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 previous flight hours generally count toward certification and do not expire, contradicting the advice that all training must be repeated.
Although hours count, skills and knowledge can become rusty over time, requiring a review of pre-solo maneuvers and knowledge.
Returning pilots should conduct dual cross-country flights and work with a CFI to identify "soft spots" in their training, ideally using a syllabus to ensure a structured and accountable refresher plan.

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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.