Longest break from flying

ZUKO

ZUKO

Well-Known Member
Hello all,

I was just wondering what the longest break you have ever had in between flights and how hard it was for you to regain your skill and competence?

Thanks
 
I took 6 months off for medical reasons starting the day after I got my CFI, back in 2006. When I finally got back into it, it was like i never even took a break. As of right now, the last line in my logbook is from October 2008.

It's my opinion that the ease at which you experience in getting back into flying is a function of how well you knew how to fly in the first place, and how much aviation occupied your mind when you weren't flying.

The problem is that companies seem to be under the impression that if you don'tr have any time logged in the past 6 months or whatever, then you have lost all ability to fly and will have to be retrained a lot. I've been unemployed since early November, and I wonder how many jobs I've been not offered simply due to the face that I don't have so little recent experience.
 
15 June 1995 - 24 May 2002 according to the logbook. It wasn't too bad. I actually started working on my CFI when I got back in the game and have been current ever since.
 
Last time logged: Sometime in Jan of 2002.

Haven't flown since.... many reasons. I'll get back into it someday.
 
I'm currently on my longest break. 9/29/08 was my last flight. Previously was 1 summer during college I took off, was no big deal in the fall.
 
I had a 6 month break after i received my commercial multi. However, flight was inhibited only slightly and after i got back into the cockpit everything came back quickly. It might not be a bad idea to go up with an instructor or perhaps fly a simulator prior to flying solo.:)
 
I had about a one year break after I got my Private, after that I tried to stay current. Even on furlough now, I'm trying to get up once in a while.
 
Haven't flown since February. Prior to that I was flying about 30hrs/week. I hope to find out how fast it comes back later today!
 
Winner, winner. Chicken dinner. 42 years of inactivity.

Not me but a student of mine. He is 84 years old. His certificate was issued by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. His medical is still good for 23 calendar months. We are working on his BFR which should happen in a few more flight hours.
 
4 months just after I got my private.... those first three landings afterward were a little scary. In retrospect I should have probably taken an instructor with me, instead I just went and did some stalls and steep turns, then went and found a nice, long, wide runway to get things back in the ball park. All's well that ends well, I suppose.
 
CDNPilotDave said:
Winner, winner. Chicken dinner. 42 years of inactivity.

Not me but a student of mine. He is 84 years old. His certificate was issued by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. His medical is still good for 23 calendar months. We are working on his BFR which should happen in a few more flight hours.
Click to expand...

That's awesome! Good for him.

My longest break: 9 years or so. Did a flight review and was good to go, but being overly cautious I took an instructor along for a couple more flights just to be darn sure.

That was 5 years ago. Now, a week seems like a long time between trips.
 
This past Wednesday marks three years since my last flight as PIC. Simply couldn't afford it anymore. :(

Seeing that the skills come back quickly makes me feel a lot better, as that was a major concern of mine.
 
For me it was about two years. The flying came back easy, but I wish I could say the same about my landings:crazy:

I think where you are in your flying when you take a break makes a difference. If you take your PPL checkride then take a two year break, then you might need a little bit more of a refresher than say someone with a 100+ hours getting back into flying.
 
Haven't had a break of more than a few weeks since I began flight training. Maybe I'm just a newbie that has less sense than money, but I really start getting antsy when I haven't gotten off the ground for more than 2 weeks or so.
 
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