This is an interesting article on the effects of “rustiness” on pilots. I agree with the pilot’s claims. Especially when talking about anti-icing procedures. This may be surprising to people, but those procedures don’t get used that often. When flying, pilots normally make a lot of effort to avoid icing. conditions. Even if the plane is forced to take off in visible moisture with temps around freezing, the anti icing equipment is usually only on until they are clear of the goo. After all, they decrease performance of the aircraft, which means it burns more fuel. And that means less profit.

Another factor is the muscle memory involved in flying. Take offs and landings require a lot of attention. If the movements involved in those exercises aren’t second nature, then extra brain cycles end up expended on basic pitch and power, instead of surprises that pop up. When I was flying we had a minimum currency requirement of two instrument approaches and three landings every rolling 30 days. I was even a little uncomfortable with just that. I always preferred to have a much more proficient pilot with me if all I had was the minimum in the last month.

Simulators can help with a lot, but they are no substitute for the real thing. They are especially good for reinforcing the cadence that goes into flying. It becomes second nature when to do checklists, how to do them, and how long they take. All of the procedural things get reinforced very well by a sim. I would not want to reinforce the muscle memory too much there though. In that case you are putting your faith in how well the software guys are able to model the real thing. I have never been one to trust the models.