That time again.... Have not flown a certified airplane in over a year. I'm doing a combo BFR/Checkout at the local FBO. I've been wanting to get a checkout in their 172SP so I can take the fam along with me once in a while. I used to be a member of two different clubs but I let it all go once I got my experimental flying. This is the first time in my short flying career I've steered far away from club rules, rentals, instructors, and $150 an hour airplanes. Before Sept of 09 that's all I ever I knew. Not really looking forward to it. Wish me luck..I'll be studying tomorrow night for a few hours

Good luck Avid, I'm sure you won't have a problem. (Just don't do the Mile Hi Tango )

Its too bad you're not closer, I'm always up for a BFR.

Thanks Matt from here on out I will be looking for someone to to just jump in with me. I have around 150 hours in a 172 so not worried about that part it's all the other jazz they want you to know to take someone elses plane out that gets old. All part of it though I just hate making flying more complicated than it needs to be be. I do plenty of that with my day job

Embrace the challenge of having a CFI evaluate you as a pilot and help identify your weaknesses. The BFR requirement is a great thing in my opinion. I know I tend to fall into a lot of bad habits and I like having someone point them out for me.

Be honest with yourself and come up with some things that you are not comfortable with, and ask the instructor straight away if you guys can work on that stuff.

My last BFR the main thing I learned was the guy was a jerk. He treated it like a PP exam (well, he is an examiner-my bad) and what really took the cake was him stepping on top the 'NO STEP' placard on the strut of the cub-all the while apologizing for doing so.......

I knew by reputation not to take the C182 since I didn't want the 'test' to be on VOR skills-or any of the other multitude of electrical 'whiz-its' that came with that bird.

There is an advantage to flying out here in 'circle-land'-most of the flying is 'looking out the window'.....
The disadvantage is the local instructors (my age) are loosing there medicals, so.....the choice is limited, and somehow my experience with the sampling of 'new' generation instructors has not gone 'well'. (too many 'jerks' in the same cockpit)

Of course, at the beginning (in case it didn't end well), I forked over the $$ and smiled......Cause that's what 'keeps us all safe'

While we are on the lovely subject of BFRs, remember when they were being dumped on us, the 'could not fail you' mantra (they were to just update pilots on new information and polish our flying skills) was repeated incessantly by the FAA? Well, NOW they can just 'not sign you off', after you have paid their fee......In essence 'failure'-but by a different name.

Big government's BIG list of rules have to 'fit' everybody-Logic be damned..........(well, unless you high up in the government......)

YMMV
lc

I generally also enjoy the BFR as Zane does, just to kind of shake the dust off. I also like Joey, more often than not, combine it with a check out in some plane, as I don't get to fly other planes very often - just for some dissimilar experience. This last year I went with a local old-school taildragger guy, and after about an hour ground instruction (mainly talking about airplanes, my plane, his plane, etc.) did some wheel landings, slow flight, and pattern work, then pretty much flew around looking for airstrips. He asked if there was anything I wanted to work on, but nothing really came to mind IN MY PLANE.

At the end, it was a fun night - Hal Stephens (the guy) is a super guy, great teacher (he actually did my taildragger endorsement) and a fun guy to have in the plane telling all the stories of the land. But, I think for my next BFR I will go back to flying another bird, maybe doing something really unfamiliar that challenges me a bit, even if its just because

All that said, nothing is more unpleasant than an a-hole instructor. I did a BFR one year with this "Gold Seal, Master-blaster, super-duper" instructor that supposedly had every rating in the universe. He flew turbine crop dusters as his day job. I thought - Cool! What an a-hole. Evidently because at the time, almost all my flying was in aerobatic aircraft, he expected me to fly some precision routine in the POS Archer we were in that flew like a truck (in no small part because of his svelt approaching 300 bill frame). You can be the best pilot in the world, but if you can help impart what you've learned, in a constructive manner - you might as well just be...well...another a-hole. At the end of the flight, right after signing my logbook, as we were standing in front of the FBO owner, I told him that was the most useless BFR I had ever had, and that the owner should seriously reconsider employing the guy if he wanted to keep students and customers. The guy told me to Fuck Off. I said "see what I mean - just like my BFR".

Now, I generally know who the instructor is before I do a BFR with a new one. I don't mind the tough-love ones - actually they are great because they do point out weaknesses/areas for improvement, and give you instruction. But I avoid A-holes whenever possible - especially in the cockpit!!!

GO get'm Joey!

Avidflyer you won't need luck, but I will wish you some anyway.

My last BFR instructor introduced herself this way. I had stopped at a small out of the way airport and was asked by the guy fueling the plane if I minded if this girl,( who I estimated being recently out of high school), could climb in my plane and sit in the pilot seat. I knew the guy who was fueling and I said that it was fine with me. I thought I could answer her questions and went over to speak with her and even considered pointing out what each thingamajiggy did. But instead she just said, "When's your BFR due and would you consider letting me do it.?" She is a multi-rated flight instructor and a competent one at that, although no tailwheel time. She and the operator there just bought a very nice C150 and she is now giving lessons. $90/hr and it includes fuel, plane and instructor. New interest is showing up in flight training.

