X country problem

[foxmoth]

I am told I can't put my students through the skills test until they have completed ALL the other requirements for the licence. I have a student who is now trying to fit in the solo qual. x-country which of course means booking up the aircraft for over 1/2 the day only to find that it is not used because of the wx. or some other problem. If she was able to get on and do the skills test, I could at least put SOME of this time into good use in training for and doing the skills test (the wx may be out for only part of the day, or ok at base but not en-route).
Are other people finding the same problem? and if so shouldn't we be getting this changed?

[Noggin]

Cross Counties in the winter always have been a problem, nothing new. Under JAR-FCL the training must all be complete prior to the conduct of the Skill Test. We have all known about this for a number of years now. Its not going to change, so a little planning, and good luck with the weather is required. The best option is to start a PPL in the winter and finish in the Summer. Now is time to recruit your new students.

[foxmoth]

This WAS a new student at this time last year! We just had a rotten summer, in fact in the summer this will be even more of a problem with more people wanting to fly and more x-countries to do. If you then get a grotty day it has even more of an effect.
Just because this IS the system doesn't mean it is RIGHT, and if it can be improved upon we should try and get it changed.Allowing the solo qual. xcountry after the skills test would give schools much more flexibility, which affects their profitability and YOUR job prospects.

[Noggin]

According to the JAA anything can be changed. Just send your notice of proposed amendment to JAA HQ at:

P.O.Box 3000
2130KA Hoofdorp
The Netherlands

When they persuade the other 26+ nations to agree, it will happen, in theory that is. Personally I expect to have retired by then.

[Sliced Pan]

Foxmoth:

Here's a good one that apparently you can get away with:

The requirement states that the student must do one 300nm xc with two full stops at airports different that the base airport. The holes in this read as follows:

Whats to stop you going from your base to somewhere else than back to base again, then the next good day go somewhere different, making sure that 300nm have been completed, you've fulfilled the requirement, just not on the same day.
I cannot find a time limit to this 300nm x-c crack so do one bit one day then another the next. (Maybe I'm full of S### but go ahead anybody and prove me wrong)

See ya
Pan

[Noggin]

Whilst there is no stated time limit in JAR-FCL1, the CAA require you to have completed the X-Cty in one day i.e. a 24 hour period, as they always have done. The PPL requirement is 150 nm.

[A and C]

How little things change twenty years ago when i was doing the PPL i had in total 32 X-C flights called off and then no one had heard of the JAA it was all down to the WX.

In the long run i dont see the JAA requirment making a lot of diference to the time it takes to no a PPL but the fact that you cant take the skil test befor you have done all the trainning has some logic.