After the rules got so silly in the wake of 9/11, I stayed away from the airport for a couple of years. Lots of new "Temporary Flight Restrictions", but they wouldn't show them on a map. It wasn't worth the risk of being intercepted by F-16s.

When things returned back to semi-normal, I thought it would take some time to renew my skills, but I found it's just like riding a bike. After an hour or two, it felt like I never left.

I guess all that simply means, if you want to get back in the left seat, don't worry about shaking the rust off. Just go fly.

wow, thanks for all the great advice, guys..i didn't expect to hear much input. i probably should have done the regionals years ago when my other friends were doing it, instead i made the jump to 135, progressed quickly and began making great $$. would do it differently if i had it to do all over again.

scott, i appreciate the offer. if i get interested into looking into the eagle, i'd certainly pm you. right now i'm just thinking of instructing. tim, i know the pay sucks..it sucked when i did it years ago when i was billing $25 an hour freelancing advanced ratings only. too bad i couldn't bill at that rate for 8 hours a day..today i could charge more, but seems you wind up billing for around 4 hours a day no matter how many 'hours' you work. point is that i used to enjoy the work. the last year as a lear captain, making 6-figures, i hated it and was realllly burnt out. i hear you guys about good equipment and bad weather. the chief pilot at the last company i worked for, an air ambo outfit, wanted to make sure that i understood that 'we deviate for weather here..' the freight dog, plow-thru-anything attitude preceded me. they wanted to make sure that i wouldn't fly nurses, patients and their families through the crap you routinely busted through flyin' rubber dog ****.. ;)

Follow your gut first, your heart second.

Go for it and dont look back.

Ryan, remember, the offer always stands so if you decide in, say, a year, to try the interview, pm me.

thanks, scott. they're building a new airport not far from me right outside of little rock..saline country airport, km99 i believe is the identifier. just had a grand opening this past friday..thought i might go by and see if a free-lancer could work outa the fbo. i gotta pull out all the old books though..i need a flight review myself, although now i understand that i could fly without a medical and give instruction to a pilot who has a current medical/flight review. we'll see. thanks so much again for the offer. i do miss the old lears.

I admire all the pilots here on Pelican. When I was in high school back in the late '60's, I had to go see the career counseler about what I wanted to do in life.

I said, I want a 4 year degree and come out being an airline pilot. I don't want to go in the military because I'm tired of parents/teachers telling me what to do..

He said: You have the grades and all the talent for the job....I've heard stories of you riding your motorcycle and know you would do a good job, BUT - you wear glasses and have to be 20-20, uncorrected. Forget about being a pilot...

One of the saddest days of my life....Had to figure out what was my 2nd choice......

20/40 uncorrected vision and color vision issues for me. Those issues ultimately didn't stop me from living my childhood dream, however.

My parents almost sank my career before it started (I wanted to be an airline pilot all my life) back when I was in my teens by telling me the same thing people told you back then. Lucky for me, I was waiting in the Quad at UCI for a Poly Sci course that I hated and saw a light plane fly overhead heading for the pattern at my local airport. I decided to ditch the class and went and found the biggest flight school there and took a "Demo" ride for $25. Best $25 I ever spent because it was then and there that I found out you do NOT need 20/20 vision to fly professionally. A year or two later, I was talking with a guy in school who's dad was an AA pilot and he told me that his dad was color deficient but had gotten a waiver from the FAA by taking a test of sorts that demonstrated he could identify aviation red, green, and white light signals shot from the airport Tower at night and could also identify the various greens and browns on a VFR chart. That did it for me. Long story short, I did the same test and got a lifetime First Class Medical Waiver from the FAA for deficient color vision and never looked back. That was back in the mid eighties or so. Interestingly, I ended up instructing at the same school I took my Demo flight at years before and spent some time as the assistant chief instructor there.

I haven't had a real job since I started that job back in '89 (at least that's what it feels like to me anyway). ;)

scott, similar story for me. began with a $25 intro flight. i was living in st. augustine florida, about to attend the fire academy in the early 90's. i dropped in on the flight school i'd pass every day on the way out to the fire school..and found that i had more in common with the folks learning to fly. i spent the money on the intro flight, bought a private pilot manual and spent the weekend thinking. the following monday i began my flight training..ditched the fire academy.

Ryan,

You have mentioned some problems with depression and medication in the past. How long since you have had any issues and or taken any medication?

Reason I am asking is that on a FAA medical you have to self disclose anything you have taken or medical treatment WITHIN THE LAST 3 YEARS. If you are ok within the last 3 years then push ahead. If you do not do this or "forget to self disclose" and the Feds find out its jail time, so best to be honest.

If you have any medical issues, then join AOPA and ask their AeroMedical folks. They saved me years ago when I was first starting out (eye muscle issue) and hand walk your paperwork into the chief Doctors office in OKC.

If you feel like you want to do it then give it a try again. There is nothing wrong with being an instructor if thats what you are interested in or try with 450k and the commuters. As well I have a friend flying medivac in Hot Springs if you are interested in that...

The future is very good in aviation, especially if you are experienced. If you need a hand, PM or email me, glad to help anyway I can.

Joe A

My wife's company is hiring 70 pilots/month right now and having a hard time finding enough.

I had a medical issue a few years ago where the doctor had an A/C vent right over the place you'd stand for the eye test. Well the air was blowing hard enough to make my eyes water and I couldn't pass the test 20/20. He put a limitation "must wear corrective lenses" on my medical. I called AOPA and they told me the correct forms to take to my optometrist for a real eye test. The FAA took it off of my medical and I haven't had a problem since. At some point I will need corrective lenses but it was a nice lesson in paperwork and finding the right AME.

Another thought is for you to get back into the swing of things with aviation, start instructing, and set yourself up for the Very Light Jet market. I'm sure there will be a lot of people looking for instruction in the new VLJs and someone with your experience would be valued as an instructor. Your jet time would be something rare.

VLJ market...not bad idea for down the road perhaps. hmmm...thanks! :)

Be the ball Ryan - see your future...

Ryan,

Since your posting this I have done some research for you. There is a large number (10+) adverts in the last month or two of people looking for Lear pilots.

If you decide to go this route and change your mind about going back into Lears, pls let me know. Yes you are out of currency but that can be taken care of and you have PIC time in the bird, which helps.

Let me know if you need some help in this...

Joe