well jock, I might just be joining you leeching lot one of these years...
seriously though, the same logic applies - at least it should do in my book. Whether it's the insurers, CAA, whoever... it's the PIC that's, err, in command. If the CAA would
(a) Pursue the PIC if the observer didn't have an instructor rating.
(b) Pursue the observer if he did have an instructor rating.
then that's equally illogical.
There is of course another way of looking at it. You log P/UT, and if the instructor has little to teach you then it's simply an incredibly bad value lesson. It can't be both ways though - if it's instruction, great, then the clubs should say there's a mandatory lesson. If it's not a lesson, if there isn't instruction, it's not instruction, surely?
Does anyone know the official CAA line on this?