Flying with retired pilots

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Cessna337

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Cessna337
I’m a private pilot with an instrument reading and 250 hours. I’m 49 years old and not nearly as sharp as I was when I was in my 20s and flying. I will be getting back into flying after taking about 20 years off. My wife is insisting I fly with someone else at all times and it’s not a terrible idea. I feel I can get up to speed and be a safe pilot even flying solo. Looking for options here that don’t involve paying $50 an hour for an instructor. What’s the likelihood of finding a retired commercial pilot who is bored as heck living at a nursing home, for example? And might be excited at the prospect of going places and doing things. They probably wouldn’t be able to hold a medical certificate. But would do just fine sitting in the right seat. Under That scenario could I just pay for meals and travel expenses? How hard do you think it would be to find someone that fits that bill? How would I approach it? Thanks, David.
 
midlifeflyer said:
WAITAMINIT. You are only 49 years old and your wife is insetting you need someone else with you? And some guy who can't even hold down a medical is an option?
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My advice to @Cessna337 is to find the youngest, hottest female CFI in the area and tell the wife he has complied with her request.
 
You have 250 hours. After 20 years off, you're probably more that a little rusty (I was). Take the opportunity to spend some time with an instructor and work on your commercial certificate. Then no one will have to wonder about your proficiency.
 
midlifeflyer said:
Yeah, but he said he doesn't want to have to pay for a CFI. Just light the fires and go. With a passenger.

It's gotta be a joke.
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No, it’s not. We both know pilots are cheap and will both commercial and CFIs will give their time away free. Of course, you get what you pay for in that case.

I know more than a handful of CFIs and CFIIs who have a current FIRC, but have done nothing more than be a glorified safety pilot at best for the past 20 years.

But if somebody wants to save $50$/hr at the risk of killing themselves and an incompetent right seater, I hope the life insurance premium is current.
 
TCABM said:
No, it’s not. We both know pilots are cheap and will both commercial and CFIs will give their time away free. Of course, you get what you pay for in that case.

I know more than a handful of CFIs and CFIIs who have a current FIRC, but have done nothing more than be a glorified safety pilot at best for the past 20 years.

But if somebody wants to save $50$/hr at the risk of killing themselves and an incompetent right seater, I hope the life insurance premium is current.
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Well, he does say he's not a sharp as he used to be. Could be a gross understatement.
 
So, you're getting snarky comments, I believe, for of two reasons.

First, is the implication by your statement that you are experiencing cognitive decline at the age of 49. I have two thoughts on this. One is that this is a mis-type and you meant to say 69 or 79, or 89. If this is not a mis-type, then not being capable of flying solo at age 49 suggests some form of abnormal and significant mental degradation. If this is the case, you probably shouldn't be flying at all.

Secondly, if your mental ability is not adequate to fly by yourself, you truly NEED a CFI in the aircraft with you.

Lastly, the fact that you think your solution to your problem is just a warm body suggests a concerning lack of judgement for a pilot.

If this post is legit, you really need to re-consider whether you should ever be piloting an aircraft - with or without, a CFI.
 
Hang around the airport or FBO ,won’t take you long to find someone who likes to ride for free. Where is he getting a cfi for $50 a hour?
 
Cessna337 said:
I’m a private pilot with an instrument reading and 250 hours. I’m 49 years old and not nearly as sharp as I was when I was in my 20s and flying. I will be getting back into flying after taking about 20 years off. My wife is insisting I fly with someone else at all times and it’s not a terrible idea. I feel I can get up to speed and be a safe pilot even flying solo. Looking for options here that don’t involve paying $50 an hour for an instructor. What’s the likelihood of finding a retired commercial pilot who is bored as heck living at a nursing home, for example? And might be excited at the prospect of going places and doing things. They probably wouldn’t be able to hold a medical certificate. But would do just fine sitting in the right seat. Under That scenario could I just pay for meals and travel expenses? How hard do you think it would be to find someone that fits that bill? How would I approach it? Thanks, David.
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Blow up copilot is the cheapest way to go.
When I was 56 with 250 hours I was very green and mostly only flew by myself for about 250 more hours until I felt comfortable with passenger's.
Unless that 2nd person is a current CFI then you would be best to fly by yourself until you get more comfortable. Passengers can be a distraction and can create some bad habits.

