Trash the log book and start over?

Beachcomber

Beachcomber

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Feb 1, 2014
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Dallas, TX
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Beachcomber
I first started flying 27 years ago. I've had to start and stop over and over again over those 27 years due to three kids and work relocations. I have roughly 60 hours and all requirements. I've flown in the HOU/TUL/DAL/LA areas over the years.

I've stayed current from an airspace and weather perspective...thought I'd take the written two years ago just to see how I'd do and got a 95 on it.

Kids are now grown. I have no more relocations planned for work. Things are settled down and I'm ready to get back at it and get this done. Home airport is KTKI in McKinney, TX, just outside of Dallas.

Here's my dilemma. Like all of us, I want to be a darn good and safe pilot. I want to take my wife on trips to our Colorado place and frequently visit Florida. So I want to be over cautious on training and safety.

I've visited a few Local flight schools at a variety of airports around DFW. All seem to believe the best approach is to fast track this....see where I'm proficient and where I need more time and focus. What if I got lucky and showed proficiency on a maneuver but really am not proficient, and again, got lucky? I'm fearful of checking the box, moving on, without full repetition and endorsement. I wonder if it's better to throw away the logbook and just pretend I have limited knowledge and say I've been up a few times. Sure it will cost more money, but I'd rather err on the side of caution then to run quickly to get my cert.

Appreciate your thoughts and experience around this!

Steve
 
Get with a CFII and start on your IFR training. You'd have the chance to brush up with an instructor and there is value in the IFR training.



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Seems like work with a good instructor untill you yourself are happy is a good course of action. @ntbjounin would be one in this area and there are several others. A Flight Review sets forth the standards, but it's not to be treated as a minimum checkbox. And even once you are good to go to by FAA standards, you can and should always improve skills and build on what you know. Seeking out a CFI to hone the edge on something is always a good thing. As they say, a pilot is always learning.

Welcome back into the fold! Since we are in the same area, I hope we have an opportunity to shake hands someday.
 
Find a CFI, explain where you are, KEEP your old logbook and start from there. That is what I did and I only had 18 hours at the time when I started back up again. Your CFI can determine where you are and how proficient you are at the maneuvers. I had ONE sticking point when I went up for my check ride and that was lack of documentation on the ground school portion of training. This was remedied by my CFI writing a simple memo stating that I'd already received ground school earlier and has proven that I've retained the information.

If you start from scratch, you'll lose the 60 hours you already have sort of. A good CFI can pick up where you left off and proceed from there, no big deal.
 
Beachcomber said:
I first started flying 27 years ago. I've had to start and stop over and over again over those 27 years due to three kids and work relocations. I have roughly 60 hours and all requirements. I've flown in the HOU/TUL/DAL/LA areas over the years.

I've stayed current from an airspace and weather perspective...thought I'd take the written two years ago just to see how I'd do and got a 95 on it.

Kids are now grown. I have no more relocations planned for work. Things are settled down and I'm ready to get back at it and get this done. Home airport is KTKI in McKinney, TX, just outside of Dallas.

Here's my dilemma. Like all of us, I want to be a darn good and safe pilot. I want to take my wife on trips to our Colorado place and frequently visit Florida. So I want to be over cautious on training and safety.

I've visited a few Local flight schools at a variety of airports around DFW. All seem to believe the best approach is to fast track this....see where I'm proficient and where I need more time and focus. What if I got lucky and showed proficiency on a maneuver but really am not proficient, and again, got lucky? I'm fearful of checking the box, moving on, without full repetition and endorsement. I wonder if it's better to throw away the logbook and just pretend I have limited knowledge and say I've been up a few times. Sure it will cost more money, but I'd rather err on the side of caution then to run quickly to get my cert.

Appreciate your thoughts and experience around this!

Steve
Click to expand...
you're me or rather where I was 3-years ago. I started lessons in 1982 and had accumulated 20 or so hours along the way when life reared its ugly head and I had to cease my lessons. but I kept setting $ aside each month against the day I could re-start. life kept on getting in the way until the summer of 2012 when a buddy and I were at a small airshow. I saw the ubiquitous 'Learn to fly here' sign at the airport and wondered what the heck I was waiting for. I took ground school, passed and then began my flight lessons. took me a bit longer than most for several reasons but I achieved my dream and earned my sport certificate in 2013. one of the proudest days of my life. I now have 250-hours and over 600-take offs and landings. I'm having a ball.

