How quick are the CAA?

[bigfoot01]

Just wanted to check views on this, I sent of my class revalidation, just before Christmas, and still haven't had anything back, does this sound about right, or should I get on the phone? Experiences welcome.

[S-Works]

If you sent an SRG1119 then you will not be getting anything back. The revalidation is the signature in your licence.

[Say again s l o w l y]

As Bose has said, you shouldn't be getting anything back. The examiner has signed your licence, the form you sent off is just to notify the CAA that it has been done. It's always a good idea, especially in the case of losing your licence, there is a record in Gatwick then.

[bigfoot01]

Thanks for advising me, I was putting off flying thinking I wasn't valid! Hey ho...

Dave:ugh:

[Keygrip]

Air Law passed with PPL confuser?

[TheGorrilla]

I sent of my class revalidation, just before Christmas, and still haven't had anything back

Sounds about right. I assume you mean christmas 2005?

[A and C]

Very quick to take the money.................... after that they don't give a damm.

[S-Works]

People, there is no fee paid with an SRG1119. As examiners we sign the licence and that is the job done. I normally send the SRG1119 to the CAA in batches once a month. This makes no difference to the revalidation which is valid the moment I signed the licence.

As for the CAA, I am not defending them but my experience has always found them pretty quick in turning stuff around. If I need something really badly I will go in person and wait. Yes I would like an FAA temporary certificate system ideally but thats life.

[Whopity]

Sadly this thread highlights another pilot who does not know how to tell if his licence is valid or not"

To B VALID a licence must:
Be in date Section IX
Be signed by the holder Section VII
Contain a valid aircraft rating
a) in Section XII and;
b) on the Revalidation page
Contain a valid medical signed by the holder and AME
The FRTOL if held must also be in date Section IX and signed SectionVII

[bigfoot01]

...just drop a note on PPRUNE!

Sad to say, this thread is a good example of why this place is getting so flamey. Hey, it's just a hobby to me and I am happy to admit I have a lot to learn, I am sure you guys were born with ultimate knowledge!

Thanks to those who nudged me on the straight and narrow in such a pleasant fashion.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Of course I was! I came out of the womb with a flying helmet and goggles on, not to mention an ATPL and all manner of type ratings. Doesn't everybody?

However, I can sort of understand why people get a bit fed up. It is something that all pilots should know. How to get their licence and ratings revalidated/renewed.

Download a copy of LASORS LASORS: LASORS 2008 | Publications | CAA (http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=90&appid=11&mode=detail&id=1591)

[bigfoot01]

... - no law was broken, I just thought I would get a lovely piece of paper back from those nice people at the CAA.

Here is as good a place to ask questions than anywhere else... Similarly I have been known to ask my friends questions, even talk to my instructors! I don't understand why so much flaming....

Clearly some people feel here isn't a place where knowledge should be shared...

Thank goodness for those that don't feel that way!

[Keygrip]

There's a bit of miscommunication going on here, bigfoot.

What we are trying to get at is that the knowledge that you asking the answers for *should be* a serious and fundamental part of any flying course.

There is absolutely no excuse for qualifying on a licence or rating without knowing exactly what privileges you have just earned - what *can* you do with the aircraft, what you *can't* do with the aircraft, what do you have to do to maintain, or improve, those privileges.

The fact that you come here two years down the line from qualifying and still not aware of the rules suggests you either haven't learned it, were never taught it in the first place, or simply forgot and were either too desperate to post *something* on PPRuNe, forgot what you should know and couldn't be bothered to look it up or, didn't know where to look for the information....which brings us full circle to the original question of you were not taught the fundamentals of what you need to know to qualify to hold a licence or rating.

Nobody is really getting at *you* in particular - we are getting at the fact that there is yet another qualified pilot who doesn't know the rules/regulations on how to use the licence/rating.

I for one, applaud you for asking when you are unsure - but it worries me and saddens me that you do not know this fundamental piece of information and *you* (that is the pilot fraternity that do not know something, not *you* bigfoot) would get a much warmer response if the messages were more along the lines of, "I know I should know this, but can anybody tell me where to look to find...." and do the research yourselves.

Of course we want you to ask when unsure - we are just tiring of the constant repetition of basic knowledge questions that stream from those who constantly post asking for quickest/cheapest/easiest ways to qualify for something without doing their apprenticeship and *learning* the material.

I equally blame the instructors and examiners for not taking the time to explain this stuff to you. I've just returned from a flight and spent a good thirty minutes sitting explaining the qualification that the guy holds and the procedures that he must go through in order to keep it. Writing this response has reminded me that I forgot to mention some privileges, so I will send him an e-mail when I log off PPRuNe - but *why should I* give up the time and effort to explain basic fundamentals to him if he's of the "quickest/cheapest/easiest" mindset. If he can't be bothered, then why should I be?

Answer - because I care. So do the others that pounced, not directly on *you* but on the fact that students are simply NOT learning what we had to do, what we wanted to do, when we did ours.

