Originally Posted by Whirlybird
You can certainly fly in controlled airspace with an NPPL. You just can't fly at night or overseas, or add an IMC to it. As for the hours requirement, if you're an average student there's probably little difference in reality as to how long it'll take you. Which just leaves the medical requirements being different.
Are there any key differences - particularly around eyesight? I need glasses to drive (am short sighted), so does this limit me in any way?
I assume to get night rated you'd need to first upgrade to a PPL
Originally Posted by Whirlybird
The trouble with thinking it all out in advance is that flying changes you. What you think you want now may not be what you want after a trial lesson, and not at all what you want after you've got your PPL. There's a fair number of us on here who just started out to see what flying was like, liked it and got a PPL, then liked it so much we considered - and went for - a change of career. So unless you know for certain that won't happen, it's worth keeping your options open. Which might mean going for a PPL rather than the NPPL, though I think you can upgrade later if you want...not quite sure about that.
I'm studying Aeronautical Engineering at university, so ideally would like to go into
something involving planes as a career (not really sure what though!!), but after some work experience have found that commercial flying really isn't for me.
If there's any good websites out there that clearly state the differences and requirements for PPL and NPPL, preferably in idiot-speak
, they'd be much appreciated!