General aviation or 3 axis microlights?

[Iceburg1]

Hello

I am a 20 year old type one diabetic and have always wanted to fly as a career and now that diabetics are granted class one medicals It may be possible. So if you were in my position would you go GA and progress up to commercial or do you think it's still a long shot and go with microlights as a hobby?

Also one day I would like to own my own aircraft.

Thanks a lot and fly safe

[Crash one]

The answer to that depends on the amount of passion you have to go commercial.If it were me I would go the GA route then LAA & buy if you can afford it an LAA Permit group A aircraft from 10--20k. The time on that will count towards CPL & you will learn a lot more.

[xrayalpha]

Hi,

Well spotted! I had missed that one.

To be frank, I think you will find it hard to get a commercial job as a diabetic. If you were an employer, faced with someone with no experience, would you choose the person who might not be so flexible over one who would not need to go through the testing and monitoring regimes outlined by the CAA?

This will, however, be a huge benefit to existing pilots who have gained a lot of experience and skills, much of it acquired due to a significant financial contribution by their employer, and therefore can continue in their chosen field.

The fantastic news, of course, is that you can now fly and take passengers with you even as a private pilot. Good to see the CAA recognisng modern medical procedures.

Look forward to you visiting us!

[Crash one]

Wot Xrayalpha sed as well. One of these days if I can get off the ground early enough I will make it to Strathaven

[Iceburg1]

Hey thanks for the reply yes the GA route is very appealing and I guess if they start to accept diabetics in the next 5 to 10 years as applicants ill have enough hours logged to train for commercial. I ask about microlights because to become a microlight instructor you need a NPPL (m) then 100 hours logged. Then go on an instructors course and then instruct under an exciting school for a number of hours until fully qualified. If I've read it right no commercial licence for microlights and also only require a class 2 medical to instruct....

[manix-cs]

[If I've read it right no commercial licence for microlights and also only require a class 2 medical to instruct....

Yes, that's right.

You can also factor in a massively decreased cost to gain your NPPL (M) compared with a PPL and then wet hourly costs of just £20 in a hot ship 3 axis like a Eurostar (if you own it that is!), or about £45 per hour if you join a syndicate.

Not sure what crash 1 is referring to when he says you will learn more.....you can certainly add extra ratings to your PPL like night and IMC which you can't (currently) to an NPPL, but from the point of view of flying you'll learn just as much in a 3 axis microlight as in an SSEA........IMHO.

[172510]

A PPL(A) with instructor or examiner privileges may receive remuneration for:
(1) the provision of flight instruction for the LAPL(A) or PPL(A); (2) the conduct of skill tests and proficiency checks for these licences; (3) the ratings and certificates attached to these licences.

It means that with a class 2 medical you can train for LAPL, PPL, IR, Night rating, etc.

[magpienja]

You say 3 axis microlight...has it got to be 3 axis...I had the same idea when I went into microlights...you would never see me in anything but my flexwing now,

If finances are a prob...you can pick a usable one up for under 2k...yes it will be getting on and have a 2 stroke engine...but what fun....you will really feel part of the environment your flying in,

Useless though for progressing to a CPL.

[Crash one]

What I mean by learn a lot more. If you own a LAA Permit aircraft, or a share, you will be able to do your own maintenance under the guidance of an LAA inspector/engineer. You may pick a taildragger which may improve your flying skills. When/if you join your local "strut"/club you will make friends who may be more enthusiastic than the average club aircraft renter, as many of them, though not all, will own their own aircraft. Most of these aircraft will be completely different to the average spamcan, some like classic cars, pretty basic, others comparable to the latest spacecraft! Plus everything between. It is a much more relaxed regime though just as safe or better than the C of A world & a bloody sight cheaper. They are maintained or built by people who expect to strap them to their own ass, not push them out the door for some other poor sod to fly. The microlight world is similar, though restrictive if you need to log hours for CPL.By the way I may be wrong but I don't think you can train for a new NPPL anymore I think it has to be an EASA LAPL.?

[xrayalpha]

Crash One,

Don't know about a new NPPL (SSEA), but you could - and still can until 2015, as I understand - train for an NPPL (Micro), then add an SSEA rating to it.

Otherwise I have maybe missed out on a cheap way to get an EASA SEP (although I have the old PPL(M) rather than the NPPL!)

Then convert NPPL (SSEA) to LAPL and then LAPL to EASA SEP.

But come 2015, it will all be different (including, probably, different from what they say now it will be in 2015!)

[Genghis the Engineer]

I don't know about the medical side, but:-

- In microlighting it's much more viable to start your own business than necessarily, say, group A. The business tends to be a mixture of instructing, sales, maintenance and hangarage. The income is rather better than most GA instructors ever see.

- You can do LAPL, NPPL(SSEA), or EASA PPL(SEP) and still do the microlight AFI/FI qualifications. But also, whilst more expensive, as an EASA PPL holder with FI you can also teach on microlights so long as you are sufficiently experienced and qualified on them.

- I agree, don't discount flexwings. They are tremendous fun, very cheap to run, and have a massive following of their own. And getting yet better...

P&M PulsR at Fly2Pole Open Day, Kemble Airfield - YouTube

- Yes, if you have hopes of going commercial, microlight hours aren't particularly useful right now. On the other hand, putting plans effectively in a holding pattern in the hope of a future change in medical regulations doesn't strike me as massively sensible.

G

[piperboy84]

Sorry in advance for thread drift, but I have a question about 3 axis micro light, can I fly one here in the uk on a Faa ppl, if I get a sign off/check ride from a FI or is it a different license, again I mean 3axis only, not interested in weightshift.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Yes you can.

The law suggests that you may not legally require differences training but you would be a fool not to get it.

G

[xrayalpha]

GtE,

Not sure about that: while an FAA license is ICAO compliant, you might have a problem flying a G-reg microlight?

And if you had a N-reg ultralight, you would be restricted in the number of days you could have it in the UK!

Would suggest this needs further exploration via the BMAA?

(We have a microlight instructor with a Canadian SEP licence but a UK microlight instructor rating, and I can tell you that took some sorting out - pprune helped and a small donation to people for their assistance!)

[xrayalpha]

Iceburg 1,

While it is now true you can be a SEP instructor and earn money without a CPL, just like a microlight instructor can earn without a CPL, as an SEP instructor you would need to be part of a FTO (used to be a Registered Flying School).

Unless you want the paperwork and hassle of setting up a FTO - you can't set up as an RFS anymore - then the big advantage of the microlight route is you can start your own school with limited (almost no) paperwork.

[Iceburg1]

Hey thanks for all the replies. The microlight route is looking at a more positive angle for flying as a career. Ill have to look into it more but then the other part of my brain says "could you" of be one a commercial pilot such as transport.

But is that "could you" worth £80k + ....