I did get my own 172 at about 250 hours and fly it often. Now I have over 1500 hours and starting to get the hang of it.

For yours and your wife's sake I would go back to school and fly with a CFII for while until they says you are good to go. It is money well spent IMO.

Our airport still charges 50 bucks an hour for a CFI if you have your own plane.
Welcome back.
 
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GaryM said:
My advice to @Cessna337 is to find the youngest, hottest female CFI in the area and tell the wife he has complied with her request.
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This was me when I started. Unfortunately she got enough hours to get a job flying a jet and I was back to a male 20 something CFI who were heading to the airlines. My 6th CFII was a 70 year old very experienced pilot who I learned a lot from and was very patient with me. He is the reason I am flying today.

Then I became friends with the pilot in the hangar next door. He is a 22 year Captain for SW and a standards check airmen. He does all my training now and we fly together often.
 
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Gary Ward said:
Then I became friends with the pilot in the hangar next door. He is a 22 year Captain for SW and a standards check airmen. He does all my training now and we fly together often.
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^^^ Yes

Current or former 121 pilots can be very instructive, particularly for IFR. I do the same when can.
 
This is a situation where you need to spend the money on a CFI. If you can’t afford four or five hours of dual, then it’s time to re-examine whether you can afford to fly at all. There have been some changes in the last 20 years, and a guy who doesn’t fly anymore, or someone who is not up to speed on everything, will not be the best choice to get your current and proficient. And let the CFI tell you how sharp you are. Some or a lot of it will come back quickly, and the CFI will tailor the training to firt your needs and abilities.

But don’t expect free instruction.
 
Facebook pilot groups always have people begging to split time/build time. While they may not be instructors, they are active and current pilots.
 
Steamflyer said:
^^^ Yes

Current or former 121 pilots can be very instructive, particularly for IFR. I do the same when can.
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I am very very lucky to be Greg’s friend.
He is a rare pilot who loves aviation even when not working since he was 12 years old working at the airport. I am told he is one of the few 121 pilots who want to fly GA when they are off work. He has an arrow II and a hangar next mine. He doesn’t always fly it but he loves spending time at the airport cleaning his plane etc. he wants to fly with me in my lowly 172 often . He doesn’t care what plane he just wants to fly in anything.
Last Friday night we flew 1.8 doing grass landings in my 172. He flew some and I flew some. I am so happy to fly with him and we have so much fun flying together even when it’s just T Goes in the grass.
I shudder to think where I would be as a pilot without him. I knew absolutely nothing about aviation at 55 years old when I started training.
He works with 4 of us at the airport and the other 3 guys have been flying over 40 years each of them. 2 were Captains before they retired. I am so humbled by being able to hang out with them.

He is such a professional, we fly for fun when he is off work and we have fun. No pre or post briefing.
When we do IPC or flight review he is all business and serious. That is his dry erase board that he uses to de brief. We both have areas in our hangars for training.
He will take no money from any of us. He genuinely wants to keep us all safe.
IMG_4432.jpeg
 
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FancyG said:
Facebook pilot groups always have people begging to split time/build time. While they may not be instructors, they are active and current pilots.
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Thank you-great suggestion!
 
ateamer said:
This is a situation where you need to spend the money on a CFI. If you can’t afford four or five hours of dual, then it’s time to re-examine whether you can afford to fly at all. There have been some changes in the last 20 years, and a guy who doesn’t fly anymore, or someone who is not up to speed on everything, will not be the best choice to get your current and proficient. And let the CFI tell you how sharp you are. Some or a lot of it will come back quickly, and the CFI will tailor the training to firt your needs and abilities.

But don’t expect free instruction.
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Thanks-I know that I need to pay a CFI to get current. That’s definitely clear and I don’t plan to skimp on that. If it’s five hours fine. If it’s 20 hours fine. Happy to pay it to get current. Just trying to figure out how to not pay through the nose to oblige my wife’s request of having someone fly with me always, which is I guess finding someone on a Facebook group who wants to sit right seat.
 
