To stay current or not to stay current...

[prkaye]

I've always been told "stay current while you're building". Now I'm questioning that, for myself.
I fly once a month now, just to stay current. It's 150 bucks a month and is becoming an unenjoyable nuisance. I have to book the plane, and then often when the weather is bad cancel and re-book (like today). I always have it on my mind "uh-oh, gotta go flying next week to stay current" (club requires 1 flight every 30 days). I don't make long interesting trips anymore, because I'm funnelling the money towards building (and it's over 120 bucks an hour to rent). Also, once my baby is born, its goign to be even harder to get out there every month to do that.

So, I'm considering this. Let it lapse while I finish building. Put that 120 per month in the bank. Then, when the RV is almost ready, go spend that money to get current again and do transition training.

Advice?

[Jim Percy]

I didn't stay current during my build, in fact I hadn't flown in a couple of years when I started. If you're not enjoying the flying and are just going through the motions to maintain currency, you're probably better off letting it lapse. You'll save some money and I'd guess the skills will return easily enough when the time comes. Insurance will probably require some dual before you can fly your airplane anyway.

Good luck!

[Ironflight]

Truthfully, it is probably only a question you can answer for yourself Phil, but asking other's experience is a good way to sort it out. In my mind, it all depends on how important "flying" is to you. If you fly casually, and it is something that you do when you have the time, then there is nothing wrong with dropping it, and going full-bore when you are ready - as long as you are honest and truthful about the amount of time that you will need to spend getting REALLY ready.

Personally, I can't stand to NOT fly - it is a passion that is deep-seated in my bones. I kept my Grumman until the -8 had flown, and that meant paying hangar rent, maintenance, fuel, etc. For me, I'd have dropped many other things before I dropped the flying. It is purely my own speculation, but I think that a lot of airplane projects get abandoned when their builders drift far enough away from the passion of flying that they forget why they are building in the first place.

But as I said at the start - this all depends on your own motivations and drives - what it is that makes YOU tick.

(I know of one older fellow who was a military pilot and flight test engineer, then didn't fly anything for decades. When he retired, he built an immaculate kit biplane, but as a perfectionist, he acknowledged the need to do a tremendous amount of training before he felt he'd be ready to fly it. One thing lead to another, he got busy with post-retirement activities, and now, fifteen years later, he still hasn't flown the plane....and I am sure he never will.)

[prkaye]

Another, possibly deciding factor that I just realised is that (in Canada) we have to have 100 hours PIC to be allowed to test fly our ameteur builts. I need another 30 or so, so I guess I better keep flying.

[ge9a]

I decided that I would diligently stay current during the building process. For me, there isn't a single time in the airplane that I don't learn something, whether about me and my skills, or about the airplane, or whatever - every flight is a different experience, even if it's just a few laps around the pattern. And "a good pilot is always learning." (I read that somewhere). My thinking is that I want to be the safest and most proficient pilot I can be when my plane is ready to fly. And in my situation, I don't feel the best way to to that is to get current right before I'm ready to fly the plane I just built. Yes, it's a pain to book rented planes, and sometimes I have to make the time to do it. But for me, it's worth it (90% of the time).

I have often thought of just buying a plane to have something to fly when I want to while I'm building, and there are many arguments for and against that. And I have seriously looked at several. But I have never pulled the trigger. It would now be time to sell the plane anyway for RV funds, so I don't even think about it any more. But I do still rent. I take my wife with me occasionally, and it forces me to 'go someplace' for lunch or breakfast, rather than just fly around the local area. I also fly with a friend whenever I can, who has a plane, and is building. I learn something there, too, and it's interesting to see how another pilot handles things.

Just one person's opinion ...........

[ge9a]

Oh, and I should probably mention that I'm a fairly low time pilot - only about 130 hrs PIC. And I was much lower when I started building, which was definately a motivating factor to stay current.

[boom3]

I'm with Paul on this one, I gotta fly or I start to go batty. With work, kids, and the RV project my plate is pretty full. Flying takes my mind off of everything.

[jcaplins]

If you are only trying to stay curent for the PPL standards. Drop the club and let it lapse, save some money.

I stopped flying for 2 years and when I went to get a BFR, It took 1 hour ground and 1 hour flying. Altitude hold was a little sloppy, but I greased the landings and the instructor said. "what can I say, you know what you're doing. BFR done, your current"

It really takes very little effort to jump back in where you left off.

IFR currency is a differnt story. I'm still working on that.

I should also note, I was going crazy not flying for 2 years.

[Captain Sacto]

While I understand if a builder wants to devote currency maintenance time toward building, I tend to think that staying current has advantages that can translate into building. It keeps you focused on your flying, and might help you narrow down what you will eventually need regarding avionics, AP, engine size, and other choices.
I also think that maintaining some level of currency keeps you in the aviation game and thus, focused on finishing.

Me, I'm a hopeless aviation romantic.
I've been flying for about 3 decades, and I'm still not jaded.
So, every few months, I'm off to the airport to maintain currency; and, I do so by trying to challenge myself w seldom-visited airports when I can.

One other thing.
When you finish your RV, you have a new airborne sportscar that requires attentive flying. If you maintain your flying skills, as opposed to letting them rust, I think you will be a better (and safer) RV flyer.

[hydroguy2]

When the retirement property is a 4.5hr drive, but after 1.5 spamcan hours the downwind looks like this



and turning final looks like this



AND now the flying club just replaced it's wrecked Citabria with this



you have no choice but to stay current. YMMV