@DFC
Every other country in Europe seems to cope well. How is it that in the UK, people claim to have problems undertanding the requirements when provided with a copy of JAR-FCL, plus an AIC from the CAA explaining the situation, plus a book called LASORS which also explains the requirements.
were do you get that idea?? here in Germany it is chaos!!! the problem is, we don't learn from the mistakes/experiences in the other countries because we don't hear about them or don't bother to check it out. I am sooooo relieved to find out that you all have the same problems as we do. We had the further complication of the regulations having to be translated into German, in part being
wrongly translated!! At least you didn't have that problem!
About that training flight:
1) same uncertainties here. We say that an instructor cannot refuse to sign, as the flight took place, no matter how good or bad it was
2) it must signed in the log book... how else can a pilot proove it took place? putting the instructors name in there yourself is no acceptable documentation if being checked; and somewhere in the FCL it's mentioned... don't ask me where...
3) here, too, there are no definite rules about what that training flight ist to contain... it's all up to the instructor. I like to play "dumb guest" and just observe what the pilot does... then give him advice about what he could do better or what wasn't good... and if I feel it necessary, I show him a thing or two
4) question: can the hour be "interrupted" by a landing at another field? I say, why not! I did one flight where we flew to another field... the first leg was 52 minutes, return was about 45 min... the authority wasn't going to accept it because it wasn't 60 min. on one stretch!!
Westy