Is there a "good way" to put flying on hold?

rpadula

rpadula

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PancakeBunny
Here's a whopper for my 3,000th post: I haven't, by choice, piloted an aircraft since I sold my Commander a year ago.

I figured I would go back to renting, eventually, but I needed a break after all the plane-selling activity frenzy. Then I got involved in buying a car made in this century (retiring my very trusty 1988 528e that helped me afford an airplane). Then work got busy. Many other things (and people) became more important to me. Before I knew it, my instrument currency had expired and my flight review was due last August. For the first time in 15 years, I was out of continuous compliance to be PIC.

And you know what? My world didn't end.

Don't get me wrong; flying is, without a doubt, the best thing I ever learned how to do. But for the foreseeable future, I'll be headed off to different pastures.

So, my question to the group is: Is there a smart way to put flying on hold, with the hopes of coming back to it "later"???

I've read lots of stories on the boards of people who started lessons but had to give up, only to come back and finish years later. But I really haven't seen many about pilots who already had their tickets coming back after years off.

For example, on story that bugged me (if I'm remembering it right) was that of an airman who hadn't exercised his privileges in years and did not even have a medical, but was dinged for not reporting a DUI. He had considered himself an inactive pilot. Now, getting a DUI should never be a problem for me, but it's that kind of bureaucratic gotcha that I'm worried about.

So, whaddya say? Just keep hanging out here and reading the FAR/AIM for pleasure every year, or what??? :cornut:
 
I think change of address and required medical reporting e.g. DUIs are all that's required. Then go out and find an instructor and fly until s/he'll sign you off. A friend laid off for 20 years while the kids grew up. Now he's flying charters and instructing.

PS - I didn't fly for 10 months after I sold my Mooney. Didn't know how much I missed it until I sat in a left seat again.
 
I don't think you have to tell them about address changes unless you are using your certificate. I'd just let everything lapse, with SP I wouldn't keep up a medical. Most of the returning trouble stuff is from people that never got the ticket, returning for you will be easy.
ejensen said:
I think change of address and required medical reporting e.g. DUIs are all that's required. Then go out and find an instructor and fly until s/he'll sign you off. A friend laid off for 20 years while the kids grew up. Now he's flying charters and instructing.

PS - I didn't fly for 10 months after I sold my Mooney. Didn't know how much I missed it until I sat in a left seat again.
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ClimbnSink said:
I don't think you have to tell them about address changes unless you are using your certificate. I'd just let everything lapse, with SP I wouldn't keep up a medical. Most of the returning trouble stuff is from people that never got the ticket, returning for you will be easy.
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Looks like you're right.
§ 61.60 Change of address.

The holder of a pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor certificate who has made a change in permanent mailing address may not, after 30 days from that date, exercise the privileges of the certificate unless the holder has notified in writing the FAA, Airman Certification Branch, P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125, of the new permanent mailing address, or if the permanent mailing address includes a post office box number, then the holder's current residential address
 
I just got back into it last year after 35 years since a prior flight. I moved over 16 times in that period and never did an address update. My roots set about 20 years ago. It was easy to update my certificate, medical, and address last year, but it took about 15 hours of CFI instruction to get current.
 
I was out for 8 years. Now I feel rotten when I'm not headed to the airport every weekend when the WX cooperates. I've also learned that "someday" when my C-182 co-ownership ends, whenever that is, and hopefully long in the future, that there were some quite affordable ways to fly that I completely missed during those years. I would try a lot harder not to miss those opportunities in the future. Right now, the sweet spot seems to be in co-ownership if you can find a couple or three like-minded folks and split up the fixed costs equitably.

Sole-ownership is outrageously expensive unless you own a business and can at least take the tax depreciation advantages (read: government subsidies keeping the single-engine traditional GA manufacturers afloat by letting folks write off their biz jets).
 
I took about 30 years off from being current. Went for the ocassional ride and stuff. Went back and got my flight review last summer. Trying to get caught up on all the regulations / radio stuff was the hard part.
 
Right now, I have a student who got out of flying over 10 years ago. He's an accomplished pilot with close to 1000 hours, having been a partner in a Malibu and also having a good sum of Navajo time. I'm not sure of all the reasons why he stopped flying, but I think it was primarily that his work didn't need it anymore, and he didn't have much of a use.

He and his business partner bought an A36 Bonanza, and he's now getting in the process of getting back to being current and proficient. It's come back to him like riding a bicycle. His radio work is superb, he's a good stick, and the primary thing he needs to learn is the 530. I've also taught both of them about things like their engine monitor and fuel totalizer, the tools that they weren't used to having 10 years ago.

In my opinion, you can definitely sit it out for a few years and come back to it if you want to. I did that with motorcycles and shooting.
 
Rich, I feel your pain. 2 years, three months, 28 days for me since I shut down the PC-12, and haven't piloted an airplane since.

But who's counting?
 
I had a 5 year break after earning the PP. I restarted and earned the IR, Comm, and CFI within a year. I've been flying steadily since (except this winter -- ugh) but know that at some point there may be another break.

For me two wheels (motored and pedalled) filled the void. And every so often I think about how much I've spent in fuel, hangar rent, maintenance, and parts and realize, "I could be riding a Pinarello carbon bike for what I've spent so far..."

