If You’ve Been Out Of The Cockpit For A while, AOPA Can Help You Get Back In?

If you’ve been out of the cockpit for quite a while and think you have lost too much and forgotten everything, it could seem like an insurmountable task to get cranked up and behind the controls again? However, it doesn’t have to be that way. AOPA has developed what they call the 'Rusty Pilot Program' that can help you get back in the left seat fast!

If you're like over 500,000 other pilots (that's right, half a million), you've taken a little breather from flying. Maybe more than a little. Perhaps life threw you a curve when you were expecting a fastball. Or maybe the pitter-patter of little feet, or the building of a growing business had something to do with it. Whatever the case, things are different now. You're back in the game and would like to start flying again. This is where the AOPA Rusty Pilot Program comes into play.

Remember, even if you have lost your pilot certificate and haven’t had a flight review for more years than you would like to admit, no checkride is required to reactivate your pilot privileges. Obtaining a new pilot certificate is simply a matter of a couple of dollars and a few minutes on the Internet. And, if you still have a paper certificate, it’s easy to convert that to the new plastic certificate. Your pilot certificate never expires!

All you need is a Flight Review (formerly known as a BFR), and that's it. A little brush-up with your local CFI, enough flights to demonstrate competency again (minimum one hour), and – presto! – you're back in business. Seriously, that's all it takes.

AOPA has put together a free, comprehensive program that gives you all the information you need to get current again. Free seminars sponsored by local flight schools and clubs provide all the ground training you need, and show you, step-by-step, what you need to do to complete the Flight Review.

An easy-to-follow PowerPoint presentation will bring you up to speed on hot-button issues like weather briefings, preflight planning, FARs, and airspace. You'll learn about medical requirements, runway incursions, radio procedures and Light Sport aircraft, as well as any changes that have taken place since you last donned a headset. You'll even leave the seminar with a logbook endorsement attesting that you've completed the one-hour of ground training required for the Flight Review.

Even for pilots who are legal to fly but feel a brush-up would do some good, the Rusty Pilot Program would be a great place to start. It’s also a great way for a current pilot to prepare for a flight review.

FMI: AOPA Rusty Pilot Program