Hello everyone, I've decided to restart my flight training that I abandoned back in 2010 or so and am hoping this time to go all the way to get my commercial and instructors licenses. I was taking lessons in Hawaii in 2010 but have a pretty decent issue that I would like to rectify if possible, I was in the Army at the time and when it was my time to go back home I had put my log book in one of my shipping containers to be sent home (Connecticut) and of course it was lost in transit and never recovered. I had around 15 to 20 hours logged and those documented hours would help me out tremendously as I restart my training.....does anyone here have any ideas as to what I can do to get those hours back and apply them to this current attempt? Would the flight school I attended possibly have those records? perhaps the flight instructor I had has some sort of copy? (Finding him would be next to impossible as I don't even remember his name). It isn't the end of the world but it would be nice to save myself a few thousand in instructions and plane rental cost, any help would be appreciated.
Restarting training after a pretty long absence
- Thread starter Noble
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Pinecone
En-Route
Start by contacting the flight school. They may have copies of invoices to tell you which airplane and instructor you flew with and who that instructor was.
If you can get in touch with the instructor, especially if you have dates you flew, they can check their log book. They might even be willing to sign your log entries for those flights. Otherwise, just put a comment in that the times are transferred from a lost logbook, with the times recovered from flight school records. If the instructor will not sign (or you can't find them), you can put all that time at the bottom as time forward and not do individual flights. Just like you started a new logbook.
Realistically, the hours will help towards your commercial, but I suspect that you will still require more than the minimum 40 hours.
If you can get in touch with the instructor, especially if you have dates you flew, they can check their log book. They might even be willing to sign your log entries for those flights. Otherwise, just put a comment in that the times are transferred from a lost logbook, with the times recovered from flight school records. If the instructor will not sign (or you can't find them), you can put all that time at the bottom as time forward and not do individual flights. Just like you started a new logbook.
Realistically, the hours will help towards your commercial, but I suspect that you will still require more than the minimum 40 hours.
I don't think those old hours are going to count for much with a new instructor 15 years later?
Your performance in the left seat is what is going matter to a CFI not how many hours you have in a log book. And I think this many years later most CFI are not going to sign you off until you get to at least 40 hours under their training/supervision.
Good luck.
Your performance in the left seat is what is going matter to a CFI not how many hours you have in a log book. And I think this many years later most CFI are not going to sign you off until you get to at least 40 hours under their training/supervision.
Good luck.
If you had a renewed medical that you put the hours on, you can get it from the FAA. And it's kinda like riding a bicycle, the basics should come back pretty fast. It might knock 5 hours or so off of starting over.
Clip4
Touchdown! Greaser!
Part 61 schools aren’t required to keep any records. Part 141 schools are only required to keep records 1 year. I am not saying the school won’t have your training records, but after a decade, it is unlikely. Billing records and online scheduling records are your best shot.
In any event, those tremendously valuable records are actually of little value to complete a private and instrument rating. It is time lost for the commercial.
sourdough44
En-Route
15-20 hours, never got the private pilots license? Isn’t the minimum to take a check ride 40 hours, with certain requirements? Even if you don’t track down the records, I think it will just take care of itself.
You should be a fair bit beyond the average starting student, zero time.
Yeah, if you can find them, if not, press on.
You should be a fair bit beyond the average starting student, zero time.
Yeah, if you can find them, if not, press on.
I understand this is frustrating, but after 15 years, your best bet is to start over with a slight advantage over a new student. The average time for private is 65ish hours at 61 programs. In your case, you might push that number down in the 40's or low 50's...but even if you did it at 50, you're not really losing anything.
Even flight reviews for guys with 15 years off can take upwards of 10 hours. I generally use the rule of thumb of one extra hour for each year off flying until 10 hours...in 10 hours, even guys with LONG periods of way can run through all the private maneuvers and feel comfortable in the aircraft.
One polite caution, be careful in the first few hours of training you approach it with the eyes of a new student and not "I've done all this" - as the train can move past you quickly.
