Just like riding a bicycle? Maybe. But for lapsed pilots ready to head to the skies again, you are their best defense. Help them re-realize the dream with these tips.
It’s enjoyable to resurrect a pilot who hasn’t been active for several years, or even decades. It’s a learning experience for both parties; you must be ready to adjust your teaching technique “on the fly” as you discover how much the former pilot has retained. As the layers of rust peel off, you must raise the bar to keep the pace challenging, eventually working yourself out of a job when the pilot’s skills are commensurate with the privileges sought.
Unlike a student pilot who comes with a logbook of instructional sign-offs and perhaps a record of his or her progress toward a rating, a lapsed pilot represents an unknown and widely varied possibility. You can’t give a definitive answer until you’ve made an in-flight evaluation of the person, so a good approach is to schedule an hour and see how much rust has to be brushed off. After this fact-finding session, you’ll know more about what the job will entail. Bear in mind that you’re being evaluated as well; give a fair, honest assessment and look for instructional moments to exercise your CFI skills.
Feeling OK? Are there any health issues that would block the aviator’s dream of returning to the air? Counsel the individual to assess any such possibility with an AME, without actually applying for the certificate. If there’s a likelihood that he or she won’t pass a medical exam, share the good news about sport pilot privileges; as long as a pilot hasn’t been denied a medical, a valid driver’s license is all that is needed to fly a Light Sport aircraft for which he or she is rated. Should there be even more serious health matters that prevent him or her from ever again flying as PIC, offer to provide a CFI to ride shotgun so the former pilot can enjoy flying.
I encourage the returning pilot to buy a new edition of the FAR/AIM and a current sectional chart, because there will necessarily be some ground school sessions to go along with the restoration of piloting skills. If they’ve been away for some time, you’ll have to explain the GPS revolution; new security procedures since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; and how flight-planning information is obtained today.
Getting back in the air. The fun part comes in the airplane, of course. Don’t presuppose anything, no matter how much flight experience is claimed or what ratings are held. Initially, you should place the individual in a preparing-to-solo category, allowing him to taxi, run the checklist, and make the takeoff, while you stay close to the controls. Bear in mind that his or her last experience may have been in an entirely different type of airplane; this is where a high-time individual will show aptitude in a shorter period of time, versus someone who quit flying right after passing the checkride, having flown only one trainer.
My preferred brush-up maneuvers are steep turns, the transition to slow flight with configuration changes, approach stalls while simulating a base-to-final turn, and complete traffic patterns. Challenges like these reveal the hidden talents that were once fully operational. At some point, it’s necessary to examine the killer items that are part of every flight review: basic hood work to make sure the pilot can escape inadvertent entry into IMC, stalls in critical flight regimes during takeoff and landing, and specialized takeoffs and landings—particularly with a crosswind.
What to watch for. Common errors I see when retraining pilots are getting behind the aircraft, skipping checklist items, and sloppy taxi technique. Lapsed pilots who developed bad habits don’t improve with a layoff. Establish criteria early on, as you would with any student. Be respectful of the pilot’s status, but don’t accept substandard performance. Returning pilots may need some nudging as they transition into cruise at the top of the climb; they might let the airplane climb an extra 500 feet before they finish setting the trim. They also fall behind when letting down, failing to start the descent in time to enter the traffic pattern at the right speed and altitude. They have to relearn how to establish priorities in order to keep up with the pace of the flight. Instruct the pilot to level off at a specific pattern altitude, then see if he adds power and trim when it’s time to arrest the descent, instead of just ignoring the continuing loss of altitude or yanking the nose up.
During taxi, watch for tendencies to ride the brakes because power is excessively high, enter turns at too fast a taxi speed, or allow the yoke to twist in the wind without a hand on it.
Older, experienced pilots often think they don’t need a checklist, even if it’s been a while since they’ve flown. Stress that every airplane is different, requiring a specific set of items to be checked. To reinforce this, point out forgotten or ignored items after the checklist is complete. The minimal standards of the regulations are merely a foundation—a base on which a pilot must establish appropriate higher standards. Stress that a day-VFR checkout is only the first step. Night flying requires another dual session; transitioning into other airplanes should be done under CFI tutelage, and a flight review is not an instrument proficiency check—regaining instrument-flying privileges is another goal.
Customize the returning pilot’s training. What sort of flying does he or she plan on doing? Local breakfast or hamburger flights for weekend pleasure are fine, but make sure the pilot understands that sports stadiums, racetracks, and concert venues are also active on the weekend and need to be avoided in the wake of 9/11. Pilotage navigation skills, even if enhanced by GPS, need to be reestablished for local fun flying. If flights into large Class B airports or small sport-flying strips are planned, spend time re-learning procedures appropriate for those locations.
It’s a great feeling to bring a fellow airman back into the fold. Flying never loses its attraction, because the sky brings a unique perspective we can’t obtain anywhere else.
