rusty no more

The FAA announced Jan. 10 a final rule that outlines an alternative path to meet the medical requirements for a private pilot certificate. The program, called BasicMed, will permit pilots who have held a valid medical certificate in the decade prior to July 15, 2016, to fly without a medical, so long as they have obtained a medical exam by a state-licensed physician, get an associated checklist completed, and complete an online aeromedical course. (See “Training Trends: Here comes BasicMed.”)

With fewer hurdles to jump through to keep flying, lapsed pilots will be wondering what it will take to get back to the skies. Why not host a Rusty Pilots seminar at your flight school to give them all the information they need? AOPA will supply the tools.

AOPA will provide an instructor who will deliver an engaging, multimedia presentation, as well as take-home materials for each participant. What’s more, we help your flight school market the seminar. We use our database to reach out to inactive pilots within 50 to 70 miles of your location.

You’ll provide a facility to host a seminar, with tables and chairs for participants, a screen and speakers for the presentation, and refreshments. Coffee and doughnuts are a powerful draw on a Saturday morning.

The Rusty Pilots seminar was designed to be completed in three hours. (It fulfills the ground school requirement for a flight review.) You are encouraged to spend some time before and after the presentation so that you can get to know your attendees—and show them how your flight school is ready to help them get back into the air. Stand by to sign them up for a flight at the conclusion of the seminar.

You may find that your Rusty Pilots seminar is so successful that you’d like to do more than one. And that’s great! We encourage flight schools and flying clubs to hold quarterly Rusty Pilots seminars to give local pilot communities multiple opportunities to attend.

Want to get started? Simply go to the website, submit your application to host a seminar, and AOPA will contact you to confirm your information and set a date for your presentation.

If you have more questions about Rusty Pilots seminars, or would like to see a sample of the presentation before you commit, see the frequently asked questions on the website.

AOPA’s Rusty Pilots program has held 326 presentations since its inception in 2014, reaching 11,299 individuals. About 15 percent of those scheduled a flight review.

Are you ready to help a Rusty Pilot get back into the air?