Just fill your new CFI in on your background and he/she can approach each lesson plan with that background in mind.
Good luck and welcome back to flying!
Even flight reviews for guys with 15 years off can take upwards of 10 hours. I generally use the rule of thumb of one extra hour for each year off flying until 10 hours...in 10 hours, even guys with LONG periods of way can run through all the private maneuvers and feel comfortable in the aircraft.
One polite caution, be careful in the first few hours of training you approach it with the eyes of a new student and not "I've done all this" - as the train can move past you quickly.
Just fill your new CFI in on your background and he/she can approach each lesson plan with that background in mind.
Good luck and welcome back to flying!
455 Bravo Uniform
Final Approach
While the flight school might not have your hours, they may be able to provide a list of their CFIs names from back then that might ring a bell.
Then it’s a matter of using your internet skills to track down the former CFI, unless they still work there?!
Even if successful tracking him/her down, then will be whether that CFI has their logbook from back then, and whether your name is in it or not, CFI being cooperative, and still alive.
As others have said, it’s not going to be of much value to your private pilot pursuit due to rusty skills and likely necessity to repeat those lessons, relearn that skill, and become proficient. It will however knock off some of the commercial certificate and other minimum hour requirements.
Let us know what you find out! Good luck!
Then it’s a matter of using your internet skills to track down the former CFI, unless they still work there?!
Even if successful tracking him/her down, then will be whether that CFI has their logbook from back then, and whether your name is in it or not, CFI being cooperative, and still alive.
As others have said, it’s not going to be of much value to your private pilot pursuit due to rusty skills and likely necessity to repeat those lessons, relearn that skill, and become proficient. It will however knock off some of the commercial certificate and other minimum hour requirements.
Let us know what you find out! Good luck!
Clip4
Touchdown! Greaser!
I have worked at the same Flight school 12 years. If you asked me to name most of the CFIs from 12 years ago, good luck.
455 Bravo Uniform
Final Approach
Flight school owner’s employee records from year 201X is what I was thinking. Surely a W2 tax record?
I started lessons in 1970 . In 1999 I decided to “getter done.” My old flight instructor was also the airport manager. He retired and had passed away. He had kept my logbook in his office. Come 1999 he's gone , log book no longer on shelf.
I started over. Sort of like riding a bike , amazing the knowledge I retained.
Now @233 hours . I’m glad I started over.
The former flight instructors son inherited his father’s house . I asked if he might have my old log book. Turns out he did. So it’s in the keepsake file now.
I started over. Sort of like riding a bike , amazing the knowledge I retained.
Now @233 hours . I’m glad I started over.
The former flight instructors son inherited his father’s house . I asked if he might have my old log book. Turns out he did. So it’s in the keepsake file now.
Diamond Stick Shifter
Filing Flight Plan
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Diamond Stick Shifter
I took a 4 year break from flying. Went to a 2 year 141 school flying all Diamond planes with maybe 5 hours in a 172 mixed in. Started up again in May and passed my ASEL- comm ride the other day. (I did ASEL-PPL/IR/Multi-Comm at the 141, weird track I know). Probably flew about 25 hours before my ride. Most of the time was me learning to fly a 172 and not something low wing with a stick for controls. Working on starting my CFI soon. I was scared going back after 4 years but found a lot of my flying to still be muscle memory. First flight after 4 years and I did steep turns to PPL standards. Glad I made the choice to go back. Flight time where I'm at now is less than half of the price I paid at the 141. Paid about $5k to regain the proficiency to take the add on ride. While I knew what I needed to pass my ride, I know my general knowledge is lacking and the CFI studying is going to be intense because of it.
Good for you on the re-attempt. I am sort of older at this point in my life and am considering starting from scratch. I did lots of forum reading too. How old are you?
MBDiagMan
Final Approach
After that length of time away f4om flying an$ with that few hours, you didn’t lose much. Just start from scratch and fly absolutely as frequently as possible.