Originally Posted by
averagewhiteguy
Welcome back to the big show! Having not flown since 2012, there are a few things to consider:
1. Currency. Getting recurrent in a real live airplane will be super valuable. Going down to your local flight school and getting single engine, multiengine, and instrument current will go a long way.
2. Proficiency. Proficiency covers regulations, instrument procedures, and flying skills. The great thing about proficiency is that it's cheap. A few tools to consider include FAA.gov to get back into the regs, the front section of the Jeppesen approach plates or Government approach plates, and microsoft flight sim will get you 99% of the way there.
3. Networking. Depending on where you're at and where you want to go, start looking into networking opportunities. Any local Aviation Universities will likely hold job fairs, following regionals and 135 operations on LinkedIn will take you far, and reaching out to former pilots will probably net some welcomed help.
The climb may look steep but it's completely doable. Good luck and fly safe!
Thanks for the response, I have been reaching back out to old pilot friends. Also, I have been renting an SR-20 from the local flight school to get recurrent to a certain degree. I'm thinking about going back instructing part-time to help with that. Would not be able to go back full time because of pay.
I have been hitting the books again as well, getting the knowledge base back up. We used Jepp at the 91k gig so I'm brushing up on those as well.