Flying for pure fun

Many career pilots leave general aviation behind, and forget the joy of flying low and slow, taking in the view. Sharing the fun of flying this way with family and friends—including teaching others how to fly—can also be difficult on a company schedule.

The "Back to Your Roots" webinar series was created to help career pilots regain their VFR proficiency and comfort with flying under FAR Part 91. The popular program covers the use of VFR flight following, sectional charts, pilot-controlled airport operations, and other aspects of flying for fun that can be forgotten after spending a few years on flight decks.

The webinars are popular (and qualify for FAA Wings credit, awarded automatically as long as your FAA Wings program email matches the email you use to log in to AOPA), if not always compatible with everyone’s schedule, so AOPA packaged the material into a new online course for convenient consumption.

The course, like the webinar, is free to AOPA members, and can be completed all at once, or in chunks, and you can pick up right where you left off if that’s your preferred route.

The tablet-compatible course covers the same VFR refamiliarization elements as the webinar: regulations, weather minimums, how to get a VFR weather briefing, radio procedures, flight following, sectional charts (remember those?), nontowered airport operations, and more.

Completing the online course brings tangible benefits including a certificate and nine FAA Wings credits, along with intangible benefits pro pilots may appreciate even more, such as reconnecting with the joy of wheels on grass, or setting your own flight schedule.