudderless** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 3:49 pm

Do exactly what Louis said, and if you have to do a checkout, it should go smoothly. It;s not the physical aspect of flying that suffers, it's staying ahead of the aircraft.