Hi FA,
I do share your concerns. I looked into this matter a little while ago as I heard rumblings of a proposed ppl/ir class 2 based on a similar standard to that of the FFA equiv'.
I do recall recently reading somewhere in a UK publication that (I believe) the CAA has put forward such a proposal of a class 2 to Big Brother in bureau'ville.
Not teaching anyone to suck eggs here:-
Bottom line - don't watch this space soon. It's taken the lot of "them" this long to bring it up and I can't foresee any governmental agency UK or EU picking up this ball and running with it quickly - that's just not their style or mandate.
Efficiency, economic and democratic accountability just do not appear on the EU regulatory radar model anywhere IMHO. "Pay your dues and pretend to be an airline" is the sad reality.
There still remains a monumental learning curve on both sides. Especially, producing the best manner to tackle politicians that once in a while jump on a biz jet on their election campaigns and think that that's “GA” – i.e. something a minority of wealthy can afford and then you worry about costs versus inflation! It just won't be on their agenda. Couple that with the easy economic benefits that they can visualise from airlines moving large numbers of potential spending pax into their countries/cities and the "rich few" where do they really appear in that frame of mind/picture??
Yep, you'll find some exceptions:
www.pplir.org has been on the case and so has AOPA. But until GA pilot Smith really gets behind the issues collectively he will just end up continually taking onboard more deadweight regulation that may make more sense to an airline than just the real GA we all know it to be!
The IR is no exception.
I've literally just commenced a long distance IR theory course with GTS (
www.gtserv.co.uk) in Bournemouth. There are only a handful of schools providing the tuition this way. So much time was dedicated to the creation of the JAA ATPL that the IR still comes a long (distant) second best in its’ promotion. Again note the trend here; main and obvious rating (ATPL) that plays into the obvious economic model of airlines above is fixed first by the regulators - all else waits. [And yes I do understand the logic in that bias too].
Good luck. I'm sure I've stirred up a hornet's nest here.
Kind regards to JAA IR pilots ATPLs & PPLs.
EG
www.navex.aero