one of the reasons it took a bit longer to achieve my dream was, like you, I thought it best to start from scratch in terms of my lessons. I kept my original logbook, and would encourage you to do the same, but as far as the training goes I asked the CFI to treat me as a complete newbie. I think that was the right approach for me. so I think your approach is correct...find a school and/or a CFI that will take their time with you instead of cranking you through as quickly as possible. a smaller school or hiring an independent CFI might be the way to go.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Find a CFI, explain where you are, KEEP your old logbook and start from there. That is what I did and I only had 18 hours at the time when I started back up again. Your CFI can determine where you are and how proficient you are at the maneuvers. I had ONE sticking point when I went up for my check ride and that was lack of documentation on the ground school portion of training. This was remedied by my CFI writing a simple memo stating that I'd already received ground school earlier and has proven that I've retained the information.

If you start from scratch, you'll lose the 60 hours you already have sort of. A good CFI can pick up where you left off and proceed from there, no big deal.
Click to expand...

This. I've had many students over the years who have the same situation as yourself. Keep the logbook and get with a CFI. I 'assume' you don't have a PPC? Regardless a CFI will work with you and get you up to speed, either for the PP check ride if you don't have one, or fly with you until you're safe and competent, and feel that way. I sense that you're a little insecure abut flying. Normal, get with a CFI and get it done. Good luck!
 
I have a ten year gap in my log book where I'd moved and never managed to really get checked out again. I decided I hadn't flown for long enough so I did:

1. Got my medical.
2. Called a bunch of flight schools until I got the answer I watned.
3. Spent a lot of time with the current AIM and FAR excerpts and my old primary book.
4. Spent three flights with a good instructor.
5. DId a few more flights practicing.

and then I called myself a pilot again.

I recently restarted a third log book. I had filled the little cheap one I got from the flight school I started with. The second got about half full and one year it got caught in the rain and kind of warped. Finally I decided that it was ugly enough and just started a third book (bought a nice case for it too).
 
Guys, thanks for the advice and words of encouragement. I'm absolutely ready to get back into this and will heed your advice! Wish there were more flight schools. It's sort of hard to shop around when you have 2-4 to choose from. I'm going to go back and speak with a different CFI where I'm most interested in flying, as they paired me up with a newly minted 22 year old CFI. I think I want someone with a tad more experience with folks in the same situation as I. Sure he won't care for that, but seems like the right thing to do for me.

AggieMike, I agree hope to see you around! I live in Prosper and have considered Denton, just a tad too far I think.

Cheers!

Steve
 
Don't sell the new , young instructor short. When I came back from a long hiatus,they put me with a younger instructor ,that had me ready to fly in a short time.
 
Just remember you can't fool a trunk monkey.

Get with a CFI and get your BFR knocked out. Or just pick up where you left off.

I was away for 15 years and got back into flying in a couple hours. Airspace regs and GPS are the biggest tech changes.

Don't worry bout fooling anyone. When your ready you'll be signed off.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
Just remember you can't fool a trunk monkey.

Get with a CFI and get your BFR knocked out. Or just pick up where you left off.

I was away for 15 years and got back into flying in a couple hours. Airspace regs and GPS are the biggest tech changes.

Don't worry bout fooling anyone. When your ready you'll be signed off.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:, A CFI should be able to identify and correct any weakness(es) that you have. You can ask to be treated as a newbie but you can't unlearn your hours.:yes:
Just find a CFI and go fly, btw, Welcome to POA!!!:happydance:

Keep us posted as you move forward:yes:
 
I have flown with dozens of CFIs, both young (as in newly minted) as well as old geezers, and have noticed little correlation (if any) between ability to teach vs. age and experience. This while getting primary training in airplanes, helicopters and gliders.
For the IR I'd want a CFII who regularly flies SE GA IMC in all kinds of weather, regardless of his/her age. (I was lucky enough to get one, which made a huge difference in my future flying.)
So take a test lesson, or even a ground session, and try to gauge the chemistry.
 
Your instructor will know very quickly if you say you have not experience. And if you try to fake inexperience, you will endanger him and you.

Be honest with him. Otherwise, he won't trust you and the relationship will have no chance.
 
All great points. Thank you! I'll give the younger instructor the opportunity to get this guy back in the air. :) Looking forward to it!
 
I'd recommend keeping the logs, explaining the situation, and going from there.
Your post isn't clear, but I'm assuming you don't yet have your private pilot certificate yet. If that's the case, you'll have to convince a CFI that you know what you're doing (which will likely involve doing everything right multiple times), then you need to convince an examiner that you know what you're doing. If you manage to do both of those, you probably actually know what you're doing.

