Trial flights - are they legal?

[BEagle]

This has obviously come to the CAA's attention again recently:

TRAININGCOM 1/2007

4. CAP 755 RECREATIONAL AVIATION ACTIVITIES MANUAL

There is a long-standing safety concern that some flight instructors are conducting flights on the basis that they are flying training, when in substance they are public transport flights and ought to be conducted under an AOC. This concern is particularly focused on the practice of offering 'trial lessons'. There is, in law, no such concept as a trial lesson; rather, there is a first flying lesson, which may or may not be followed by subsequent lessons. Consequently there are a number of companies offering vouchers for 'trial lessons' and such vouchers may be given as presents however:

• The recipient of the voucher may have no interest in learning to fly, but may wish to have the experience of being flown in a light aircraft.
• From their point of view they will simply be a passenger being flown on a pleasure flight.
• They may not appreciate that the flight is being conducted as a flying lesson and that accordingly it does not comply with the stringent requirements for a public transport flight.

With industry, the CAA has introduced a common code to set minimum standards of operational control for recreational aviation activities. CAP 755 Recreational Aviation Activities Manual was published 2005 and is available on the CAA website at www.caa.co.uk/cap755 . It provides the template for various types of activity and it can be used by individual operators as both guidance and a written proof of their compliance with the recommended standards and procedures.