Originally Posted by
IO540
I think the above explanation (which I don't dispute for a moment) demonstrates what a mess the rules are.
I think that if you lined up 100 UK instructors and asked them about ANO article 26 or whatever, 90 of them would say they have never heard of it.
My experience of hanging around the flying scene for a few years is that almost nobody has any understanding of these rules.
But isn't it is these rules that give us in the UK flexibility and freedom - being able to fly at night with nothing more than a night rating is surely a great privilege. Surely we don't want to get into a situation where you have to have an IMC rating/IR just to fly VMC at night? Being able to fly at night in VMC subject to the restrictions of your licence but only having to obey two IFR rules is I would suggest an elegant way of giving PPL holders 24 hour flying outside CAS.
As for instructors - if what you state is correct then no wonder the CAA/EASA are keen on imposing more regulatons and restrictions - if we as a community cannot act professionally then we will have decisions and freedoms taken away from us.