New PPL syllabus?

[Bear Cub]

I'm wondering if the "building block" style PPL syllabus has been changed recently - can anybody advise?

I was approaching an airfield tonight - darker than a very dark thing - and, before being able to get an opportunity to transmit my position and intentions to the tower, I listened to a very lengthy transmission between the controller and an aircraft in the area.

They were "discussing" the various types of airfield approach and surface lighting that was in use.

The aircraft called back with "OK, thanks for theeducation, I'm a pre-PPL with only 13 hours and I've got my big fat instructor sat here with me.....I haven't learned the lights yet".

If the student has only 13 hours total time, why was he night flying and why was the instructor allowing an R/T exchange like that?

Or am I just getting old and boring?



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Hunting is bad!!
Support the right to arm Bears!!

[Noggin]

Not sure which country you are in, but there is nothing to prohibit a student combining the JAR-FCL night qualification with the PPL, a slight change from the national PPL. Regarding the RT interchange, if it was ATC the controller should have known better, or was it AFIS or A/G?

[Bear Cub]

Yes, Noggin....you are quite right.

A student is perfectly entitled to learn night flying during the JAA (and FAA) PPL syllabii.

However, you missed the point of the sarcasm - there can be no jutification for an instructor taking a student on a night flying exercise when he (male, in this case) has only 13 hours of flight time.

To introduce the challenges of night flying to a student who has not yet learned how to even land the aeroplane properly - and is unlikely to have done his first solo (though possibly) - is just not professional.

Night flying requires navigation skills and instrument flying skills - and the landing references may well be different.

To take a student on a night cross country at only 13 hours is a disgrace. It is a waste of the students money and the only purpose it can justifiably serve is to get another hour on the instructors time sheet and log book.

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Hunting is bad!!
Support the right to arm Bears!!

[Noggin]

As you do not know the circumstances of the flight I am not sure how you can make such comments. The process of learning does not necessarily have to follow a precise regimented format. I know a number of people who have gained experience by flying with an instructor on practical A to B flights. Most have taken around 100 hours to qualify for a licence, but on doing so, they are no doubt better qualified than the average pilot produced by following a series of more formal lessons. They may be wealthy enough to afford this bespoke training, on the other hand, they may being ripped off, unless you know the facts it is surely unwise to prejudge events based on some radio tittle tattle.

[This message has been edited by Noggin (edited 12 November 2000).]

[A and C]

Noggin i agree with all you say but what do you think are the chances of this being "bespoke training" vs rip off ?

[RVR800]

1% vs 99%
The 100 hours night requirement for the
UK CAA ATPL is quite onerous and time
is pressing..
Oh how cynical of me



[This message has been edited by RVR800 (edited 17 November 2000).]