CAA refuse AFI rating on a JAA licence
Hi all,
Well, I've been speechless for a few hours about this, but now I'm about to get going!
Had a call from the CAA today to say that my new AFI can't get his instructor rating on his JAA light aircraft licence because it is a microlight instructor's rating.
Yes, his Euro licence allows him to fly microlights, allowed him to build 60 hours on microlights, sit his pre-entry microlight instructor course test, do his course and sit his instructor test.
But it doesn't allow him to be a microlight instructor, they now say (but it did, they said, two weeks ago!)
What he has to do now is sit a microlight GFT (yes, look at Shed 8 of the regs and NPPL micro is a GFT while SSEA and SLMG are GST!!) and an oral test on pilot maintenance etc and hand the authorities another 136 quid for a NPPL.
Then they'll give him an instructor rating.
Of course, he prepared for his course by asking these questions first, and so revalidated his JAA licence with a Cert of Test and renewed his Class 2 medical since that allowed him to keep his light aircraft licence - although the cheaper option would have been a microlight GFT and a micro medical.
So now, after a JAA cert of test, a pre-course flight test and an AFI flight test he has to to a basic GFT?
How does that make him a better instructor, except having to work harder to pay the cash (and wait longer for all the paperwork).
I can't even see anything in the ANO that backs up the CAA.
Thoughts, anyone?
And who regulates the CAA. Is there an ombudsman?
If I have to pay this chap to sit around for another month, he'll earn his keep writing to Scottish MPs, Westminster ones, Euro ones etc.
ps. Landing fees at Strathaven are now #10,000 pounds for anyone who works at the CAA.
They are now £240 pounds for other three-axis microlights owned of operated by British flying clubs. This will allow "flying instructors" to have their passengers pay half the direct costs of the flight.
Private pilots will still pay a fiver.
It may mean that the flying school, Sportflight Scotland Ltd, be making a loss. But my mum, part owner of the airfield, should now see a return on her investment!!!!!!