On behalf of AOPA, the Rusty Pilots team congratulates the 13,000-plus pilots who returned to flying after attending a Rusty Pilots seminar, webinar, or took the online course and completed their flight review. We celebrate with you!

Learn how we can help you knock that rust off and get back to flying with Rusty Pilots! Ten thousand pilots know you can do it.

Getting Back To Flying: Easier Than You Think

If you're like more than 500,000 other pilots (that's right, half a million), you've taken a little break from flying. Maybe more than a little. Perhaps life threw you a curve. Maybe the pitter-patter of little feet, a growing business, or a medical setback had something to do with it. Whatever the case, things are different now. You're back in the game and would like to start flying again. You've come to the right place.

The AOPA Rusty Pilots program has helped over 13,000 inactive pilots return to flying. If 13,000+ other people with similar stories can do this, you can too! Yes, it will take some time, work, and money but if you take one step at a time, you too can return to flying.

No Checkride Required. You Can Do This.

You may have forgotten that pilot certificates never expire. Once a pilot, always a pilot. You never have to take another test or worry about another checkride. All you need is a Flight Review (formerly known as a Biennial Flight Review). That's it. A little brush-up with your local CFI, enough flights to demonstrate competence again (minimum one hour), and – presto! – you're back in the air. Seriously, that's all it takes.

Rusty Pilots Will Get You Started

We have created a fun, interactive initiative that gives you all the information you need to get current again. Our dynamic presenters will bring you up to speed on hot-button issues like medical reform, weather briefings, preflight planning, FARs, and airspace. We currently offer three Rusty Pilots learning tracks. You can attend an in-person Rusty Pilots seminar, a live Rusty Pilots webinar, or you can take the self-paced, online course. You can also participate in any combination of these tracks or you can complete all three. By completing any of the three tracks, you will earn FAA WINGS credits and depending on which track(s) you complete, you will either receive an endorsement for your logbook or a certificate of completion which you can share with your CFI. All three Rusty Pilots tracks are FREE for AOPA members.

Meet Our Instructors

Resource Guide

Click here to download a copy of the Rusty Pilots Resource Guide. It's a convenient cockpit and study reference especially designed to help rusty pilots get ready for the left seat!