BEagle, I would be interested on your view as an examiner on my comments below.
I have recently completed a JAR PPL with the 10 hour credit that I am eligible for as a Silver C +500 hours glider pilot. I have considerable cross country experience (about 1000km per year) and also hold an instructors rating.
My JAR PPL was completed in 38 hours. That is 3 hours above the minimum and most of my flying was concentrated in a 3 week period, so no backtracking.
My points are:-
1. As an experienced (glider) pilot, I still had to complete key lessons to a suitable standard therefore the 10 hours conversion for a glider pilot is a red herring. No flying school will let anybody take an aircraft away solo without the basics in place.
3. As I took 38 hours before my skills test doing everything 'Right First Time', 32 hours training for a NPPL is impossible. Flying schools will still train to a standard.
4. A beginner will take at least 45 hours to complete all lessons to the required standard, which is the JAR requirement.
Conclusion.
If health is not a problem, the cost of a Class 2 medical is small compared to the cost of flying. Therefore the better licence would be JAR for both Silver C glider pilots and beginners.
P.S. Try putting a TMG rating on a JAR SEP licence and you really hit a brick wall. No JAR TMG instructors and JAR TMG examiners are like gold-dust.
Last edited by Future Pundit; 26th August 2002 at 09:04.