While often necessary for the pursuit of higher ratings, or simply to explore areas of interest, hour building can be a costly undertaking if the pilot is not prepared or have a plan. I have seen some enormously successful hour building experiences during my time at SunState Aviation and in all cases the pilot was prepared with a plan. In this article I want to focus on those pilots who come to us for hour building. Let’s start by taking a look at what this planning consists of.

Choosing a flight school

All too often, the first focus is on cost. This is tempting, but the experienced pilot is one who weighs both cost and quality. Will the school you rent from sit down with you and go through the maintenance history of the aircraft you will be flying? Will you be flying a late model, impeccably maintained aircraft with the latest avionics? Will the Flight Instructor staff be available to you for questions on a day to day basis before, during and after your flights? Is the entire staff helpful, prompt and courteous in all of their communications during your stay?

The Checkout Process

Pilots come to hour building with a broad range of skills and experience. Some are newly certificated pilots who are building time towards an advanced rating or certificate. Others are simply here to enjoy a series of day trips around the area or that long awaited journey around the United States. We also see groups of pilots who enjoy the camaraderie and challenge of planning routes and flying together.

The Flight Instructor has the very important responsibility to ensure pilots are safe, knowledgeable and proficient. At SunState Aviation we take this checkout process very seriously. Yes, we are very keen to get the checkout completed and have you on your way to building time, but it is imperative that you are safe, knowledgeable and proficient.

We require pilots to complete Air Safety Foundation courses (5), complete a flight review questionnaire and at least one flight to demonstrate proficiency in a series of tasks that will look much like a typical check-ride for a private pilot.

We take pride in the condition of our aircraft and keeping them in great condition is a daily effort. You will learn the steps we take each and every day to keep our airplanes in top shape and we will request that you perform these same steps.

If you have never flown a C172 or it has been a while, or maybe you are considering getting checked out in a glass cockpit, or perhaps you are a bit rusty with knowledge, you can expect the checkout process to take more than one session. The more successful checkouts are those where the pilot has allotted at least half or a full day to the checkout process.

If you are planning to fly at night or IFR, we do require a checkout in the night and IFR environment. Our G1000 simulator is the perfect tool to complete the IFR training.

Destinations and alternatives

Okay, the checkout is complete and now you are ready to fly. But, where will you go? If you have a plan, you will be ready to begin. We will be glad to suggest destinations that will steadily build your confidence. It is not uncommon for someone to build 5 hours per day of time.

We do request that you keep us informed of your destinations both before your flight and after you have arrived. We do this for your safety as well as us knowing where our aircraft are at all times. Sadly, there are tragic stories of aircraft that were overdue and nobody was looking for them. We do NOT want that to happen to you.

Flying around Florida and points beyond can provide a broad range of challenges. There are incredibly beautiful destinations such as Key West or the Bahamas, or perhaps the seclusion of a place like Jekyll Island or the atmosphere of New Orleans. In any case, the airspace challenges range from simple to complex. Our checkout process and ongoing support will help you to navigate all of this safely and knowledgeably.

Summary

Hour building can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. At Sunstate Aviation we make every effort to ensure you are safe, knowledgeable and proficient in all of your flight activities. Our checkout process is definitely not the easiest you will find but I am confident you will build each hour with the confidence in your knowledge, the aircraft and that more importantly, that you will be safe.

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