Is it the three week course in the USA? Is it the use of PPL Confuser that gets you through the exams but teaches you nothing? Is it the industry that's letting you, the client, down by not teaching you properly? There's been a big change somewhere - and it's for the worse.

I always say that I qualified for a licence at Blackpool (UK) but learned to fly at Manchester.

I actually gained my PPL at Blackpool, but when I called into another school (in Manchester), students were talking about stuff that I, as a licenced pilot, had no idea of. I didn't learn to fly at Blackpool - I just qualified for a licence - and I'm tired of hearing that the PPL is a licence to learn.

Of course, you are at the lowest of your experience curve, but it's no excuse to not bother with the fundamentals during training.

Please, do keep asking the questions if you really don't know - but maybe ask yourself "Why don't I know this" and "How can I find out for myself".

I'm having a problem with my HP printer on this computer, but I'm doing some self research before I ask the guys in the computer forum as to how to maybe fix the problem. Your particular question however is a basic fundamental of holding a licence or rating.

Before you sulk at me, the rant above has covered thousands of threads, from thousands of posters before you over the years, so don't think that I'm getting at *you* as an individual. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sorry.

=^..^=

[bilhar]

why is it when any one ask a question
they are being put down ie should have asked a instructor or checked some document
then they lack of knowledge is mocked surely this is whole point of forum most of the time we know the answer we just want confirmation or in case
some thing changed

[chrisbl]

Bigfoot,

I would suggest these are questions to ask the instructor and or examiner. If you bild up the right sort of relationship then you can do this.

[bigfoot01]

...I thought people were getting at me! It's those pesky examiners and instructors...

I am unconvinced that the bureaucracy surrounding the ratings renew process is a fundamental and serious part of flying. Please note, I do understand that I need a valid rating!

I will make the observation, when I got my licence, I probably knew a lot more of stuff I don't use than I do now two years down the line. I have learnt some new stuff too, some good and some bad (habits!).

Just for the record, I had a great instructor! Any memory failings are purely my responsiblity. That said, he did teach lots of things that weren't on the course sylabus.

[BackPacker]

Keygrip, great post.

Personally, I'm amazed that people sell off their PPL books on eBay after they've got the license. Do these people think they're infallable and never forget anything, or that the stuff in there is no longer relevant to their flying now that they've got the ticket? I would only sell off my PPL books once I would replace them with something better (CPL/ATPL) or when I give up flying altogether.

We humans were not meant to fly. Any height above two meters is sufficient to kill you if you land with the wrong body part first. The stuff we do up there is dangerous, and there's two things that can help you when all goes pear shaped: experience and knowledge. PPRuNe gives me both the benefit of the experience of people on here that have way more experience than I have, and gives me the opportunity to acquire new knowledge (or refresh existing knowledge) as well - particularly if a question is posed of which I think "I should know that, but I don't". If an interesting question on here makes me grab my PPL books, or LASORS, or a POH, or something else to answer it - even better.

[octavian]

The comments made by Gorilla, and A and C are not borne out by my own experience, although they may have a far greater knowledge of the norm than I do and if I were you, Bigfoot01, I wouldn't get too hung up by all the axe grinders on prune who seem to delight in trying to ridicule and embarrass others, especially those who dare to be less experienced and worldly wise than they are.

Incidentally, I sent a licence application off to the CAA on 21st Dec 2008 and received a receipt/payment made notification dated 23rd Dec 2008 on Christmas Eve. CAA was closed from 24th Dec until 5th Jan 2009. I received my licence, dated 8th Jan 2009, together with my log book by recorded delivery on Saturday 10th January 2009.

I think that is pretty good service. Well done CAA

[Keygrip]

...and on the other hand, a colleague of mine received a response today (January 19th) to an e-mail question he asked of that very same licensing department on December 1st.

Shame on you, CAA.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Like Keygrip (who made some extremely good points in my opinion) I am very used to being asked what I consider stupid questions by licenced pilots (bigfoot at no time in this rant am I having a go at you, so don't take offence). All of which should have been covered in their training, or atleast they should have been taught where to look for the answers.

None of us can be expected to know the minutiae of flying at any given second, however, we should have been taught how to find the answer to any questions we might have.

Most of the members and students at the clubs I've taught at have ended up getting annoyed with me as I won't answer a straight question. I'll always make them look for the answer. That way, they might remember it. If I've just blathered it out, I guarantee that 20 minutes later they've forgotten it.

Every PPL should have a current copy of LASORS etc. and should know how to navigate it. Anyone over the age of 5 can read it, if you still have questions, then people like Bose, Keygrip or myself will be happy to explain it fully. CAA documents do sometimes need a bit of translation and if you've bothered yourself to have a go, then we're certainly happy enough to fill in the blanks.

There is no excuse for not knowing much of this stuff, afterall, just because you don't know the highway code doesn't exempt you from breaking traffic rules. Ignorance of the law is no excuse! So use a small amount of commonsense and read up on the basics.

If I had £1 for each time I've explained SEP revalidation to a PPL holder, I'd be alot wealthier than I am!