Related Articles
Just like riding a bicycle? Maybe. But for lapsed pilots ready to head to the skies again, you are their best defense. Help them re-realize the dream with these tips.
It’s enjoyable to resurrect a pilot who hasn’t been active for several years, or even decades. It’s a learning experience for both parties; you must be ready to adjust your teaching technique “on the fly” as you discover how much the former pilot has retained. As the layers of rust peel off, you must raise the bar to keep the pace challenging, eventually working yourself out of a job when the pilot’s skills are commensurate with the privileges sought.
Unlike a student pilot who comes with a logbook of instructional sign-offs and perhaps a record of his or her progress toward a rating, a lapsed pilot represents an unknown and widely varied possibility. You can’t give a definitive answer until you’ve made an in-flight evaluation of the person, so a good approach is to schedule an hour and see how much rust has to be brushed off. After this fact-finding session, you’ll know more about what the job will entail. Bear in mind that you’re being evaluated as well; give a fair, honest assessment and look for instructional moments to exercise your CFI skills.
Feeling OK? Are there any health issues that would block the aviator’s dream of returning to the air? Counsel the individual to assess any such possibility with an AME, without actually applying for the certificate. If there’s a likelihood that he or she won’t pass a medical exam, share the good news about sport pilot privileges; as long as a pilot hasn’t been denied a medical, a valid driver’s license is all that is needed to fly a Light Sport aircraft for which he or she is rated. Should there be even more serious health matters that prevent him or her from ever again flying as PIC, offer to provide a CFI to ride shotgun so the former pilot can enjoy flying.
I encourage the returning pilot to buy a new edition of the FAR/AIM and a current sectional chart, because there will necessarily be some ground school sessions to go along with the restoration of piloting skills. If they’ve been away for some time, you’ll have to explain the GPS revolution; new security procedures since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001; and how flight-planning information is obtained today.
Getting back in the air. The fun part comes in the airplane, of course. Don’t presuppose anything, no matter how much flight experience is claimed or what ratings are held. Initially, you should place the individual in a preparing-to-solo category, allowing him to taxi, run the checklist, and make the takeoff, while you stay close to the controls. Bear in mind that his or her last experience may have been in an entirely different type of airplane; this is where a high-time individual will show aptitude in a shorter period of time, versus someone who quit flying right after passing the checkride, having flown only one trainer.
My preferred brush-up maneuvers are steep turns, the transition to slow flight with configuration changes, approach stalls while simulating a base-to-final turn, and complete traffic patterns. Challenges like these reveal the hidden talents that were once fully operational. At some point, it’s necessary to examine the killer items that are part of every flight review: basic hood work to make sure the pilot can escape inadvertent entry into IMC, stalls in critical flight regimes during takeoff and landing, and specialized takeoffs and landings—particularly with a crosswind.
What to watch for. Common errors I see when retraining pilots are getting behind the aircraft, skipping checklist items, and sloppy taxi technique. Lapsed pilots who developed bad habits don’t improve with a layoff. Establish criteria early on, as you would with any student. Be respectful of the pilot’s status, but don’t accept substandard performance. Returning pilots may need some nudging as they transition into cruise at the top of the climb; they might let the airplane climb an extra 500 feet before they finish setting the trim. They also fall behind when letting down, failing to start the descent in time to enter the traffic pattern at the right speed and altitude. They have to relearn how to establish priorities in order to keep up with the pace of the flight. Instruct the pilot to level off at a specific pattern altitude, then see if he adds power and trim when it’s time to arrest the descent, instead of just ignoring the continuing loss of altitude or yanking the nose up.
During taxi, watch for tendencies to ride the brakes because power is excessively high, enter turns at too fast a taxi speed, or allow the yoke to twist in the wind without a hand on it.
Older, experienced pilots often think they don’t need a checklist, even if it’s been a while since they’ve flown. Stress that every airplane is different, requiring a specific set of items to be checked. To reinforce this, point out forgotten or ignored items after the checklist is complete. The minimal standards of the regulations are merely a foundation—a base on which a pilot must establish appropriate higher standards. Stress that a day-VFR checkout is only the first step. Night flying requires another dual session; transitioning into other airplanes should be done under CFI tutelage, and a flight review is not an instrument proficiency check—regaining instrument-flying privileges is another goal.
Customize the returning pilot’s training. What sort of flying does he or she plan on doing? Local breakfast or hamburger flights for weekend pleasure are fine, but make sure the pilot understands that sports stadiums, racetracks, and concert venues are also active on the weekend and need to be avoided in the wake of 9/11. Pilotage navigation skills, even if enhanced by GPS, need to be reestablished for local fun flying. If flights into large Class B airports or small sport-flying strips are planned, spend time re-learning procedures appropriate for those locations.
It’s a great feeling to bring a fellow airman back into the fold. Flying never loses its attraction, because the sky brings a unique perspective we can’t obtain anywhere else.
Related Articles