There are a lot of opinions out there usually from the crusty old souls who have not been near the CAA in years.
I had a local CFI of a school refuse to sign a licence revalidation for a student after a flight with me in the days before I could do both bits saying the flight had to be with one of their Instructors to be valid. I have seen other examples of schools insisting that a 'full revalidation' flight be carried out with all of the 'required' skills and the logbook marked as a pass or fail.
What I do have contained in my little examiner pack is guidance notes on what to sign and what is valid and advice that we check the medical so that if it is out of date we can make sure the pilot knows. I do know that any flight as PUT with an Instructor of greater than one hour or an LPC flight of any duration counts towards revalidation. I do know that if I sign the revalidation in the last three months that it runs concurrently. If I sign it before then it runs from the date of signing. I do know I have to complete an SRG1119.
I do know that for an NPPL to be valid they pilot must fly 6hrs a year in the class and have a rolling 24 month flight with an Instructor. I do not send in an SRG1119 or sign the licence.
I do know that as an Instructor I can carry out the review flight and that the content of the flight is up to the pilot. I do have a suggested format for the flight that can be offered to the pilot if they have nothing in particular that they want to do but it is not a requirement just a suggestion. Most people who come for the 2 year flight generally like a bit of guidance and so we cover the usual stuff EFATA, PFL etc. I do know the flight should be a minimum of 1hr. At the end of the flight I will sign the logbook to confirm that an entry with my name as PIC is correct and I will sign the revalidation page to indicate that the requirements for revalidation have been met.
I do know that I will revalidate by experience the licence of anyone who brings me a licence and logbook and has met the experience requirements as outlined by the CAA. I will also ask to look at the medical as requested by the Chief Examiner but I am not in a position to refuse to revalidate if the experience requirements have been met legally. I would recommend to the pilot they get a new medical and point out flight without one would be illegal.
Thats as far as it goes!!!