cryesis Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 We all know the regulations on currency but how often would you say its necessary to fly to not lose your flying abilities. Lets say your a CFI under 500 hours and take a ground crew position for an AG company or any other job other than flying. After a year or two your number comes up and your ready to start flying AG or go back to instruction or any other flight job. During the time while your not flying how often would you say its necessary to fly to keep yourself current enough where you don't forget and lose skill. Once a week, Once a month, nothing at all and go back to it after a year? 1 Quote
Little Bird Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 I took a break when I was 400 hours or so. Was only 4 months out of the saddle and the first flight after (with the Chief Pilot) was a bit rusty, but the muscle memory is still there. You might not bust out perfect autos & the first hover might swing a bit but it comes back fast. I would say to look to your budget and fly according to that if you can. Quote
pilot#476398 Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 (edited) Last year I flew once every 5 to 6 weeks (in an R22). I didn't have any real difficulties in remembering anything or with how I flew, but it sucks to go that long in between flights! At bare minimum I would at least stay passenger current (someone at work who's not a CFI may one day ask you to go fly with them?), although I can't imagine putting 3 months in between flights,...that would really suck balls! Don't forget to keep you knowledge current too. I review things at least once a month. Edited January 25, 2014 by pilot#476398 Quote
Nearly Retired Posted January 26, 2014 Posted January 26, 2014 Hey, it happens to the best of us. Toward the end of my (happy) 13-year tenure at PHI, I was flying the mighty Bo-105 Bolkow. In fact, I'd been in it so long that PHI no longer kept me 135-current in the 206. Anyway, one slow weekend day the Lead Pilot at the Houma, LA base pointed at a 206 and said, "Take it to Baton Rouge!" I went, "Uhhh...okay!" Got the thing going alright, but when I lifted off it was like I'd completely forgotten how to hover. That poor LongRanger was a-swangin'! Mind you, my total time even at that point had two digits to the left of the comma. I kept looking down at my right hand, trying to force it to do the right thing and get in sync with the aircraft. It took a while. Now, since I'm nearly retired, pretty much the only flying I do is cherry-drying in the summer in the Sikorsky S-55. And every year, it takes a little while to get reacclimated to the ship and learn how to fly it again. So don't feel bad, that lack of currency thing doesn't just apply to low-timers. Quote
aeroscout Posted January 26, 2014 Posted January 26, 2014 Almost all of our flying skills are perishable. At a minimum try to get some sim time, even if it's a desktop. I would say every week to 2 weeks. Quote
aussiecop Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 I have a friend who got his private and then commenced plans to move to OR to continue through commercial and CFI who didn't fly for 6 weeks, we had a conversation about how rusty he felt picking an R22 back up again, combine that with some fairly decend winds and he felt like it took him about 30 minutes to get his groove back. I'd have to agree with aeroscout. If you don't have the financial means to fly for any reason a sim, even desktop will at least have you going through the motions (and dependant on the model, the realism of being able to run through the startup checklist etc of the model type you are flying) will at least keep your muscle memory going. Quote
Wally Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 (edited) The rust starts accumulating in a couple of weeks in my experience. Not serious but apparent to me and quickly (5-10 minutes) up to speed. Holds true through about 3 months, my longest interruption of a flying job, back to speed with a landing or two. I don't know if I would be comfortable at anything like the regulatory flight experience minimum for currency for extended periods. I have had real jobs twice, for 4 and 10 years, during my career. Getting back up to speed took a couple hours w/instructor pilot after each interruption. I was never as good as I remember being before the halt, but that could be kinda like remembering how witty and entertaining one remembered being while partying- an unconscious ego-protective self delusion . Going from the Twinstar to the 206 was always exciting on the first Bell liftoff if I hadn't been in Bells for a week or so... Edited January 27, 2014 by Wally Quote
Nearly Retired Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 For those of you who fly infrequently, maybe you should consider something like this... http://www.heli-kit.com/ It's $350 but it could be well worth the money. Quote
aussiecop Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Only concern you have with that kind of set up is if you were trying to keep your procedures current for a specific airframe. Not a big deal if you are just trying to keep your stick handling up. There are others out there that replicate the B206/AS350 etc, but come at a bigger price tag. I guess in the long term if you knew you were going to be unable to get airtime for an extended period the better controls would afford you the ability to still keep doing start up sequences/shutdowns etc. Here's one where I know the producer that is a RW pilot so they are built to spec. http://www.komodosimulations.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&Itemid=16 Quote
aeroscout Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 Only concern you have with that kind of set up is if you were trying to keep your procedures current for a specific airframe. Not a big deal if you are just trying to keep your stick handling up. There are others out there that replicate the B206/AS350 etc, but come at a bigger price tag. I guess in the long term if you knew you were going to be unable to get airtime for an extended period the better controls would afford you the ability to still keep doing start up sequences/shutdowns etc. Here's one where I know the producer that is a RW pilot so they are built to spec. http://www.komodosimulations.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15&Itemid=16 For those of you who fly infrequently, maybe you should consider something like this... http://www.heli-kit.com/ It's $350 but it could be well worth the money. Both of those contraptions are neato mosquito. Thanks for posting. Quote
Flying Pig Posted January 27, 2014 Posted January 27, 2014 I went from the 500 to the 58 and my hover was pretty ugly. I'm interested to see what happens when I go back to the 500 from the Bell. 1 Quote
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