UAS Hours counting towards PPL

[AOJM]

Hello all,

I've been around on the forums for a while, although I have recently decided upon a name change as I 'outgrew' the old one.

Back to the point,

I'm currently a member of a University Air Squadron, I've been solo and I'm progressively advancing more and more through the syllabus, however, I would very much like to hold a UK PPL and understand that I could use the hours gained from the UAS towards one.

I also hear that to be the case until April/March when military hours will no longer count.

Could anyone please confirm and suggest ways in which I may still be able to use these hours towards a PPL as oppose to starting from scratch and not spending an extra few thousand?

Thanks very much

[BEagle]

I also hear that to be the case until April/March when military hours will no longer count.

Where did you hear that?

[AOJM]

A wing commander from high wycombe talking on the conversation of hours.

Military hours is a very broad term, I apologise. Specifically UAS hours.

[blagger]

I see no reason why your UAS hours won't count towards a PPL in the future, as long as they are with a QFI rather than AEF hours. The changes from Apr 12 are for military exemptions rather than just hours as I understand it, for example the EFT course completion ground exam / flight test exmeptions will probably go.

[AOJM]

Thanks Blagger,
I see what your saying which seems more logical.

I'll ask my CFI tomorrow and see what he knows. I was looking to see if anyone had any rough knowledge for discussion.

Appreciated

[Genghis the Engineer]

From LASORS 2010...

Any previous flying experience in single-engine piston
(Land) aeroplanes gained during any Service Elementary
Flying Training Courses including the UAS Flying Course
(that commenced prior to November 2000, or incomplete
courses from any period of time) may be counted
towards the requirements for the grant of a JAR-FCL
PPL(A). Applicants wishing to claim credits against these
requirements will be required to attend a Registered
Facility or approved FTO and provide logbook evidence of
their training (certified by their military course instructor)
to the Chief Flying Instructor. The CFI will then establish a
course of training taking into account previous experience
to ensure that the specific requirements of C1.2 have
been met.

In addition to any flying training required (where there
is a shortfall of requirements), applicants will be
required to complete one cross-country flight of at least
270km (150nm), during which full stop landings at two
aerodromes other than the aerodrome of departure shall
be made, pass all JAR-FCL PPL(A) theoretical knowledge
examinations* and pass the PPL(A) skill test.

* If the graduate is now a UK QSP(H) credits will be
given for the Navigation & Radio Aids and Meteorology
examinations.

(Section C1, page 6).

Presumably a UAS cadet who does not become a Qualified Service Pilot (QSP), qualifies as having done "incomplete courses from any period of time" ?

G

[Fake Sealion]

GTE has it about right. However, as it states the CFI at the FTO must be able to examine your log book from UAS flying to determine exactly what post solo exercises you have completed. They don't correspond with equivalent PPL course exercises.

[foxmoth]

They don't correspond with equivalent PPL course exercises.

Certainly when I went through service training they were almost identical in content.

[Fake Sealion]

Quote:
They don't correspond with equivalent PPL course exercises.
Certainly when I went through service training they were almost identical in content.

My service training was back in late 70s - the UAS course then included solo aerobatics and solo formation flying.

I guess things may be different nowadays?

[Whopity]

Where did you hear that?

CAA Website in the Latest CAA Notice

[Fake Sealion]

Quote:
Where did you hear that?
CAA Website in the Latest CAA Notice

This does seem rather odd?

So does a Grob/Tucano/Hawk & Typhoon qualified pilot now have to undertake the entire PPL syllabus and all the theory exams if he wants to fly a Cessna 152?

What the score with NPPL/LPL credits?

[AOJM]

Thanks for your help guys,

[foxmoth]

My service training was back in late 70s - the UAS course then included solo aerobatics and solo formation flying

Yes, did the same on mine (and about the same time), but these were on top of the normal PPL post solo exercises and IIRC the only bits that might have been missing were Radio nav and qualifying Xcountry.

[AOJM]

Upcoming on my syllabus;

Sector recce, Solo Nav, low level nav, formation, aerobatics, basic intrument flying

[Fake Sealion]

Upcoming on my syllabus;

Sector recce, Solo Nav, low level nav, formation, aerobatics, basic intrument flying

Sounds about the same as in my day. Out of interest AOJM how many instructional hours is a UAS stude entitled to these days?

I did about 90 hrs in 2 yrs - Bulldog

I had heard the bean counters had taken a large axe to it?

[AOJM]

In the books each UAS cadet is entitled to 10 Hours per year. The most i've seen is 150 + from a 4-5 year pilot bursar!

In the defence review the UAS was hindered marginally i believe, there is a small budget allocated compared it's value to the air force according to OC 22 Group who visited the sqn. We are downsizing our THQ and wales has had theirs demolished to cut costs.

[Bear 555]

UAS?

And I came in here looking to read about Unmanned Aircraft Systems . . .

doh

[BEagle]

They're known as drones.

The revised military accreditation agreement is still awaited........

[AOJM]

Ha,

My apologies for not using the full title!

[Romeo Kilo]

One thing I noticed a few weeks ago when trying to write up my UAS hours was that the little orange UAS logbooks (RAF F414 [UAS]) do not have space to record actual time of departure and actual time of arrival, only durations of sorties and creditable hours. Actual times are required, as I understand it, should you wish to gain any sort of civy license when the CAA/FCL/whoever have a look at your logbook. So, in order to save yourself a rather long and tedious trawl through auth sheets in a year or two, record this information somewhere.

Perhaps a civvy logbook would be the place? But then you've got the whole taxi-time palaver as well - I'll leave that for someone else yo go through.. as I don't think I'm quite clear on it yet!

As for the flying available to students - I left in July, and the biggest hindrance to flying was those pesky EFT full-timers stealing (breaking?) all the aircraft!

RK