Hi all,
The chap has done about 4 hours in our C42 and is up to test standard according to his instructor.
He had looked at getting his SEP up and running again, but felt that - in Scotland - a traditional Spam Can was going to be an expensive way ahead.
The route of an NPPL (M) appealed since we charge 140 per hour and no landing fees and a tight circuit, compared to SEP rates elsewhere in Scotland.
Whichever route - SEP or NPPL - there is aircraft hire and examiner fees.
Then there is C42 lessons - cheaper than SEP lessons in Scotland.
Then we have no landing fees - Cumbernauld is £15 for the 1st and 7.50 for touch and goes.
But there is an NPPL M initial issue fee to pay.
But then he could add SSEA to his NPPL, if he decides to fly/own an LAA aircraft.
Basically, hiring or operating an Annexe 1 aircraft is just getting very expensive. And if he wants to fly in bad weather or at night, he can get paid for it in his 757!
(and my wife doesn't want any CofA aircraft based here since she thinks visiting Cessnas are too noisy, and there are few other hangarage options in central Scotland!)
If he could have avoided an NPPL application and a NPPL GST examiner fee and the aircraft hire for the test because of the way his examiner had read the ATPL references on the CAA web site, it might have saved him a few hundred quid.
(would rather he spent the money with us than the CAA and the examiner!)
So, thanks all for confirming what I thought. Good to know we were right and the examiner wrong!!