Gary Ward said:
Blow up copilot is the cheapest way to go.
When I was 56 with 250 hours I was very green and mostly only flew by myself for about 250 more hours until I felt comfortable with passenger's.
Unless that 2nd person is a current CFI then you would be best to fly by yourself until you get more comfortable. Passengers can be a distraction and can create some bad habits.

I did get my own 172 at about 250 hours and fly it often. Now I have over 1500 hours and starting to get the hang of it.

For yours and your wife's sake I would go back to school and fly with a CFII for while until they says you are good to go. It is money well spent IMO.

Our airport still charges 50 bucks an hour for a CFI if you have your own plane.
Welcome back.
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Thanks good tip
 
My late friend was the first to fly with me and I was shaky.
My wife waited a few months until she would fly with me.
The first flights were in rented school planes for the first year or so.
When I got my own I was in no hurry to take anyone with me.
I got so much satisfaction learning and building up my confidence on my own. I still mostly fly by myself not because I am scared but because I like the performance when it is just me and my dog
He never criticizes me and keeps his opinion to himself! lol
Last week one night.

IMG_4406.jpeg
 
Cessna337 said:
Thanks-I know that I need to pay a CFI to get current. That’s definitely clear and I don’t plan to skimp on that. If it’s five hours fine. If it’s 20 hours fine. Happy to pay it to get current. Just trying to figure out how to not pay through the nose to oblige my wife’s request of having someone fly with me always, which is I guess finding someone on a Facebook group who wants to sit right seat.
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I'm glad you clarified that you know you need to pay a CFI to get current. You of course will need a flight review. Assuming you're a renter, you'll also need to get checked out to rent. So, once you can satisfy a CFI to sign off your flight review, and you can get signed off to rent a plane, you should be comfortable enough (and capable enough) to fly by yourself. If you are not, then you should get more training. I cannot understand why you would let your wife dictate conditions to you regarding your flying. I can see where that could easily breed resentment, and that is not good. Or maybe she was just trying to say that SHE wants to go flying with you? Now that sure would be a more positive situation. I'm going to hope that's the case.

Good luck to you. Welcome back to the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds.
 
FYI, the closest I came to be being killed when in instructing was by a 24,000 hour airline Captain.

Seems he did not remember what the pedals on the floor were for as he pushed the power up with his feet flat on the floor and we turned left towards the trees. Twice.
 
EAA chapters frequently have the type you mention. Which is people like me by the way. I do LOTS of “comfort” flying.

I basically have a congregation. I don’t ask for money. I get lots of lunches and free tools! Ha!
 
Join the local airport pilots association and you'll find a lot of available right-seaters that are still current...
 
Some of us old farts (well I’m not retired yet), medical aside, have more time with the reversers deployed than the total time of most pilots.

You may learn something from the old guys…
 
Clearly you're facing more than you say here. Your wife is scared of you flying alone, or is afraid of small planes in general. It doesn't have anything to do with your "advanced" age of 49. Yes, we learn things slower as we age, etc., but it's not that dramatic or dangerous at our age (I just turned 50). So the real reason here is clearly your wife being uncomfortable with the idea of small airplanes.

This is hardly unusual.

That's what you need to work on, not this idea of flying with any random warm body in the right seat (for the rest of your life, really?) Get her some lessons. Up your insurance. Whatever it takes.
 
20 years off... I once heard; I think it was in a FAA Wings Rusty Pilot Seminar or something, prudence dictates an hour of rustoleum in the form of a CFI for every year off.. you may want to work an IPC in there too.

Welcome back....
 
Troll thread? I had 20+ years off took about 7 hours to get back to flying solo. The first thee hours I was wondering why it wasn't clicking. Then all of sudden it did and I was back. That was over 10 years ago haven't looked back.

7X50= $350 I think that is probably worth the price even it it takes a little longer.
 
DFH65 said:
Troll thread? I had 20+ years off took about 7 hours to get back to flying solo. The first thee hours I was wondering why it wasn't clicking. Then all of sudden it did and I was back. That was over 10 years ago haven't looked back.

7X50= $350 I think that is probably worth the price even it it takes a little longer.
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Thanks! I do plan to pay for a flight instructor at first.
 
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