Question regarding long break in flight training..

[cubex]

Hey all,

I started on my PPL in late 2009, completed ground school, got my medical, wrote my PSTAR (got 100% on it, woo) and did my first solo flight in mid 2010. Due to unforeseen circumstances regarding my job and $$$, I had to put my PPL on hold haven't flown since late 2010.. now that everything is back on track I would like to finish what I started but am scared that everything I've done so far won't count for anything due to the significant period of time without flying.

Does anyone know how this works? Will I have to start over from scratch?

Thanks for your input.

[ahramin]

Your student pilot permit will still be valid as long as your medical is still current (if you are under 40 it's good for 5 years). As far as I can see both your ground school and your experience are valid forever. In fact the only time dated requirement in the CARs for the private pilot licence is that the flight test must be done within 12 months of the application for the licence.

So theoretically you don't have to redo anything. However, do you feel you could jump into an airplane and go solo again without having to refresh some training? Do you think you could do well on the exams without doing the ground school over again? How much of what you knew 2 years ago do you remember?

So you don't have to start over from scratch, but you still need to learn everything that you need to obtain the licence, even if you once knew it in 2010 .

[Shiny Side Up]

Its really hard to give someone an estimate on this sort of stuff until they actually get into a plane. There's some licensed pilots out there that I know who have forgotten everything they knew within about six months. On the other hand I have a couple of students who I don't see very often who are still working on their PPLs long term and one was gone for a year, and it was like he hadn't had a break when I started with him again. Ask yourself some questions. During your break did you think about flying all the time? Did you burn through your FTGU a few times during the period just to get some sort of fix? Did you stop and watch every airplane that flew by? Chances are you'll get back into it quick. If you really want to fly financial issues won't keep you down long. On the other hand if you just started thinking about it when say the wife asked you if you were going to continue, or you just happen to find your log book at the bottom of a pile of stuff in your house, you might be starting from scratch again.

As above, abrahmin told you all about the paper stuff. whether you're still up for flying the airplane is largely up to you.

[Beefitarian]

Welcome to the forums. I know exactly how you feel.

I made a thread last year, after I was here for a while and finally managed to get back to actual flying. The first post was like an hour before I was going to go to the first lesson back. I was feeling bummed out because I was worried I might not be able to get it together again, maybe ever.

I think to a degree you need to ask yourself. "If I do need to start from scratch flying wise. Will I enjoy re-learning things I forgot but need to know?" I found getting back into it after a long break. There's some days when you're in the groove and some when you feel like you've forgot everything. Even though there's no way you forgot everything.

It's like playing a musical instrument. You'll allways know how to do it but the only way to do it well is hands on practice.

I'm at the point that I realise my desire to fly now is so strong, that even if I lost my medical I'd pay extra to fly dual. Kind of would put a damper on taking trips but I'd still fly locally then.

[1000 HP]

I started my Private license in 1984. I had no help. I was too young to get a bank loan without a co-signer and my parents wouldn't do it. They figured I'd never finish based on other things I'd not done. But I really wanted to fly. I ran out of money twice and took 5 months off once, and 4 months off another time after going solo, but got back in the saddle again. It took me a bit longer than the minimum as a result, but I got the license and what a great feeling!
If you want it bad enough nothing and nobody will stop you

[boogs82]

I can relate to this as well. It's been quite a few months since I've flown just because I've recently moved due to work. Now I'm trying to figure out where I want to continue my flying since I'm in the Barrie area and I'm fairly confident it will be with Lake Country Airways in Orillia. Now it's going to be a matter of getting things settled down enough that I'll actually go do the flying. I'm at 35.6 hours so I'm on the cusp and I have a few things left to do, but time is a huge issue to consider. Especially with a two year old daughter and working four on four off.

Just out of curiosity, does anybody know what Future Air charges at Lake Simcoe Regional?

[dave_091]

I was at 52 hours flight time and getting ready for my air exam. A job opportunity turned up and I left flying for 10 years. I started flying again and I switched between two different types of aircraft. Like yourself, I wasn't sure if all my previous time counted. Turns out it did, thank goodness. I was flying solo again within 4 flights and I was taking my PPL air exam within 20 hours. So all in all it took me just over 70 hours to get my PPL with a 10 year break at hour 52.
When I got back into flying I did a lot of couch flying, studied the books, got right into it hours and hours a day.
I ended up finishing off the license within 2.5 months.
All previous time from 10 years before counted.

[dave_091]

I was at 52 hours flight time and getting ready for my air exam. A job opportunity turned up and I left flying for 10 years. I started flying again and I switched between two different types of aircraft. Like yourself, I wasn't sure if all my previous time counted. Turns out it did, thank goodness. I was flying solo again within 4 flights and I was taking my PPL air exam within 20 hours. So all in all it took me just over 70 hours to get my PPL with a 10 year break at hour 52.
When I got back into flying I did a lot of couch flying, studied the books, got right into it hours and hours a day.
I ended up finishing off the license within 2.5 months.
All previous time from 10 years before counted.

Providing you have your logbook and training records. I got my old ( ottawa aviation services) flight school to mail me my training records when I started flying again because it was on the other side of the country. Ottawa aviation services still had the records and mailed them to the new school. LOTS of headaches and money saved.

[172sMatt]

I was at 52 hours flight time and getting ready for my air exam. A job opportunity turned up and I left flying for 10 years. I started flying again and I switched between two different types of aircraft. Like yourself, I wasn't sure if all my previous time counted. Turns out it did, thank goodness. I was flying solo again within 4 flights and I was taking my PPL air exam within 20 hours. So all in all it took me just over 70 hours to get my PPL with a 10 year break at hour 52.
When I got back into flying I did a lot of couch flying, studied the books, got right into it hours and hours a day.
I ended up finishing off the license within 2.5 months.
All previous time from 10 years before counted.

Providing you have your logbook and training records. I got my old ( ottawa aviation services) flight school to mail me my training records when I started flying again because it was on the other side of the country. Ottawa aviation services still had the records and mailed them to the new school. LOTS of headaches and money saved.

I had to try to get my ptr from 10 years ago from a flight school that had closed its doors. After many, many phone calls I got a hold of someone who talked to someone else and got my records mailed to me.

I am now in a ground school and getting ready to write the written before getting back into the plane.

If you want it to happen, make it happen. Its not that hard or time consuming

[Rookie50]

Live the dream. Once you start training again, if you have the coin fly at least twice a week. It'll go fast then and you'll be sharper as well.

[Beefitarian]

I'm in Rookie. Where do I get this coin?