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4 Answers

Need advice on hours

Asked by: 4821 views General Aviation, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

Hello: CFIs

I will be 55yrs old this year and I'm thinking about finishing up the lessons for private Pilot

that I took 27 yrs ago.  The question is whether to use the 32 hrs that I have in my  logbook

(I still have it) or start from brand new and not even mention those hrs.  The third Class

Medical that I passed in July 1984 is not even in the FAA database anymore.  I'm planning

on taking the medical soon so should I put down on the form the hours and certificate

number or just leave it blank.  Or should I add on to those hrs and not lose them.

Thanks in advance for any advice.      Pedro

 

 

 

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4 Answers



  1. Joel Odom on Jul 24, 2011

    Use the hours.  They will count toward ratings and insurance.  Just keep in mind that you will mentally start from near the beginning, so be as careful as a new student from the onset.  WELCOME BACK!

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  2. Earl Kessler on Jul 24, 2011

    NEVER lie to the FAA.  There is no reason to cover up your previous training and if you started by filling out the medical questionnaire and Form 8710 as a clean slate starting in 2011, the time you flew before could come back to haunt you.  If you include it, there is no downside and you never have to worry about making an inaccurate claim to the regulators.  Besides, there is no time limit or expiration to those hours and if you are an exemplary student, you might be able to take your tests earlier than the regs would otherwise require if you were not to count the 1984 time.  Good luck with your training.

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  3. Micah on Jul 25, 2011

    Your hours are always your hours. Experience adds up and is always useful, even if different. You flew in the “old system” so you may have experience that your CFI does not possess. Still, don’t confuse your previous experience and the experience required to take the practical test (checkride). You don’t need 40 “new” hours to take the test any more than you “only” need 8 hours (40-32). Your instructor will be training you to be a proficient pilot first and foremost (or at least getting you set up so that you can learn on your own how to become this) and hours are relatively immaterial. You must have a minimum of certain experiences but generally speaking these minima are less than it takes for most students to reach proficiency.
     
    So, like said above, expect that you’ll need to learn it all over again but don’t discount your previous experience. Have fun and be safe.

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  4. Loren Jones on Jul 25, 2011

    Definitely use those hours!  Despite the time lag, you acquired knowledge that will benefit you when you resume your training. Plus, as pointed out, they still count towards overall experience for insurance purposes.

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