iflyjets, If you obtain the AirlineTransportPilot license in your job as an Airline Pilot, the airline will ensure that you stay up to date. Once you upgrade, you get to pass the ATP ride every six months. You will get a three or four day recurrent ground school every year to keep you fresh on regs and such.

At least that's the way it should be In actuality, most of us do try and stay up with professsional publications etc. The checkrides do require some brushing up, so you find yourself making sure that you fly to SOP a little more closely when you have a checkride coming up. I went out and bought a cheap MS sim program to use for the basics of non-precision work, and I boot it up once or twice before a checkride just so I don't have to go into a six month check without having done a VOR approach in the last six months.

However, the longer you do the job, the easier your six month checks become. This probably seems cliched, but it's true.


If you obtain an ATP outside of the airline environ, you might have to spend a little more time on MS sim, or maybe just find a school and buy an hour or two of sim time every so often. If you are financially able, buying a type in something cheap, just for your own skill enhancement would be a great way to keep in "training" shape on your one year ATP anniversary. You can actually obtain big jet ratings for as little as $6000.

All else considered, the best way to stay in shape is to work with/alongside another pilot who has the same aspirations as yourself. The two of you will find yourself challenging each other to maintain proficiency and to advance professionally. I stayed much sharper, with much less effort, when I was a commuter dog, flying with pilots who were still "newbies" than I did when I was a corporate pilot stuck with old crusty "I forgot that crap years ago" pilots.

Good Luck,
skybolt