Then I go flying and think, "How would I do without that?"

So -- I understand and empathize.

That said, desktop flight sims are so good these days and really can help keep the aviation side of your brain engaged.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Rich, I feel your pain. 2 years, three months, 28 days for me since I shut down the PC-12, and haven't piloted an airplane since.

But who's counting?
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That didn't count - it was missing an engine. ;)
 
Every now and then go out and ride a plane you would not normally be able own or have time to be be proficient in. Ride a war bird, fly a glider, go up in a balloon, try a tail wheel, a powered chute, an ultralite, or land on water with a float plane....Stuff you would want or need a CFI for anyway. No need to maintain proficiency.
 
Rich, here's my advice for what its worth.

1) You can continue to hang out here but thats not going to keep you sharp. What it will do is keep you around the flying community so that you would be more likely to start up if thats what your eventual goal is. HOWEVER before warned if participation in SZ is the only way you hang around here what skills you have are likely to errode all that much faster.:wink2:

2) I'd say twice a year treat yourself to a flight with a CFI for an hour just to make sure you don't go to mush. My guess is one of those hours will turn into two and so on.
 
Rich,

I would urge you to consider the possibility of unexpected life events that have the potential to end a flying career by themselves. If it's a choice to take a break from flying, that's fine. But unfortunately life has a way of sometimes turning a temporary situation into a permanent one. My last flight as pic was in September of '98. I stopped due to lack of funds to continue. A couple of years later, just as I was about to restate my flying, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor that ultimately ended my flying. My personal advice would be to continue flying in some way or another if you are able to. Someday it could end when you may not want it to.

I've been fortunate though to be able to fly occasionally with friends and fellow board members, most recently a couple of months ago with Dave Bahnson in his PA-12 floatplane out of Hampton Lake, Fla. But all I can do anymore is to fly when invited by someone. Good luck with whatever you decide to do Rich!
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Trying to get caught up on all the regulations / radio stuff was the hard part.
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Yeah, that's the part that concerns me the most. I think I have enough hours that returning would be like the proverbial "riding a bike," but the left-brain side of me is more concerned about losing the regulatory knowledge. Fortunately, I think by reading, I can keep up with that.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Rich, I feel your pain. 2 years, three months, 28 days for me since I shut down the PC-12, and haven't piloted an airplane since.

But who's counting?
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Nice. You did it in a plane with almost as many style points as a Commander! :wink2:
 
Dart said:
Every now and then go out and ride a plane you would not normally be able own or have time to be be proficient in. Ride a war bird, fly a glider, go up in a balloon, try a tail wheel, a powered chute, an ultralite, or land on water with a float plane....Stuff you would want or need a CFI for anyway. No need to maintain proficiency.
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Dart, that is an excellent idea. It didn't occur to me that I still have the skill to go fly, just with a CFI and not as PIC.

That makes me think of another question: how would that relate to insurability? I used to carry renter's policy before I owned, but I was current then. Will insurers write a non-owned policy for someone without a current medical and without a recent flight review? Hmmm...
 
AdamZ said:
Rich, here's my advice for what its worth.

1) ... HOWEVER before warned if participation in SZ is the only way you hang around here what skills you have are likely to errode all that much faster.:wink2:
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Adam, no worries about that happening. I have resigned from the cesspool.
 
Frank Browne said:
Rich,

I would urge you to consider the possibility of unexpected life events that have the potential to end a flying career by themselves. If it's a choice to take a break from flying, that's fine. But unfortunately life has a way of sometimes turning a temporary situation into a permanent one. My last flight as pic was in September of '98. I stopped due to lack of funds to continue. A couple of years later, just as I was about to restate my flying, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor that ultimately ended my flying. My personal advice would be to continue flying in some way or another if you are able to. Someday it could end when you may not want it to.

I've been fortunate though to be able to fly occasionally with friends and fellow board members, most recently a couple of months ago with Dave Bahnson in his PA-12 floatplane out of Hampton Lake, Fla. But all I can do anymore is to fly when invited by someone. Good luck with whatever you decide to do Rich!
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Frank,

I really appreciate your perspective on the difference between choosing to put flying on hold, or having life put it on hold for you. I'm sorry yours was the latter, but I'm glad you're doing well to be here and share your story with us.

For all of my flying time, I loved it. I thought it was as essential as the air I breathe and the water I drink and I never thought about not flying. But for now, the itch seems to be scratched. Maybe it's because my second to last flight was taking my Mom up for her first flight on a smooth and brilliantly blue day over Cecil Field. That flight captured all the beauty and serenity I've ever experienced in aviating. Going out on top (and in style), I suppose.

For now, that is...
 
rpadula said:
Yeah, that's the part that concerns me the most. I think I have enough hours that returning would be like the proverbial "riding a bike," but the left-brain side of me is more concerned about losing the regulatory knowledge. Fortunately, I think by reading, I can keep up with that.
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Screw regulations. They won't keep you from crashing. Worry about the flying stuff first. Then file a NASA form.:cheerswine:

You're always welcome in the cesspool. :cornut:
 
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