For the record, for a UK / EASA PPL, the absolute minimum to maintain the licence is 12 hours in the second half of each 2 year cycle. That 12 hours must include at-least 1 hour with an instructor, and at-least 6 hours PiC.
So, it would appear likely that this chap was just meeting the minimum recency requirements that the CAA would consider appropriate to - say - fly a Cessna 150.
Military minima are, of-course, somewhat higher!
G