There's a bit of miscommunication going on here, bigfoot.
What we are trying to get at is that the knowledge that you asking the answers for *should be* a serious and fundamental part of any flying course.
There is absolutely no excuse for qualifying on a licence or rating without knowing exactly what privileges you have just earned - what *can* you do with the aircraft, what you *can't* do with the aircraft, what do you have to do to maintain, or improve, those privileges.
The fact that you come here two years down the line from qualifying and still not aware of the rules suggests you either haven't learned it, were never taught it in the first place, or simply forgot and were either too desperate to post *something* on PPRuNe, forgot what you should know and couldn't be bothered to look it up or, didn't know where to look for the information....which brings us full circle to the original question of you were not taught the fundamentals of what you need to know to qualify to hold a licence or rating.
Nobody is really getting at *you* in particular - we are getting at the fact that there is yet another qualified pilot who doesn't know the rules/regulations on how to use the licence/rating.
I for one, applaud you for asking when you are unsure - but it worries me and saddens me that you do not know this fundamental piece of information and *you* (that is the pilot fraternity that do not know something, not *you* bigfoot) would get a much warmer response if the messages were more along the lines of, "I know I should know this, but can anybody tell me where to look to find...." and do the research yourselves.
Of course we want you to ask when unsure - we are just tiring of the constant repetition of basic knowledge questions that stream from those who constantly post asking for quickest/cheapest/easiest ways to qualify for something without doing their apprenticeship and *learning* the material.
I equally blame the instructors and examiners for not taking the time to explain this stuff to you. I've just returned from a flight and spent a good thirty minutes sitting explaining the qualification that the guy holds and the procedures that he must go through in order to keep it. Writing this response has reminded me that I forgot to mention some privileges, so I will send him an e-mail when I log off PPRuNe - but *why should I* give up the time and effort to explain basic fundamentals to him if he's of the "quickest/cheapest/easiest" mindset. If he can't be bothered, then why should I be?
Answer - because I care. So do the others that pounced, not directly on *you* but on the fact that students are simply NOT learning what we had to do, what we wanted to do, when we did ours.
Is it the three week course in the USA? Is it the use of PPL Confuser that gets you through the exams but teaches you nothing? Is it the industry that's letting you, the client, down by not teaching you properly? There's been a big change somewhere - and it's for the worse.
I always say that I qualified for a licence at Blackpool (UK) but learned to fly at Manchester.
I actually gained my PPL at Blackpool, but when I called into another school (in Manchester), students were talking about stuff that I, as a licenced pilot, had no idea of. I didn't learn to fly at Blackpool - I just qualified for a licence - and I'm tired of hearing that the PPL is a licence to learn.
Of course, you are at the lowest of your experience curve, but it's no excuse to not bother with the fundamentals during training.
Please, do keep asking the questions if you really don't know - but maybe ask yourself "Why don't I know this" and "How can I find out for myself".
I'm having a problem with my HP printer on this computer, but I'm doing some self research before I ask the guys in the computer forum as to how to maybe fix the problem. Your particular question however is a basic fundamental of holding a licence or rating.
Before you sulk at me, the rant above has covered thousands of threads, from thousands of posters before you over the years, so don't think that I'm getting at *you* as an individual. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Sorry.
=^..^=