Differences training - endorsement

[FlyingStone]

Hi!

About a year ago, I did my differences training on C172 with a qualified FI. We did cross-country to short strip, where we performed few touch and goes, engine failure imitations and few stalls and steep turns en-route. At debriefing, he told me he was very satisfied with my performance and felt I was competent to fly C172. That being said, he allowed me to log the training as PIC (not PICUS but simply PIC) and that was it.

If I understand JAR correctly, JAR-FCL-1.325 says that differences training shall be entered in my logbook and signed by qualified FI/CRI, but the instructor who I did differences training with, told me that such entry was unnecessary since according to JAR, with valid SEP rating I can act as pilot-in-command of any single-piston engine aircraft.

The answer is: shall I pay a visit to the instructor to get C172 endorsement in the logbook or just fly (as I did for a year) as usually, relying that a valid SEP rating alone is enough? Any suggestions from FI/examiners would be highly appreciated.

PS: Can SEP revalidation be done as a part of CPL or SE/IR course (not skill test) if instructor is also an examiner?

[RTN11]

Differences training would not be required.

You did not say what aircraft you were flying before, but I'm assuming it was a PA28 or similar. With an SEP rating, you can happliy jump into any single engine piston aircraft for the first time, and fly it (withing your weight and other limitations). The "differences training" you did was a very sensilble option when flying a new aircraft for the first time, and may have been some club requirement for a new hirer, or insurance reasons, but other than that has no legal relevance.

Differences training is required for a type specified as very different from the rating you require. For example, Microlights, diesel aircraft, and tail wheel aircraft all have a legal requirement for you to complete differences training before you fly them. This is at the instructors discresion, and would usually be 3-4 hours depending on how experienced you are.

I believe any hour long flight with an instructor, or any skills test would be vaild for SEP revalidation by experience, provided the instructor notes it as such and signs it with his licence number in your logbook.

[LEVC]

Transtioning to a so called complex aircraft you are also suposed to do a differences training. That is you fly a C172, then you want to fly something which has retractable landing gear and/or variable pitch prop.

Your differences training from whatever you flew to the C172 was probably not required by the authorities as RTN11 points out, it is probably a requirement of the flying club you are renting the aircraft from. That is why the FI said you can log them as PIC.
If it was a CAA requirement, then the FI would have to be PIC, and it would be endorsed on your logbook as differences training.

you will need a differences training in all of the following cases
-taildrager to tricicle undercarriage or the oposite way
-Fixed pich prop to variable pitch prop.
-Fixed landig gear to retractable landing gear

As far as I know there is no requirement for a given amount of training for any of the above cases, just the amount the instructor decides you need.

Then it gets a bit tricky when it comes to decide if you need or not differences traiing when transitioning from say a DA40 to a clasic variable pitch prop like a Piper archer, because the DA40 has a constant speed prop but it is handled by a computer, that is you do not have direct control over it, while a clasical variable pitch arrancement you do the changes manually with a lever.
I do not know if there is any rule regarding this last case, although common sense dictates one would need the differences training.


Have nice flights:ok:
LEVC

[BillieBob]

Then it gets a bit tricky when it comes to decide if you need or not differences traiing when transitioning from say a DA40 to a clasic variable pitch propNo, it doesn't get tricky at all. All of the required SEP differences training is listed here (http://easa.europa.eu/ws_prod/c/doc/List_of_Aeroplanes_class_and_TR_and_endorsement_list.pdf). Before first flying as PIC in an SEP aeroplane that falls into any of the categories listed, differences training is mandatory (e.g. from DA40 to classic VP prop or vice versa). Once the training has been completed, it is valid for any other SEP type in the same category.

BTW It is EASA's proposal that the differences training will have to be completed if the particular aircraft category has not been flown for more than 2 years. For example, if you undertake SLPC to VP differences training and then do not fly an SLPC type for 2 years, you will need differences training to move back.

In the case of MEP aeroplanes, there is no need for similar categorisation as differences training is mandated for every new MEP type. The EASA 2 year rule will apply also to all MEP types.

Note that differences training is NOT required between petrol/diesel engined SEP aeroplanes.