BEagle,
You can't blame the situation on JAR or the JAA.
In other JAA countries, one can meet the requirements on a series of flights - I have done so. There is also no silly AIC listing various exercises.
A flight from A to B in the morning and then back in the PM showing the instructor my safe operation of the aircraft was all that was required.
Yes the rules say a flight - but what happened to common sense in the UK?
Far better IMHO to have demonstrated two 45 min international passenger carrying flights with some IFR than 60 minutes of just keeping within the PPL test standards for various manoeuvres!!
Is taxying out and holding at the hold for 50 minutes and then completing one circuit giving a total flight time of 1 hour acceptable?
Regards,
DFC