Ehmm... that effectively precludes the route of Integrated Training somehow though.. doesnt it.
What I don't understand is why you have to have a PPL to get this done. Obviously if I was interested in getting a PPL I'd probably just go for a Class 2 straight away and then try to go the deviation route IF I were interested in pursuing further licensing. It doesn't make any sense to me that you have to get a PPL in order to obtain your deviated Class 1. I mean, it's quite straightforward that your Class 1 would be renewed anyway if you obtained it with say -5 each eye at the Initial and then at renewal you were -6. If you can still fly with a Class 1 after your renewal, having a refraction somewhere between -5 and -8 why can't you fly with that same refraction on a deviated Class 1 straight away? It just doesn't make any sense to me that someone has to get a PPL to get a Class 1 with a deviation. Requirements of age above 21 and refraction stability sound sensible enough.
Like Mark, I never got a PPL because I'd planned to go the Integrated route, so what is the point in getting a Class 2 and a PPL (i.e. additional expense) before a Class 1 and perhaps before an ab-initio course. The whole point of ab-initio courses is that you don't need any flying experience to enter them. Yet to obtain a deviated Class 1 you need a PPL. This whole deviation thing may not be discrimination, but it sure does close a number of doors to the wannabes in this situation.
