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4 Answers

How to handle a break in training.

Asked by: 5590 views Private Pilot

I solo'd in May of 2010 and had my stage one check in June of 2010. Last flight was July of 2010. I did have a few issues with my CFI, he has since left where I was training. The manager is great there and has always worked with me. Finding another CFI shouldn't be an issue.  My father was ill so I stepped away from training. My dad passed away March of 2011. It still may be a while before I can get back to training in the air. I do read training material and watch the Cessna King training dvd's. I do know I want to get ground school training and pass my wirtten before taking to the air. Book work has been harder than flying for me.  Any suggestions(ie, flight sim, or other books) that might help get me through this layoff and help towards my PPL would be appreciated.

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4 Answers



  1. Micah on Apr 25, 2011

    Will your flight school let you backseat while others fly? That’s an underappreciated way to learn and a great way to meet other pilots and instructors. And it’s free (unless it draws you back into the left seat sooner than you’d planned).

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  2. Pete Kemble on Apr 25, 2011

    my condolences on your loss.
    I started my Private back in July 1996 during a break in college. I went back to school with 50 something hours, and didn’t pick up again until 2000. Did about 20 more hours but then ran out of money, graduated, and moved to the city. After starting my adult life and getting my 20s and a solid IT career out of the way, I finally found time 13 years after I started and got my private in 2009 at 108 hours or so. during these breaks (one lasting almost a decade) the mistake I made was not keeping continuing my flight training outside of the aircraft. If you’re not going to fly for a while and you know it, keep yourself “current” by digesting everything you can aviation related. Read through all the FAA texts online. Join AOPA and you’ll get a free subscription to Flight Training (fantastic bathroom reading 🙂 ). There’re plenty of free online resources as well (this site for one) that will help keep your mind in aviation as well. They key point here is that training is just if not more effective outside the airplane than in it. Prepare mentally outside the aircraft with as much knowledge as you can amass, and once you’re back in the aircraft, make the time effective by only needing to concentrate on the task at hand. one last time – learn as much as you can during your time off!
    All in all though, don’t ever be discouraged – After getting my private, I didn’t stop my training and I’m currently working on my initial CFI now with plans to change careers once the industry starts moving (i.e. hiring) again.
    Best of luck!

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  3. James MacGregor CFI on Apr 26, 2011

    Why did your CFI leave, when I did my training I asked around to find out who were the best CFIs then went from there. If you had a good experience with your CFI, maybe ask if he can work with you outside of the flight school, might save you some time and headache.
     
     Most CFIs worth their salt can source out aircraft they can teach in outside of a flightschool.
     
     just a thought

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  4. Kate Knoblauch on May 06, 2011

    Let me encourage you to get some/most of your flying in before you study real hard to take the written.  I did it way early just because I didn’t think I’d be able to get through it since it wasn’t coming easy. Well now that I’m almost done I feel stupid for missing some of the questions (because it wasn’t in a context I gotten when I read it but now that I use VOR’s I can do them blindfolded – sort of)  I don’t want to pay $150 just to increase my score.  Go fly for a bit and get the knowledge that way…reading just isn’t the same.

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