Restarting after a loooong time ...
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Join Date: May 2003
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Restarting after a loooong time ...
Hey everyone, Happy New Year !
I previously held a PPL and IMC back when the world was under JAR-FCL. I have quite a lot of P1 hours gained all over Europe, but my licence has been expired now for something like 8 years or so.
I've decided to give it another whirl. Can anyone please tell me where to start ? I'm completely out of touch with who's running what these days. Is there a definitive document I can go look at ?
Thanks for any help,
FF
I previously held a PPL and IMC back when the world was under JAR-FCL. I have quite a lot of P1 hours gained all over Europe, but my licence has been expired now for something like 8 years or so.
I've decided to give it another whirl. Can anyone please tell me where to start ? I'm completely out of touch with who's running what these days. Is there a definitive document I can go look at ?
Thanks for any help,
FF
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Down at the sharp pointy end, where all the weather is made.
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The very best way forward is to go to your nearest (or preferred) flying club that conducts flying training. Explain your situation and they should sit down with you and tell you exactly what you need to do to get back in the air. Basically, get a medical. Then you need to find your old licence, show it to your chosen training establishment.. They will then conduct 'Training as required', then you will do a Licence Proficiency Check with an examiner. Complete the paperwork to convert your old JAR licence in to a Part-FCL licence. You will hear a lot of strange new terms (like Part-FCL!) but it will all become apparent in the end. If you're quick, you might even be able to get your old IMC rating back, now quirkily referred to as a IR(R).
Good luck and welcome back.
TOO
Good luck and welcome back.
TOO
Join Date: Oct 2014
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Can't add too much to what TheOddOne said other than to say that it really shouldn't take you long. I had a similar gap with fewer hours and less experience than you and I had the proficiency check after just a few flights to scrape the rust off. Enjoy.
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Been there done that. Held a Dutch PPL/IR in the late 90’s moved to the us in 01 and quit flying. Started again last year, treated it as if I’d ‘never’ flown before. Lots changed in 16 years for me, probably not as much as for you though. The general consensus seems to be that it takes at least an hour of training for every year you haven’t flown, for me that was more like 2.5 hours for each year though.
Id say, go to a flightschool, go fly with an instructor and let them determine what you need to get flying again.
Id say, go to a flightschool, go fly with an instructor and let them determine what you need to get flying again.
Just doing same.
Moved to SA from UK 3 years ago. My JAA expired thanks to the combination of an untimely medical fail (tedious historic ECG blip just before my revalidation) and then the diversion of moving a family across continents.
A few months ago met a chap who turned out to be a local flight instructor; "lets go flying" he said. After 10 mins in the air realised I could not just give this up.
SA CAA are allowing me to pursue SA PPL "by experience" but I've had to re-sit (and have now passed) all the exams, get a new radio license, medical and will do a skills test next month. Its been superb so far:
1. Doing exams again proved I'd gotten a bit rusty on the technical side. The weather and compass are of course upside down here in southern hemisphere so some new stuff to learn. Plus a few new oddities in the local air law. I've delighted myself in re-grasping whiz wheel skills and navigating 100nm legs across open terrain with 1:60 but without a Garmin! (yes I've got one ready post PPL)
2. Medical was a breeze
3. Radio work is very different here (endless TIBA) as well as those wonderful Afrikaans place names which make ATC laugh (or sigh) when pronounced by a Pommie. "Say again" has become my punchline.
4. Learning new local flying skills has been fun including mountain flying, flying at high density altitudes and over all-round more extreme terrain (more so than White Waltham to Sandown used to be)
My advice...use your experience, but don't be afraid to re-learn and re-practice what were once second nature skills
Moved to SA from UK 3 years ago. My JAA expired thanks to the combination of an untimely medical fail (tedious historic ECG blip just before my revalidation) and then the diversion of moving a family across continents.
A few months ago met a chap who turned out to be a local flight instructor; "lets go flying" he said. After 10 mins in the air realised I could not just give this up.
SA CAA are allowing me to pursue SA PPL "by experience" but I've had to re-sit (and have now passed) all the exams, get a new radio license, medical and will do a skills test next month. Its been superb so far:
1. Doing exams again proved I'd gotten a bit rusty on the technical side. The weather and compass are of course upside down here in southern hemisphere so some new stuff to learn. Plus a few new oddities in the local air law. I've delighted myself in re-grasping whiz wheel skills and navigating 100nm legs across open terrain with 1:60 but without a Garmin! (yes I've got one ready post PPL)
2. Medical was a breeze
3. Radio work is very different here (endless TIBA) as well as those wonderful Afrikaans place names which make ATC laugh (or sigh) when pronounced by a Pommie. "Say again" has become my punchline.
4. Learning new local flying skills has been fun including mountain flying, flying at high density altitudes and over all-round more extreme terrain (more so than White Waltham to Sandown used to be)
My advice...use your experience, but don't be afraid to re-learn and re-practice what were once second nature skills
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I'd go to some flight school for some hour or two of dual. Then they can tell you what you need and you become motivated at the same time. If you move on see the medic first to get a new checkout there and then you are good to do the rest. I'd say a school is best to get you up to standards again fastest. I let my PPL get rusty several times and could catch up quick at flight schools every time. Many small things change all the time so it's truly valuable to get updated by pros. And they can fine tune your flying to perfection.
