Flight Forum: Getting Back Into Flying

Yesterday I noticed for the first time your magazine Flight Training, and it appears to serve its title well, unlike some other magazines. It brought me back to my desire to fly again, and it is in that regard that I seek information. My question to myself for some time has been, at my age, what are the chances of success in solo flight again, assuming I pass the medical and go on to the private license? I took flying training for the Fleet Air Arm, in Canada, in late 1944 through 1945, and then they did not need more pilots! I had over 80 hours of which 30 hours were solo. My mind is still active, and as a volunteer I am still leading an international ocean engineering working group. I enjoy what the home flight simulator programs offer and am starting to fly radio-controlled model aircraft. In brief, I have most of my early facilities, if they are somewhat dampened at the age of 72. I realize that nobody can be the correct judge of this issue, but I was wondering if your files have any data on the success of people in my age group returning to flying after 50-odd years? John Brooke Pleasantville, Nova Scotia, Canada

Age has no bearing on learning to fly or resuming flying. As you mentioned, if you can get a medical certificate you?re ready to go. How long it will take you to learn depends on your instructor and how often you fly. Your age really doesn?t play a part in it. You might be interested to know that the average student pilot today is 45 years old, and the largest growing segment of new student pilots are older than 50. The AOPA Aviation Services Department can help members get back into the air with informative publications, including A Pilot's Guide to Getting Back Into Flying, which lists changes to the regulations along with all the steps you will need to take to get back into the air quickly and safely. For a copy call 800/USA-AOPA or visit our Web site (AOPA Online). Editor

Liability keeps some out of the training game

In the March 1999 issue of Flight Training, Fred Stahl wonders "why a CFI might choose to remain inactive." For me there is one overriding reason-professional liability.

Having also had a career in a non-aviation "day job," I have been fortunate to have earned enough money to retire comfortably. Despite being busy with other activities, I have ample time to contribute to aviation by being a flight instructor. However, my memory is long, and I remember Thurmond Munson. In that case, flight instructors were successfully sued following a fatal crash of the airplane in which they were riding, even though they were not teaching in the airplane.

There have been other less publicized occurrences where flight instructors have been sued successfully for professional malpractice long after their students have been given instruction. Flight instructor refresher courses used to emphasize the importance of keeping extremely good records to mitigate against this facet of our litigious society.

At one time, there was professional liability insurance available, and there may still be, but the cost was prohibitive. I am not willing to risk my retirement and my family's welfare for the pleasure of "giving the gift of flight to others." Abigail E. Beutler Nashua, New Hampshire

IFR or IMC

I am writing in regard to the cover of the March issue of Flight Training magazine. On the cover it says, "How to avoid helicopter self-induced IFR." To be IFR, one needs to be on an instrument flight plan.

Blowing snow due to a helicopter's rotor wash creates instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), not instrument flight rules (IFR). The cover should say "How to avoid helicopter self-induced IMC." ?David Norman Via the Internet

Debate continues over logging instrument time

Is it possible that you provided Mr. Shanley some misleading information in the March 1999 "No Dumb Questions?" In essence you told him to log simulated instrument time on those dark nights when his visibility was restricted due to darkness alone. Should Mr. Shanley present his logbook to an FAA inspector, a question that might well be asked will be, "Who was your safety pilot during these simulated instrument flights?"

You cite some very good regulations in your answer, however the regulation you may have forgotten is FAR Part 91.109 (b). The wording of this regulation is important. "No person may operate a civil aircraft in simulated instrument flight unless: (1) the other seat is occupied by a safety pilot who possesses at least a private pilot certificate with category and class ratings appropriate to the aircraft being flown." Furthermore, Part 61.51g(3)(ii) requires the entry of the name of the safety pilot for simulated instrument flight, if required. Michael J. Wheeler Via the Internet

Forget simulated, log actual instrument time

With regard to Chris Shanley flying on pitch-black nights ("No Dumb Questions," March 1999), Mr. Shanley most certainly can log the time as actual instrument flight time since he has no outside visual references.

FAR Part 1.1 states: "IFR conditions means weather conditions below the minimum for flight under visual flight rules." Now this brings up the question, "What is visibility?"

The AIM defines flight visibility, as, "The average forward horizontal distance from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight, at which prominent unlighted objects may be seen and identified by day and prominent lighted objects may be seen and identified by night." ICAO's definition is similar and says, "The visibility forward from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight." If you check the chart in FAR Part 91 under visual flight rules, the visibility requirements state "flight visibility."

Finally, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, "IFR does not mean instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) when talking about logging flight time."

Mr. Shanley can log that time he flies his plane by reference to instruments on pitch-black nights until he has visual cues such as lights. Actual is actual-the lack of inflight visibility. Gregory F. Drezdzon Via the Internet

Remember the safety pilot

I am afraid I have to disagree with your answer to Chris Shanley in the "No Dumb Questions" section of the March 1999 issue. You say he can log his night flights as simulated instrument time (because the darkness "simulates" flight in IMC). I do not believe this is the intent of the regulation. If it were, you could log "simulated" instrument time when you are above a cloud layer, between cloud layers, when it is extremely hazy (though it may be legal VFR)-for that matter when you just don't feel like looking outside. I believe, even though he has little outside reference, that in order to legally log simulated instrument time in VFR conditions (as he stated) he would require a safety pilot. VFR is VFR-day or night. Bob Horan Via the Internet

You don't need to be going cross-country to call FSS

I agree with the February article "Nine Ways to Make Friends with Flight Service." However, FSS can also be very useful when you have very little information and need help in planning.

I'm at work 30 minutes before quitting time. I look out my window and see the sky and decide to fly for an hour. I have no flight plan, and I will have none. I don't know where I'm going since I have no idea what the surrounding weather is like. I have no ready access to a computer readout for weather information, but being the careful pilot I am, I will call FSS before I leave work. I will be polite, giving them my name, "N" number, airplane type, VFR, IFR, etc. However, I don't know my direction, altitude, or speed. What they say will determine those factors, and from my experience, they are usually humorous, kind, informative, and helpful.

I think it is a serious mistake to suggest that we must always have the information mentioned in the article immediately at hand. It misleads students into thinking that the only time they can call is when are flying cross- country and have everything together.

Yes, when I fly cross-country I have it all-fight plan, etc. But many times that simple call for information, (not a standard, abbreviated, or outlook weather briefing), has made the difference of whether I flew or not. The FSS people I have talked to have been more than willing to discuss options. Should I fly to the south or to the west? They have filled in the missing information when possible. Students should also be taught that, for any flight, the FSS specialists are a valuable source of information.

Even with 400 hours and an instrument rating, I make very few flights, even 40-minute local ones, without a call to the FSS. I let FSS know that I am just seeking some general information. Are they irritated by the fact that I am lacking a flight plan, specific altitude, and destination information? Maybe, but I have never detected it, and they have been unfailingly helpful. It is a truly marvelous service, and one which everyone should be encouraged to use. Karen Fenton Ridgefield, Washington

Practicing precision

I really enjoyed "The Confidence Game" in the February 1999 issue. The part about always trying to fly with precision really got my attention. Whenever I fly VFR, I play a little game to pass the time and to practice precision flying. After reaching my cruise altitude, I see how long I can fly within 20 feet of it. I also try to stay within .05 nautical miles of my course with the help of a handheld GPS.

Even in smooth air, the real challenge can be unfolding a chart or even just switching radio frequencies without "busting" my minimums. It seems that by doing this every time I fly, I can sense deviations earlier and my corrections are smoother. It has also helped my scan of the instruments and leaves me more time to look outside, where I should be looking anyway. Kurt W. Neuert White Plains, New York