CAA giving Instructor Ratings away

[Cocconut]

There is a rumour that the CAA are intending to give Instructor Ratings to 30 British Gliding Association Glider Pilot PPLs. This is so that they can give instruction to PPLs who fly glider tugs in order to meet the requirments of the Bi-annual test/check.
The signature of one of these new 'instructors' will carry the same authority as that of a real Instructor and enable the newly signed up Tug Pilot to fly any aircraft (in that group)into and out of any airfield in the Country bearing in mind that most of these glider tug pilots can go years without ever operating under any form of ATC.
If this information is correct we must object in the strongest possible way to these Glider Pilot PPL's being given Instructor ratings enabling them to have the same privlages as Instructors who had to first gain a BCPL or CPL and then complete an Instructors course.
Anyone got more info on this.

[Raw Data]

I find it hard to believe that these "ratings", if granted, will not be severely restricted...

[OneMileHigh]

I think you worry too much Cocconut.
The CAA aren't daft, and very safety
concious. If there is any truth in this rumour, then I'm sure that they will be selecting highly qualified PPL pilots of which there are plenty in the Gliding world. Moreover, who better to instruct and check tug-pilots than glider pilots. It is a different art tugging gliders aloft.
When I used to glide I've had the misfortune to be dragged aloft by fully competent pilots who just didn't appreciate the requirements of the unfortunate behind, hanging on and gritting the teeth.:-)

[skywatcher]

I think you will find the CAA have agreed to allow a certain number of very experienced Tug Pilots to carry out checks on club Tug Pilots. this is happening now by default as Tuggies generally undergo a yearly check of their competence anyway (or should do). From the paper work I have seen they are not issuing Instructor ratings. It is a more realistic work around I think.

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[conair]

Why don't they adopt the same certification system as the British Parachute Association? They nominate a Chief "jump" pilot for each DZ who is authorized to sign off anyone dropping jumpers after the requisite check ride. That would be even better than a glider pilot. By the way, it's cruel but amusing to see the white-knuckled newbies on their checkrides with four porkers hanging under the strut of a 182!

[skywatcher]

Sorry for the double entry The info you want is a quote from the BGA "these instructor/examiners will be regionally based as our gliding examiners are and we will appoint sufficient instructors to cover the whole country" I don't think they will get the "instructor ticket you think. A lot gliding clubs only employ gliding instructors as tug pilots (so they know what is going on down the back)and also a lot of clubs have profesional pilots as their tug masters to provide the experience necessary. Hope this answers the original quiery!!

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[BEagle]

The airmanship standards and levels of skill demanded for these self-policing specialists will be way in excess of those required of some C152-driving hours-building wannabe!!

[climbs like a dog]

Sounds like a reasonable enough proposal. I wouldn't have thought they'd be given the right to sign off a tug pilots logbook for the JAR instructional flight. By the same token, they have the knowledge to certify tug pilots whereas most FI's would be lost (this one certainly would, not having any glider-tug experience).

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0 to 2000ft in 10 minutes

[BlueLine]

In JAR-FCL parlance a person who can conduct such a flight is called a Class Rating Instructor CRI so whats the big deal? any pilot with 500 hours can become a CRI.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Nothing to get excited about in this proposal.

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