Proficiency Levels

Am I ready for this flight? Thats the question I found myself asking when I decided to resume flying in a rental aircraft after a six-month lapse. This was after selling the V35B Bonanza Id owned for eight years. Since I was due for a flight review anyway, I engaged an instructor and got checked out to fly a Cessna 172 from a local flight school. I was comfortable flying the Skyhawk after only an hour and three landings, despite not having flown in six months. That certainly wouldnt be the case for all the aircraft Im rated in: The last time I flew a jet was more than seven years ago.

Key Takeaways:

• Pilot proficiency is broken down into five key dimensions: basic stick-and-rudder skills, attitude instrument flying, automation, operating in the system, and risk management.
• While manual flying skills may be retained, the cognitive aspects of manual flight and effective automation management can degrade with infrequent flying, leading to potential underperformance in complex "system" operations.
• Risk management is presented as the most critical dimension, requiring pilots to rigorously identify, assess, and mitigate risks across all other aspects of their proficiency and flight operations.

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