Salt Lake CQ, and Skiing Too: Learning to Love Recurrent Training

As an airline captain over 40, passing a two-day bout of continuing qualification simulator practice is required every six months.

Sam Weigel

Monday, August 04, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Key Takeaways:

Professional pilots operating under Part 121 are required to periodically complete various certifications and trainings, including medical exams, ground school, line checks, and recurrent simulator training (CQ), to maintain their qualifications.
Airline training philosophies have significantly evolved over the author's career, shifting from extensive systems-focused instruction to a more streamlined, practical approach emphasizing quick reference handbooks, resource management, and teamwork, influenced by the FAA's Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) and cost-saving measures.
The author, initially anxious about check rides, now confidently approaches recurrent training, appreciating the reduced pressure of modern methods and particularly valuing the convenience and leisure opportunities offered by new, strategically located training centers.

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As a professional pilot operating under Part 121, there are a couple of easy but important hoops I am required to periodically jump through in order to retain my usually cushy, admittedly well-paid sinecure.

Being a captain over the age of 40, I must procure a fresh Class I medical every six calendar months. Once a quarter, I slog through several hours of online ground school. Every 24 months, a line check airman sits on my jumpseat for a few legs and confirms that I can go at least one whole day without terrorizing my first officers or endangering the general public.