On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 00:06:49 -0600, "MJC" wrote:

Hi all,
I got my private VFR ticket back in the early 80's but haven't flown
since the late 80's. Well, I'm ready to jump back in with both feet and an
RV QB kit.
I'm wondering what other's of you in the same position (returning to
flying after laying off for many years) have pursued as far as resources on
how to not only get flying again, but to catch up on all the changes in the
last 15+ years.
I intend to take a dozen or so hours of instruction before my required
bi-annual to get legal again, but I don't want to waste the instructors time
by making him go over lots of stuff I should already know.
Suggestions?

I was in a similar situation except that I originally got some flight
training when I was 15.5, and could not afford to continue once I left
home for college. By that time I had accumulated about 25 hours of
instruction and solo flight. I did not get my pilot's license at that
time.

Fast forward to the winter of 2002, 36 years later and I finally had
enough money to finish my flight lessons and get my PPL-SEL. I didn't
think there would be a problem getting it because I'd always felt
comfortable flying, but you never know. It was time to at least find
out because by then I'd been working at my Christavia Mk4 for 12-13
years.

Finishing the flight training was a whole bunch of fun and I've been
flying ever since. Well, I have actually flown off and on in the
interim years, but never solo and never PIC.

It would be good to sit down with a flight school and work out what
kind of program you should use. Obviously you will only need as much
as necessary to bring you up to speed, it's not like you have to learn
everything from the beginning. It might be a useful excersize to at
least map out the program ahead of time. The flight school will have
to evaluate what's necessary during your initial flying, and you
should also discuss with them what materials would be best for you to
read to bring you up to speed on current regulations and resources.

Corky Scott