Licence upgrades

[bigflyingrob]

I've started upgrading my PPL(D) to NPPL. I'm finding very few schools know about this route and I had to give them the sylabus which was a bit odd. Thinking it was just me I asked around but the 3 people I know who've done this had exactly the same exeprience.
I thought I'd start a straw pole to see how many other people have done the upgrade and see how they got on.
So folks, how about letting us know your experiences? The route's been there for about 8 years now.
Rob

[S-Works]

What is a PPL(D)?

[Whopity]

Group D was originally Microlight however; Group D ceased to exist about 16 years ago and the PPL(D) became known as the PPL Microlight until the NPPL appeared in 2002.

By upgrade you presumably mean that you are going to obtain a NPPL to fly SSEA aeroplanes. The reason that nobody knows anything about it is because nobody has been told anything about it! The CAA have regarded it as an Industry initiative and therefore have not briefed anyone. Industry has just published a few pages on their website and left it at that. The published material contains some errors but they say that its been approved by the CAA so its OK. It may have been given the go ahead, but I doubt that anyone with the requisite knowledge ever looked at it!

When they changed the licensing rules in the ANO in 2007 even the CAA were caught out; their computers had not been programmed to cope with the changes and it was deferred for 18 months.

LASORS has been the licensing reference book since 2001 and of course its not mentioned in any detail, so the average school and instructor has little knowledge of it.

[Whiskey Kilo Wanderer]

As Whopity says, about the only reference to this is on the NPPL website:

NPPL Website (http://www.nationalprivatepilotslicence.co.uk/New/NPPL%20XC%20REV%2008.pdf)
Section 2.1 refers.

cjboy: Straw Poles are very popular on microlights, where weight saving is important...:ok:

[bigflyingrob]

Thanks for that. I was wondering why it was so hard to find out about it. Hopefully the weather will clear and I can get some time in.
My runway has a stream down one side at the moment!

[Whopity]

The original purpose of the NPPL was to revitalise the flying training industry and increase the number of licence holders by providing a cheaper easier to obtain licence!