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Rusty Pilots programs

Seminars and webinars to get you back in the air

July 1, 2025
Life may have gotten in the way, but the dream of flight can be yours again.

Returning to the skies is not as difficult as most “rusty” pilots think. AOPA invites you back into the cockpit and will help you get there. Through our in-person seminars (“Rusty No More”) and online webinars (“Knock Off the Rust”), we will help you understand what’s changed in aviation since you last took the controls and brush up on your aviation knowledge. It is easier than most people think; there’s no FAA checkride or test. You might not even need a medical certificate. Earn Wings credits for attending and endorsement label for your logbook, which shows you received two hours of ground training. Check the website for upcoming seminars near you or to register for a webinar.

aopa.org/rustypilots

Get back to your roots

Are you an active or retired professional pilot looking to resume flying just for the pure fun of it? Those who fly professionally often have lots of help and support. Dispatchers prepare flight plans and check the weather. Weight and balance, fuel calculations, and routes are predetermined. ATC helps with traffic avoidance, sequencing, and weather. There is also usually a second pilot to help with the workload. After a few years of flight-level flying, it is easy to become rusty on VFR procedures. So, the idea of fun, low-and-slow flying can become intimidating. That’s why the AOPA Foundation offers its “Back to Your Roots” program as a webinar. Topics include a review of airspace and VFR weather minimums, how to get a VFR weather briefing, using flight following, sectional charts, VFR pattern entry, communications at nontowered airports, and much more.

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