How often you should be flying to maintain proficiency is a very individualized metric. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
Maintaining pilot proficiency is an individualized metric, but consistent flying is paramount to retaining skills after earning your certificate.
Pilots should set specific, planned goals such as flying weekly, aiming for monthly hourly targets (e.g., 10 hours), or undertaking particular missions like cross-country flights.
Keeping flights fun and varied helps prevent burnout, while regular practice ensures both proficiency and currency are maintained, avoiding the need to regain them after long breaks.
Question: I just completed my private pilot check ride. Now that I have the certificate, it feels weird not to be flying several times a week, although truthfully, I cannot afford to keep doing that. How often should I be flying to maintain proficiency?
Answer:
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
