Feeling 'current'
Join Date: Jun 2003
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Sure, but that is then telling other renters that they are not considered good enough.
It's a difficult exercise in politics, don't you think?
To do this properly, every renter would need regular check flights with an instructor. Somebody has to pay for that, whereas under the "usual" system if a renter flies regularly enough no instructor is ever needed for him. But he might still be a totally crazy pilot, bending the plane every time he lands.
It's a difficult exercise in politics, don't you think?
To do this properly, every renter would need regular check flights with an instructor. Somebody has to pay for that, whereas under the "usual" system if a renter flies regularly enough no instructor is ever needed for him. But he might still be a totally crazy pilot, bending the plane every time he lands.
Join Date: May 2001
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If you do check flights with a spectrum of pilots you will know two things matter.
Total hours
Time since last flight.
Low hour pilots should not leave too large a gap between flights. I suspect with less than 200 hours, 30 days is about right, 500 hours, 60 days, more than 500 hours, 90 days. That assumes the hours were accumulated relatively recently, and excludes instrument conditions.
I can guarantee a pilot with 500 hours, familiar with type, and in reasonable conditions, after a two month gap, will do almost as well as a pilot far more current. I use to believe, as many do, that much more recent currency is required - I dont now.
Of course there will always be the exceptional (or as my children would say, special) pilot, whatever guidelines are proposed.
Total hours
Time since last flight.
Low hour pilots should not leave too large a gap between flights. I suspect with less than 200 hours, 30 days is about right, 500 hours, 60 days, more than 500 hours, 90 days. That assumes the hours were accumulated relatively recently, and excludes instrument conditions.
I can guarantee a pilot with 500 hours, familiar with type, and in reasonable conditions, after a two month gap, will do almost as well as a pilot far more current. I use to believe, as many do, that much more recent currency is required - I dont now.
Of course there will always be the exceptional (or as my children would say, special) pilot, whatever guidelines are proposed.
Join Date: Sep 2003
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Fugi Abound ...?
What about age? As I stated earlier, when I was younger, I found getting "back in the saddle" so to speak, far easier. Also, those who learn at a younger age, tend (again, I think?) to be far more "natural", so currency, whilst important, may not be quite as important as for those who learn later in life. It certainly seems to be this way with drivers ... agree/disagree?
SS
What about age? As I stated earlier, when I was younger, I found getting "back in the saddle" so to speak, far easier. Also, those who learn at a younger age, tend (again, I think?) to be far more "natural", so currency, whilst important, may not be quite as important as for those who learn later in life. It certainly seems to be this way with drivers ... agree/disagree?
SS
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SS
Age, experience (instrument rated, use to complex types, flown a variety of types etc), aptitude, maturity, they are all factors.
A great deal can be made of whether you fly a circuit as precisely when you are current, as after a 60 day break. It is no different from flying competition aeros - the more current you are the better your performance will be. If you are flying circuits every week, after a 60 day break your circuits will not be quite as pretty. Who cares? However, that is not the criteria that should be applied to currency.
Are you likely to be able to safely compete the task you have set? Are you likely to be able to handle any emergency that might occur at least very nearly as well as if you were a bit more current? Give yourself a PFL - it is a pretty good test of how much rust has accumulated.
However, I believe the two key factors are those a gave earlier that most effect the average pilots ability to take a break from flying.
Age, experience (instrument rated, use to complex types, flown a variety of types etc), aptitude, maturity, they are all factors.
A great deal can be made of whether you fly a circuit as precisely when you are current, as after a 60 day break. It is no different from flying competition aeros - the more current you are the better your performance will be. If you are flying circuits every week, after a 60 day break your circuits will not be quite as pretty. Who cares? However, that is not the criteria that should be applied to currency.
Are you likely to be able to safely compete the task you have set? Are you likely to be able to handle any emergency that might occur at least very nearly as well as if you were a bit more current? Give yourself a PFL - it is a pretty good test of how much rust has accumulated.
However, I believe the two key factors are those a gave earlier that most effect the average pilots ability to take a break from flying.
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And now let me tell you something about a good friend of mine that perhaps can add something to this interesting discussion...
He obtained his PPL 14 years ago and flew 3 or 4 hours after that. Then he stop flying. Four years ago, he decided to renew his PPL after a gap of 10 years without flying at all (yes, 10 years). To add some difficulty, he decided to use a completely different aircraft for his renewal.
On his first flight, he managed comms fluently on a busy airport, he took off, made some manouvers, some stalls and all this stuff, and managed to land the aircraft almost on it's own, with very little intervention from the instructor. Only two flight hours later he was passing the verification flight and regaining his PPL.
He, with 43/44 FH total time, was able, after 10 years of no flying at all, to complete a flight on a new aircraft type with very little help, and was flying solo 4 flight hours later.
Perhaps he is especially gifted for flying, and surely he wouldn't have been able to cope with an in-flight emergency in his 'first' or 'second' flight, but.... what do you think about this?
(I don't know if this can be relevant at all, but to be honest I have to say that he kept 'flying' with MS Flight Simulator during these 10 years)
He obtained his PPL 14 years ago and flew 3 or 4 hours after that. Then he stop flying. Four years ago, he decided to renew his PPL after a gap of 10 years without flying at all (yes, 10 years). To add some difficulty, he decided to use a completely different aircraft for his renewal.
