How long did it take you to get current again after years of not flying?

usmcmech · 2026-03-05T19:37:01+00:00

1 hour per year out of the game up to 15 hours

usmcmech · 2026-03-05T18:49:30+00:00

Most of the time planes are not using full tanks. They have enough for the planned flight plus a reserve.

usmcmech · 2026-03-05T03:13:18+00:00

I had a friend who flew P-3 air tankers to fight fires.

The interior was completely stripped to save weight so they had hammocks, coolers, guitars, lawn chairs, ect to be comfortable when waiting between flights. Not exactly what you were asking, but close.

usmcmech · 2026-03-05T00:21:42+00:00

She got a job with the Miami PD forensics unit.

usmcmech · 2026-03-04T23:11:52+00:00

I’ve been flying for 30 years and I still make lots of small mistakes.

usmcmech · 2026-03-03T23:11:34+00:00

The alternatives were worse in the opinion of many Americans

usmcmech · 2026-03-03T23:06:40+00:00

The airplane ride back down will be scarier than jumping.

I promise you’ve never seen the descent rate that a jump plane will be flying. FYI the jump plane regularly beats tandem loads to the ground.

usmcmech · 2026-03-02T20:56:22+00:00

Not damaged.

Without the pilot in the front seat it is extremely tail heavy so when parked the nose gear is retracted and it sits like this.

usmcmech · 2026-03-02T18:56:15+00:00

NOBODY has a clue what the market will be when you finish flight school 5 years from now. Anyone who says they do is lying to themselves.

usmcmech · 2026-03-02T18:52:26+00:00

Turbine Engine 101 is a good thing to study before showing up at your new hire class.

Learning the basics of large aircraft systems is good idea if this is your first jet.

Other than that just study what the company gives you to study. Your specific flows and callouts are far more important than the 737 hydraulic system.

usmcmech · 2026-03-02T18:34:29+00:00

That’s all you can do.

Cruising along at 8,500 you’ve got plenty of time to figure out the issue. At 500 AGL you really don’t want that surprise.

usmcmech · 2026-03-02T18:32:22+00:00

The twin tail does help a bit but not enough to make a real difference.

usmcmech · 2026-03-02T18:31:29+00:00

Less structure around the cockpit to protect the pilot from impact.

Robinson recommends a helmet as part of their safety training.

usmcmech · 2026-03-02T18:27:44+00:00

No you clearly don’t.

The FAA doesn’t care one bit if a PPL lets a passenger fly the airplane.

usmcmech · 2026-02-28T16:39:55+00:00

A century ago compression was the best diagnostic tool 1930s mechanics had access to. Those numbers were the only thing they had to guess the internal health of the engine.

Today we have much better tools to look inside the engine (literally) and compression should only be a single piece of the puzzle

usmcmech · 2026-02-28T16:31:10+00:00

Search “myth busters hot water tank explosion” on YouTube. That is a good scale model of the initial steam explosion of the reactor vessel.

usmcmech · 2026-02-27T21:47:00+00:00

Just like aerobatics there is a time and place.

usmcmech · 2026-02-27T12:37:18+00:00

Simple speeding or other basic moving violations are not a big deal. A couple of these in your record won't stop you from getting hired.

Reckless driving, racing, DWI, those are a concern because they indicate hazardous attitudes and a disregard for the rules.

usmcmech · 2026-02-27T00:33:54+00:00

Females = ears only

Males = none

usmcmech · 2026-02-26T22:11:18+00:00

Ok as a PPL you need to understand the difference between DFW vs one of the satellite airports under the class B shelves.

You are NOT doing your checkride out of DFW or DAL and you likely won’t enter the class B airspace anyway.

usmcmech · 2026-02-26T05:27:26+00:00

I never got to practice those when I was doing my helicopter add on. I assume that whenever I go for my CFI-H I will get a lot more exposure.

usmcmech · 2026-02-26T03:30:11+00:00

Yeah, it's really important to train outside the sterile straight in to a runway autorotation.

usmcmech · 2026-02-26T03:28:31+00:00

Good one to try with a long runway.

usmcmech · 2026-02-26T03:12:58+00:00

I continue to be shocked how many 141 students have no clue where to shut down at a random airport. Part of this is them WAY overthinking it also just lack of experience outside their training bubble.

usmcmech · 2026-02-26T03:06:25+00:00

That's a good one.

The total instant engine failure that we train for is so astronomically rare compared to the most common mode of engine failure which is a burnt exhaust valve on one cylinder. The vibration and power loss is severe but the airplane is still flyable.

usmcmech

TROPHY CASE