90 Day Rule?

[Gordon Bennett]

"Pilots must now make 3 take-offs and landings within 90 days as sole manipulator of the controls if they wish to take passengers"(Or something like that!) Just wondered if anyone could confirm if that was just for PPLs' or Instructors as well?

[TooHotToFly]

That applies to instructors as well, but as most instructors are flying pretty often it's not normally a problem. Unless you're not doing any training where you actually land the plane i.e. commercial instructors where the student lands every flight. You'll end up demonstrating some though so it shouldn't be a problem.

[Richard Bristowe]

That's right. Just beware of a night instructor leaping off with a student without the night recency part!

[BlueLine]

Richard,

a student is not a passenger so no problem.

[Richard Bristowe]

Hrrrummmphhh. I just said "beware". The advice from our tame (and generally VERY well informed) CAA FE is that while there may be no precedent in law just yet you would be most unwise to try that one.

Does not what you say imply that there is a less duty of care to a "student" than a "passenger"?

[rolling circle]

R.B. - Your 'tame' CAA FE is both ill-informed and wrong! There is a legal precedent and the difference is that a "student" is, within the meaning of the Air Navigation Act, a member of the crew of the aircraft, a "passenger" isn't.

[Genghis the Engineer]

With all due respect to you good gentlemen, to heck with the law. The last thing I wanted when I was learning, or will want when I next go and do a rating, is to find out that the instructor is only just within the 90 day rule. Surely basic common sense says that this is a low minimum and anybody flying regularly, and especially teaching, should be comfortably exceeding it as matter of good practice. If you're not, surely even instructors are allowed a few solo circuits from time to time.

G