On his first flight, he managed comms fluently on a busy airport, he took off, made some manouvers, some stalls and all this stuff, and managed to land the aircraft almost on it's own, with very little intervention from the instructor. Only two flight hours later he was passing the verification flight and regaining his PPL.
He, with 43/44 FH total time, was able, after 10 years of no flying at all, to complete a flight on a new aircraft type with very little help, and was flying solo 4 flight hours later.
Perhaps he is especially gifted for flying, and surely he wouldn't have been able to cope with an in-flight emergency in his 'first' or 'second' flight, but.... what do you think about this?
(I don't know if this can be relevant at all, but to be honest I have to say that he kept 'flying' with MS Flight Simulator during these 10 years)
Last edited by _Coolhand_; 11th Jan 2007 at 21:25.
Join Date: Jan 2001
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I know for sure that if I've not flown for 3 or more weeks I have to pay lots more attention on whats going on. The scan goes, the natural feel of things is not there. Going more than a few weeks can make a very diff feel to being "at ease" up there...
Moderator
In an earlier life, when I was a 200 hour renter at one of Canada's busiest flying clubs, I flew their C172RG on a regular enough basis to be regarded as "current" on it. One day, it had unscheduled unavailability, so I said "no problem, I'll take a 172 instead". To my great dislike, the dispatcher (who was not a pilot at all) informed both me, and my passenger to be, that "I was not able to fly the 172". Wrong choice of wording, to say the least! I complained to the CFI without delay.
Their normal policy was an hour a month, or check ride.
He took me to his office, and jotted my name on a on a card, which he then presented to me. He told me that upon presenting this very little publicized card to the dispatcher, I would never be challenged again as to my currency. I was responsible to him to maintain my proficiency in the way I though most appropriate, and not to take the twin (no ME rating yet).
This completely resolved my upset, and the CFI never had a reason to be concerned about my currency. I took my responsibility to him seriously!
I'm sure that this policy of earned privilege must be available at other clubs. Perhaps a few more will consider it.
Cheers, Pilot DAR
Their normal policy was an hour a month, or check ride.
He took me to his office, and jotted my name on a on a card, which he then presented to me. He told me that upon presenting this very little publicized card to the dispatcher, I would never be challenged again as to my currency. I was responsible to him to maintain my proficiency in the way I though most appropriate, and not to take the twin (no ME rating yet).
This completely resolved my upset, and the CFI never had a reason to be concerned about my currency. I took my responsibility to him seriously!
I'm sure that this policy of earned privilege must be available at other clubs. Perhaps a few more will consider it.
Cheers, Pilot DAR
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Wholigan
SKOTAS, LAPIFC
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Sunny (or Rainy) Somerset, England
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I have people with between 5000 and 25000 hours who are flying light single engined aircraft for me and if they go outside 31 days on my aircraft, they have to have a currency check, even if they are current on their airline aircraft or their RAF aircraft!
Read into that what you will.
Do you charge them for this check ride?
Do you make any exceptions?
SKOTAS, LAPIFC
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Sunny (or Rainy) Somerset, England
Posts: 698
I have people with between 5000 and 25000 hours who are flying light single engined aircraft for me and if they go outside 31 days on my aircraft, they have to have a currency check, even if they are current on their airline aircraft or their RAF aircraft!
Read into that what you will.
Do you charge them for this check ride?
Do you make any exceptions?
Join Date: Jan 2006
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currency question
Whirls and others are on the right track re currency.in my world if you have to think before you react, you are not current.
Whether you fly a C150 or a twin turbine or something in between, know your aircraft backwards and get into the sky as often as possible.
Even if you can't get into the sky, get into the aircraft and go over your checks and procedures - even make aeroplane noises (it worked for me) this way when the skies n' cash permit, your brain is in the right space to enjoy.
so endth the lesson according to me
blue skies and safe flying to all
NNB
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"in my world if you have to think before you react, you are not current."
Sounds very dramatic!
I wonder exactly what events or situations you have in mind then - in your world?
Sounds very dramatic!
I wonder exactly what events or situations you have in mind then - in your world?
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There can be no hard and fast rule for getting recurrent check rides.
A lot depends on the background, ability and the mindset of the person involved.
We are in the warbird rebuilding and flying business, quite often after getting a machine airworthy we must test fly it, generally there is no one avaliable who is current on type.
So what should we do, leave it sit and just admire it?
Then there is recurrent training for our clients, they park the airplane in the fall and come spring we are called to do the required recurrency check rides....now we once again have the chicken and the egg problem.
I see one poster here requires a re check every 31 days, so what are we supposed to do with this airplane that no one has flown for six months?
Chuck E.
A lot depends on the background, ability and the mindset of the person involved.
We are in the warbird rebuilding and flying business, quite often after getting a machine airworthy we must test fly it, generally there is no one avaliable who is current on type.
So what should we do, leave it sit and just admire it?
Then there is recurrent training for our clients, they park the airplane in the fall and come spring we are called to do the required recurrency check rides....now we once again have the chicken and the egg problem.
I see one poster here requires a re check every 31 days, so what are we supposed to do with this airplane that no one has flown for six months?
Chuck E.
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