If you're still concerned that you somehow will "get lucky" and pass despite not being qualified, then ask your CFI to arrange a mock checkride with another instructor who will agree that you're ready before you go to the examiner for the real checkride. That will make 3 people who agree you're qualified by the time you get your certificate. It's highly unlikely you're gonna get lucky and fool that many people who are trained to evaluate flying skills.
 
You can always ask a CFI to treat you as a newbie.. but no reason to ask your insurance company to treat you as one.

Keep the logbook.
 
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Beachcomber said:
I first started flying 27 years ago. I've had to start and stop over and over again over those 27 years due to three kids and work relocations. I have roughly 60 hours and all requirements. I've flown in the HOU/TUL/DAL/LA areas over the years.

I've stayed current from an airspace and weather perspective...thought I'd take the written two years ago just to see how I'd do and got a 95 on it.

Kids are now grown. I have no more relocations planned for work. Things are settled down and I'm ready to get back at it and get this done. Home airport is KTKI in McKinney, TX, just outside of Dallas.

Here's my dilemma. Like all of us, I want to be a darn good and safe pilot. I want to take my wife on trips to our Colorado place and frequently visit Florida. So I want to be over cautious on training and safety.

I've visited a few Local flight schools at a variety of airports around DFW. All seem to believe the best approach is to fast track this....see where I'm proficient and where I need more time and focus. What if I got lucky and showed proficiency on a maneuver but really am not proficient, and again, got lucky? I'm fearful of checking the box, moving on, without full repetition and endorsement. I wonder if it's better to throw away the logbook and just pretend I have limited knowledge and say I've been up a few times. Sure it will cost more money, but I'd rather err on the side of caution then to run quickly to get my cert.

Appreciate your thoughts and experience around this!

Steve
Click to expand...
Yes by all means keep your log book and just add to it! You'll find a lot of it will come back to you as you take lessons. I stopped flying for about ten years after logging over a thousand hours. It all came back very quickly when I picked it up again. Sort of like riding a bicycle. You never forget. You should be fine.
 
I took an eight year break from flying at one point due to fiscal reasons. Just grab an instructor and tell them where you're at, and let them figure out what you're missing or that changed while you were away (regulations). No sweat.
 
Mike Smith said:
OP, just to clarify, do you have your Private Certificate?
Click to expand...

No, I do not have my certificate. So many good points here about keeping the log book for insurance rates, that's something I hadn't even considered. I'm keeping the log book, be open with my instructor and will have other instructors do the mock checkride when we get to that point. I'm sure I'll know, at that time, whether I concur or not. And if not, just keep practicing until I get there. Thanks folks!
It helped to talk this out with the group here.
 
Join the North Texas Aviators Facebook group. Lots of good people in your part of DFW haunt there and can provide feedback about the schools and instructors.
 
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Be glad you have those hours. You can focus your time and money on sharpening your skills, but not have to worry about repeated XCs since you already meet those requirements. If your training goes back 27 years, you likely don't meet the current night requirements so you'll have an opportunity to get up to speed there.

And as others have mentioned, you'll be surprised how much you retained form those early lessons. Be patient, formulate a plan with your instructor, and have fun.
 
So, after interviewing a few flight schools, you all were absolutely right. Keeping the log book and will test over and over again for proficiency.

Now here's what I didn't expect! I'm going to attempt to switch to the Sport Cruiser from my trusted 172. Taking it up this weekend, so we'll see if I like the feel of it or not. Just seems like such a well equipped and capable airplane. Anxious to give it a run!
 
Definitely keep that logbook! its basically a yearbook of your flying life!

Others opinions are spot on in my opinion. Just because you may demonstrate it to proficiency one time, if you feel its luck, or you don't feel comfortable with it, just let your instructor know that, and keep practicing at it till YOU are comfortable!
 
Beachcomber said:
Now here's what I didn't expect! I'm going to attempt to switch to the Sport Cruiser from my trusted 172. Taking it up this weekend, so we'll see if I like the feel of it or not. Just seems like such a well equipped and capable airplane. Anxious to give it a run!
Click to expand...

Have a CFI friend in Dallas who really likes them.
 
I took a 12 year break from flying. Ended with 51hrs before the break without taking my check ride. Started going with an instructor again to get ready and took my check ride (and passed...lol) with 61hrs. It can be done :)
 
Keep the book. Those hours never expire. It may come in handy some day when you are ready for another higher rating...
 
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