Do Flight Hours Expire When There's a Lapse in Training?

When returning to flight lessons, don't confuse experience with proficiency.

Meg Godlewski

Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 12:08 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Pilot logbook [Credit: Carly Chamerlik/FLYING Archive]

Key Takeaways:

Properly logged and endorsed flight hours do not expire and should count towards a pilot certificate, even after a long break.
While hours count, practical flight skills and aeronautical knowledge inevitably become rusty over time.
The recommended approach for returning pilots is to review pre-solo maneuvers and knowledge, conduct a dual cross-country flight with a CFI to identify rusty areas, and use a syllabus for accountability.

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Question: I am a return-to-flying client. I pursued a private pilot certificate years ago then had to stop when life got in the way. It’s been 10 years since I last flew. I was doing solo cross-country flights when I was forced to quit. I still have my logbook with my hours. When I went to a local flight school to see about finishing my training, the CFI I spoke with—and who looked at my logbook—told me that none of my hours would count and I would need to repeat everything. Is this correct?

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Answer: Provided the previous flight experience was properly logged and endorsed if required, those hours should count toward certification. They don’t expire. However, skills and knowledge do get rusty.