How the Hell cano the CAA justify £700???

[lloydsky]

What the heck is going on with these unbelievable charges for check rides? Why is there such a jump from PPL or even FI checks to the CPL and MEIR costs?? It's an absolute scandel!

The answer is so all the tw*ts at the top can more easily afford all those little extras on their new jag!

[captmav]

Have to agree with you lloydsky.

If anyone out there can give a justifiable reason why the cost is so astronomical I would just love to hear it...!!!!!

[High Wing Drifter]

How much of that does the examiner see?

[kala87]

They can charge what they like because they are the CAA and are not subject to any independant scrutiny (well, they are subject to Parliamentary scrutiny, but how many MP's are going to worry about the costs imposed on the flight training industry and poor old student pilots??)

Mind, if you train in Spain, the Spanish CAA only charges about £100 for an MEIR skill test.....

The US have the best system, where IR examiners are delegated pilot-examiners, and not FAA employees, which keeps costs low.

[captmav]

'kissmysquirrel', Yup, i know everything cost the equivalent of bodily appendages. I already hold 2 foreign ATPL's, obtained for various jobs around the globe (both are full ATPL's, not obtained on the back of another licence), so believe me I'm fully aware of the cost of flight instruction even if it hasn't been me paying for it. However I still cannot grasp why the CAA charge what they do for flight tests..!!

So again, if somebody can enlighten me......pleeeeeaaaase do..!

[Farrell]

do your FAA training and then convert. i'm telling you boys and girls - it'll put a lot more cash in your pocket. :)

[lloydsky]

kissmysquirrel - you can kiss my a*se!
you are talking crap!

[Craggenmore]

do your FAA training and then convert. i'm telling you boys and girls - it'll put a lot more cash in your pocket. True, but you'll have to sit the 14 JAA theory papers! :ugh:

I'd rather be broke than go through that again ;)

[RVR800]

The whole thing is designed to support the providers and prop up revenue streams......

[potkettleblack]

So are you going to do anything about the CAA fee structures then? Write to your MP, ask for an inquiry investigating how safety can be paramount when the institution vested with its oversight is profit orientated (by law incidentally). Or perhaps just vent your spleen on an anonymous forum with the usual bash the CAA line. Blah blah blah. Do something about it if it worries you so much. Draft a letter for us all to sign and send off to our local MP's just like Dave Calderwood has done about the impending threat to airfields which hit my inbox this morning.

For the record how many jags have you seen at Gatwick? Only decent cars I saw were those driven by some of the ATPL'ers and visitors eg: Boeing, doctors etc.

I look forward to your letter and will of course sign it assuming its factual and well worded.

[Nimbus5]

The CAA's charter requires them to make a profit every year. I believe the mandate is 5% or 6%. This means they review prices every year and raise them. Their charter also requires them only to regulate aviation, not promote it. Regrettably they have decided to reduce fees for airlines and raise them for everybody else to make up the difference.

The FAA's charter is to promote aviation and a great deal of their activity is subsidised by tax dollars. This creates a vastly different result,mainly that flying is a whole lot less expensive in the USA.

[A320rider]

they dont give a s...t to know if it is expensive or not.
as long people are paying them, why they should stop?

they could charge us the double, still people will pay!

[lloydsky]

potkettlebalck!
I haven't got time to sort out a big questionairre and rally for support! I was just venting some anger if its alright with you.