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Old 16th Mar 2023, 14:41
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Genghis the Engineer
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Join Date: Feb 2000
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Originally Posted by Fl1ingfrog
We need to remember that prior to EASA (lessor extent with the JAA) we had 'need to know' but clearly defined paths from the various NPPLs and also from Silver 'C' and Bronze gliding certificates to PPL. There are a number of modifications required to these various courses to update them but previously ICAO had not raised any issues with these to my knowledge. The short courses ensured that the ICAO requirements were completed.

I regularly taught and examined glider pilots and the NPPL range of licence conversions with few problems. The EASA barriers are artificial. The CAA then have good templates for all this and together with AOPA should be able to move quickly.
My first licence was PPL(D), later PPL(M) now NPPL(M), but basically all the same national licence and syllabus.

I "upgraded" to PPL(A) in 2000 under the new JAA system. Had I done it a couple of years earlier I'd have needed I think 15 hours training and a test. Under JAA I needed (as a microlight pilot with around 300hrs) 35 hours. My instructor never touched the controls pretty much the whole course, and whilst I had stuff to learn, it definitely wasn't 35 hours worth. So I was forced to throw money away for no good reason by a system that thinks minimum hours is much more important than simply reaching test standard.

And this perpetuated through EASA and now UK-FCL. There are suggestions of improvements to this, but we're not seeing them yet. Thinking of my own history of gaining qualifications - I did PPL(M) and PPL(A) in minimum hours, so probably needed less, I did CPL(A) in 40hrs compared to the 25 minimum hours, so clearly needed that. I did MEP in minimum hours - did I need all I flew?, actually for that it was about right. Right now having been a CRI for 12 years with mid-3-figure instructing hours, I'm upgrading to FI, and my highly experienced FIC instructor declared the syllabus covered and me ready for test at 15 of the 30hrs required, but I'm still repeating exercises to get up to the 30hrs minimum.

Basically, we should scrap virtually all minimum hours requirements, ensure the syllabus has been covered, and load everything onto the test.

Rant over !

G
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