(N)PPL, UK and Careers

[Serian]

Heya. First post here, so I'm sorta praying I'm in the right forum.

For a few months now I've been doing N(PPL) training, in the Warrior and C152, on the hope to build a career in aviation out of it. However, I recently read that I should have gone for a full PPL if I want to make a career. To what extent is this true, and is it anything to panic about?

Thanks :)

[tinpilot]

Hi,

The simple (but not definitive) answer is that yes, you will need a JAR PPL to make a living as a pilot.

LASORS 2008 is the current reference bible:
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/lasors2008%20(bookmarked).pdf (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/lasors2008%20%28bookmarked%29.pdf)
[74.2 mb]
(new version due out in June apparently.)

Section C6.2 (p145) details the requirements to convert an NPPL SSEA into a JAR PPL.

It appears that any NPPL training hours do not count towards the PPL minimum requirements so, if you are close to achieving your NPPL, you might as well finish and convert later.

If you only have a few hours NPPL training time, it might be better to start again on a PPL course. Your hours of NPPL instruction may not be loggable as PPL training time but the experience you have gained may still be valuable. Most people take more than the minimum time to earn their PPL licences, you already have a head start.

Good luck.

[BroomstickPilot]

Yes, serian, the PPL is the first rung on the ladder to professional flying. The NPPL is not recognised for this purpose. However, all your flying so far should be recognised towards the PPL.

For a PPL, you should only need to pass the PPL medical then do the additional training. However, if you are really thinking of going professional, then it may be a good idea to do the professional pilot's Class 1 medical, just to be certain you can get through it, because if you can't then you can never be a professional pilot no matter what you do.

You will need to check the following with someone more knowledgable than me, but I think you will find that you will need to do the additional hours including instrument flying, the PPL triangular cross country and skill test and of course the six written exams.

Broomstick.

[honda cbx]

Serian, i'm afraid you are correct, you do need a full ppl, this is so you can work through your other ratings and add to the basic ppl, an nppl cannot be added to. However asuming you can obtain the correct medical, you can upgrade your nppl to a ppl at a later date.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Depends upon the career - but what's said above is absolutely right where flying is concerned - unless you want to be a microlight instructor, which can be done with an NPPL.

Of course, if you plan a career in airport management, engineering, admin support - but want to demonstrate a good understanding of what flying is about, then an NPPL is a perfectly good way of doing that because it's the other qualifications that you might have which matter otherwise.

G

[Crash one]

If you are training in group A (C152, Warrier etc) then any training to NPPL will count towards PPL, all that is required is class 2 medical & extra hrs, Speak to your school.