Good day everyone, hope people are staying warm. So when you guys became airline pilots did you miss flying in the small Cessna or pipers? Do you guys keep your ratings up to date for the smaller aircrafts and do you still fly them once in awhile? I just hope to always being able to fly these smaller planes when I become airline pilot. Something special about them.
Best, Jesse
Jesse,
I keep my flight instructor ratings current, but I do not actively fly in GA and my single engine currency has lapsed. If I wanted to rent a small airplane it would take an hour or two of instruction and three landings before I could be current again, which is not a big deal at all.
That being said, many pilots do stay active in GA and many guys and gals that I fly with own their own small airplanes. If you want to continue to fly GA as an airline pilot there is nothing preventing you from doing it.
Chris
Thanks Chris, good points! I would love to own a cessna when I’m older.
Jesses,
Other than you Flight Instructor rating, your licenses and ratings never expire, but as Chris pointed out you can lose currency if you don’t have 3 landings in 90 days.
In the past I never really missed GA (though many pilots I fly with do fly regularly) I have recently. I’ve been teaching and flying the Airbus (which is more managing automation) and find myself missing actually “flying” so I recently started working on my glider rating. Good fun.
Adam
Awesome Adam always wanted to go up in a glider. Thanks
Jesse,
That’s funny, I actually talked about getting back into GA flying with the captain I flew with today.
For me it hasn’t been as long as it probably has been for Chris and Adam, I do miss the GA flying a lot. I am probably going to get into a flying club here in Chicago when the spring comes so I can rent at least once a month or so, just to keep myself current.
You would be amazed how fast you forget things when you don’t fly regularly (without an autopilot).
Yarden
Thanks Yarden for response that’s ironic. Yeah I believe it.