Let's say you've just transitioned into a new airplane, one that's faster, more complex and with newer avionics than the airplanes you've been used to flying. You'll obviously want to fly with a flight instructor who's familiar with the make, model and equipment aboard your new airplane. If it's a really complex airplane like a turboprop or jet, you'll train at one of the big-name schools in a full-motion flight simulator.
Once you've completed your transition training, are you safe? On the day you finish up, probably yes. But what about as time goes by and lessons that were fresh in your mind during training become fuzzy or you realize portions of the training that you didn't fully grasp at the time become critically important in your day-to-day flying?
The answer, of course, is to continue your education through recurrent training. But how soon after your initial transition training course should you seek a refresher from a knowledgeable instructor?
The regulations say 24 calendar months, but let's face it, that's too long. Better is a six-month refresher lesson to reemphasize the training you received initially and to brush up on any weak areas.
You should budget the money and time for this training as part of your initial transitioning training. Think of it as an additional worthwhile investment in your piloting education that will cement knowledge gained during introductory training.
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