Rusty pilot - way too often!
When I?ve gone a period of time without flying I tend to do the following on the first flight out of my home airport (KRQO) which is uncontrolled (no tower).
1. Start engine, Taxi, Takeoff and Climbout paying close attention to checklist discipline, smooth application of power and airspeed control. I always ask for traffic advisories from OKC approach control on climb out letting them know my intentions.
2. Twenty to thirty minutes in a practice area working on steep turns, power on and power off stalls, and stall recognition/prevention. I try to pay close attention to heading control, stall speeds, altitude lost and smooth recovery. It?s also critically important to constantly visually clear the area and look for emergency recovery sights in case a forced landing.
3. Then it?s time to request some practice instrument approaches from OKC approach control. These are usually done at an airport with an operational tower (KOKC or KPWA). Since I?m usually VFR between 5,000 and 6,500 feet when doing the above air work I must then descend VFR to around 3,500 ft for approach control to begin factoring me into their flow patterns. This is a great time to couple my autopilot, review my approach and setup an initial coupled approach sequence. I always fly my first approach coupled to allow me the opportunity to look outside for traffic (since this flight is normally a solo experience) and refresh in my own mind gps, EFIS and autopilot buttonology. This first approach is usually an ILS since my gps is non-WAAS. I fly it to a T/G and then do a second ILS (non-coupled) with a go around accomplished at DH.
4. I then return to my home airport and finish my instrument work with a non-precision GPS approach. I like to fly to the IAF, do one procedure turn, and if that approach is coupled, I then dial in my step down altitudes to MDA. Again this is usually to a missed approach. Then to the visual pattern for two or three touch and go landings.
This routine normally consumes about an hour and a half of flying (give or take 15 minutes). I feel like it refreshes several important skills: checklist discipline, basic aircraft control, instrument procedures and equipment operation proficiency, and finally a little confidence in my airmanship skills, landings, and working with air traffic control.
Some will argue flying practice instrument approaches without a safety observer isn?t very smart (I cannot disagree here) but I?d rather risk myself (under approach control supervision) than ask someone else to join me when it?s been a while since I?ve flown. Besides single pilot operations are more the norm with me than multi pilot flight. With approach control calling out known traffic and ads-b in and out also providing traffic information I hopefully have minimized unknown traffic situations. However, ?see and avoid? is always paramount so that is why I?m always ?peeking? when flying instrument approaches (even in the rare situation of having an instructor/second pilot flying with me).
Hope this helps.