Joey, you will do fine. You take control, ask for help in your weak areas. Don't let CFI guy do what he wants. I don't know anyone who has flunked. I have had 2 BFRs now. Whoop dee do. I think you would have to try pretty hard to fail.

I'm sure someone has a story on that.

Littlecub, I'm with you but I won't say anything to get this thread sent to hot air. Everybody knows where I stand on govment. Speaking of the goose that lay's the golden egg. Where's my govment check? I know, I know. I am one of them &*%#*(*&^retired govment types. What can I say.

Good day

Here is a question I have had since my last BFR.
If I am current on my medical does my examiner have to be current on his medical?
My CFI is over 80 years old with more time and experience in Idaho's backcountry than all of us combined. I valued his signature in my log book regardless.

Good Luck Joey! You wont need it. After flying the Avid the spam can will be boring. Just watch out for stepping on the rudder too much! Holy cripes, 150 hr for the 172.. Last time I rented on it was 62.50 hr wet. 152 was 43 hr wet. PA 12 was 65 hr. dang, time flys when your having fun! Just dont try that approach into LAX on the BFR LOL

We have a hard time finding an instructor willing to do the BFR, so count yourselves lucky that the service is somewhat readily available. My guy works for the FAA as a day job. He's a friend of my dad's or he wouldn't do it.

I don't mind taking them...God knows I could use the practice...rather do it in a rental airplane when available if in the real world (the couple of rentals around here are a little sketchy). I don't really dig throttle - chopping CFI's in my equipment.

gb

It would be interesting doing one in my airplane. I don't even have a stick on the right side unless I install it..haha. Thanks for the encouraging words. I do look forward to the sanity check and brush up. It's the things like being required to do W&B when I'm the only one in the plane and performance data for every flight. I just finished reading the Operations Manual for the flight school I'm doing this at. No flight below 1000 agl unless landing, no landing on anything but pavement, no manuevers over 45 degrees of bank, $99 an hour dry, blah blah blah...really takes the fun out of flying...necessary evils I guess....

I mentioned to the instructor about doing the BFR in my plane, which is experimental too, but dual controls. I think she said she needed 6 hrs in the model in order to instruct me in it. She also would need a TW endorsement which she did not have.

Oh, now that you mention it, I have had good BFRs through the years, too. With this old guy (me)the last one is the one that stands out, both since it was most recent, and it was appallingly bad-which does make it unique.
Zane was a little 'glass flowing over', which seemed to prompt my 'ain't half full', response-in my newly awakened state.......

Sorry, Guys

lc

Joey - Hal Stephens in Placerville will do in your plane. For future ref. if you need.

As a CFI I have always approached BFR's as an opportunity for both of us to learn. It is often in a plane I haven't flown recently or even maybe at all. My upfront statement is my goal is to learn something from you. It may be about a technique, a procedure, something specific about your aircraft etc. I also want to make sure you learn something new from me that you can use. I always have the pilot provide me a description of his typical flight profile a coule days in advance. I then design a custom BFR profile around the hazards of his typical flight. This may relate to the environment, the airplane, the weather etc. I also research several databases for safety reports specific to his area of ops, his aircraft and his type/style of flying. There is a flat fee, never an hourly fee. If we get into a great conversation I don't want someone worried that it is costing him more money.

LilCub: I retire from the USAF in 20 months and then I will be back on the dry side of Washington as well. I'll give ya call and bring my C-170 your way.

Jughead

emflys wrote:Joey - Hal Stephens in Placerville will do in your plane. For future ref. if you need.

Thanks for the heads up. If I wasnt' doing this checkout I would be doing it my plane. Almost starting to wonder if it's going to be worth it. I'm kind of stuck now because I expired on the 30th of Nov.

MtCoyote wrote:Here is a question I have had since my last BFR.
If I am current on my medical does my examiner have to be current on his medical?
My CFI is over 80 years old with more time and experience in Idaho's backcountry than all of us combined. I valued his signature in my log book regardless.

If YOU are still current (as in your Flight Review hasn't yet expired) then YES, an instructor who does not hold a medical MAY conduct a Flight Review.

MTV

My understanding is that instructors have quite a few 'hoops' they have to jump through to keep their CFI current. If they don't have a medical it is not worth it to do the jumpin' for an occasional stray BFR that pops up. If their CFI isn't 'current', I presume they can't do BFRs, no matter the pilot-in-needs active/medical status......

It appears to me these 'hoops' the FAA have the CFIs jump through are to keep them all 'on the reservation'........

Accurate??

So....Mike is accurate in the letter, but, indirectly the medical does apply.......

OR, I'm so bad I've run some CFIs into retirement... ....And this is the picture they are drawing me to be nice??

Hope not

lc

Jughead-I do have a 'bit' of extra airspace out here in 'circle-land' that I am willing to share. Welcome
Just don't bring a video-cam 'cause ya hafta edit out the circles......

Still wet behind the ears, I've had three BFRs. All were done in my experimental Savannah. All with different instructors. I like having a different person do it each time because each has a little slant on things. So far none have them have been put off by going in the experimental. My plane has the two-peckered billygoat stick, and no brakes on the right side. Didn't seem to be a problem.

tom