PPL Staying Current

[matthewlai]

For people who only fly as a hobby (no intention of going commercial, etc), how much do you fly to keep current?

By current, I don't mean legally current. I mean ACTUALLY current. ie. familiar to the point that flying is fairly effortless and also confident on emergency handling.

I am a low time PPL (100 hours), having just finished it a few months ago. I have been flying about every 2 weeks (sometimes longer due to weather and schedule), and I can feel I am already significantly less proficient than when I just passed the checkride.

I am still proficient enough to be confident solo-ing, but flying feels a lot more stressful now (to remember everything) and occasionally I would lose track of altitude or airspeed for a bit and be 100-200 ft off or 10-20 knots too fast. Also, I don't feel relaxed enough that if a real emergency hits, I'd be able to handle it perfectly.

It's probably also due to switching to faster and more complex airplanes (Citabria to DA20/DA40), but I think lack of flying also plays a role.

When I took the checkride, I could fly to about twice as good as required by the test standard all day, and still be sight seeing. I can't do anywhere close to that now.

I am planning to start flying once a week to fix that (I can financially do it... just need to find time), but I was just wondering, how much do people fly to maintain proficiency? and does the requirement decrease as you become more experienced?

Is maintaining a pilot license really THAT high maintenance? (2 hours a week for as long as I want to be current)

[CharlieDeltaUK]

My own experience (a year further on than you) is that the flying seems more stressful irrespective of how often you fly because you are in that period where you start to realise that the PPL was just the start. I doubt you really are less proficient now - you are probably just more aware of any deficiencies. Reading the posts on here emphasises how much there is still to learn and experience.

For me, I found it very rewarding to do some flying with other non-instructor pilots as well as solo trips.

Before we got the PPL, we all heard everyone say it was just the start, but its not until you actually start flying 'for real' that the true meaning of this sinks in.

On the other hand, for those who took up flying because its absorbing, this is part of the fun. It's the learning curve which keeps it absorbing.

[Steve6443]

Also, I don't feel relaxed enough that if a real emergency hits, I'd be able to handle it perfectly.

Perhaps you should set aside some time during your flying time to practise some emergency procedures - for example, tomorrow I will be flying and have scheduled for myself an emergency landing from 2000' agl onto the runway without power (if the airfield isn't too busy).

What I also find helpful is repeating your emergency action list to yourself whilst (e.g.) in the car - it makes your passenger safety briefing seem more competent if you go through the procedures without any "ummm.... and then I'll.... ahhh..... oh yes, I remember, next is: stop the engine by pulling the mixture".

Repeating the check lists (and moving your hand to the area where the action will take place) will help you memorise the actions, should you have to cope with a true emergency....

For me, I found it very rewarding to do some flying with other non-instructor pilots as well as solo trips.

Can only agree with this - firstly because you can each observe the other and discuss the flight / peculiarities afterwards but also because you get to spend more time in the air for less cost ;)

[John R81]

I fly about 50hrs / year but within that I have taken 2 steps.

1. I joined Air Search as a pilot. This provides me with challenges that require me to use all of the things I have learned concerning air law, nav, weather, and weight/balance. This stops me simply flying around areas that I know and becoming complacent with modern GPS capability. It also is a very worthwhile charity (here in the UK).

2. Each quarter I schedule a training session to practice all of the emergency and more difficult procedures for helicopter flight. EOL to the ground, hydraulics failure, instrument, last tail, sloping ground, confined areas, limited power land/departures, etc.

This last one I adopted when I reasoned that the likelihood of perfectly executing an emergency procedure in a high-stress "real life" problem when last practiced about a year ago, and before that another year ago, was "nil". In the last 2 years I have had (on different aircraft) a hydraulic failure on departure, and an electrical failure in flight. That extra practice was key - I think - in remaining calm and simply flying the aircraft, whilst as a secondary tast dealing with the systems problem. As a result both turned out to be "non-events" in terms of "excitement".

[BackPacker]

It might be a good idea to ask yourself - why stay current in the first place?

For me, I fly for fun. I regularly fly with sick and handicapped children, I fly aerobatics and the occasional "regular" sightseeing flights.

If those purposeful flights together don't give me enough rolling currency, then I'm going to step back and consider whether it's all really worth it. But I don't intend to throw good money after bad: Flying just to keep current. For what?

So far there have been two winters where I ended up outside the legal currency limits. Did I mind? Not at all. As soon as the weather turned nice again I did a few flights to regain legal and practical currency, and had a blast throughout the summer.

[Piper.Classique]

I ended up outside the legal currency limits

For flying, or with passengers? There is a difference in most places. Or Club currency, different again.

[Steve6443]

Quote:
I ended up outside the legal currency limits
For flying, or with passengers? There is a difference in most places. Or Club currency, different again.

Interesting enough, if all of your passengers hold valid medicals and have pilots licences which allow them to fly that class of aircraft, you don't need to worry about currency - at least this is the situation in Germany. After all, the rule is there to protect the unwary from getting into a plane with a pilot who hasn't flown for a while, as a pilot, we are supposed to be able to judge the risk better.....

[matthewlai]

My own experience (a year further on than you) is that the flying seems more stressful irrespective of how often you fly because you are in that period where you start to realise that the PPL was just the start. I doubt you really are less proficient now - you are probably just more aware of any deficiencies. Reading the posts on here emphasises how much there is still to learn and experience.
That makes sense. I guess I'm just jealous of the instructors I fly with that always seem to be very relaxed, and yet can still remember every single thing and notice any tiny abnormalities. But I guess I'll never get to that level of proficiency unless I fly several hours a day.

Perhaps you should set aside some time during your flying time to practise some emergency procedures - for example, tomorrow I will be flying and have scheduled for myself an emergency landing from 2000' agl onto the runway without power (if the airfield isn't too busy).
I really should start doing that, too. Good idea.

1. I joined Air Search as a pilot. This provides me with challenges that require me to use all of the things I have learned concerning air law, nav, weather, and weight/balance. This stops me simply flying around areas that I know and becoming complacent with modern GPS capability. It also is a very worthwhile charity (here in the UK).
That sounds like a really good idea. Too bad I can't seem to find anything like that near where I live (western Canada).

It might be a good idea to ask yourself - why stay current in the first place?
Because I really want to be able to do fun flights once or twice a month. I'd love to do more, but life and weather often get in the way. But in order to do that, I need to be current, which seems to require a lot more flying than that.

I am WAY within club and legal currency, but I feel like I'm not very practically current.