I enjoy my niche thanks, the fact that you don't think so or how big your school is matters not a jot. It is possible and I have proven it so.

For the avoidance of doubt I am not advertising anything, I have no wish or need to advertise on an internet forum board. I do not teach CPL or PPL and never would unless I opted to take the CPL TK exams and gain a CPL; this is unlikely. So if the original question was as a career instructor in a large school then that my path is not the correct one. My point was that there are many other facets that are possible should one have a different strategy so I don't agree that it is a chocolate teapot, readers can take whichever path they choose.

I have nothing further to add to this conversation that will benefit the thread or its readers

The priviledge to conduct training for a Night Rating is contained in FCL.910.FI FI so is the province of a FI, the privilege is also conferred upon a FI with restricted priviledges, but is not included in the IRI or CRI priviledges. The FI who has qualifired under FCL 915.FI FI is limited to giving instruction for the LAPL (only) and whilst a LAPL holder may add a Night Rating, the FI(LAPL) is not granted any priviledge to instruct for a Night Rating!
So please let us know how a FI without CPL knowledge can teach the Night Rating as I can't find anything in the legislation that permits this, (except for the grandfathered National FIs)?

I'm not quite sure that the whole picture is being presented here.

http://nationalprivatepilotslicence....20CPL%20TK.pdf

So they can teach for the NPPL including all its associated ratings and lets remember there are a significant number of microlight instructors who make a their living out of just that. A suitable qualified FI without CPL TK can do that.

Also upon completion of the FI course if the candidate is suitability qualified (300 hours TT) they can apply for a CRI rating. This allows them to teach for numerous ratings. Do the hour with an instructor flight and the numerous types of differences training that are available. Also there is nothing stopping them adding addition privileges such as aerobatics

I know 5 FIs without CPL TK. Two work full time and both used to work for the largest ATO in my part of the country. The other three work part time and seem to be fully booked.

Also there is nothing stopping any of these guys from doing the CPL TK at a later date and one of them did just that and he now works for a fair sized UK airline.

Whopity wrote: Not so.

At the 2015 LAPL Review Board meeting, in response to a query posed by DGAC (France), it was confirmed by EASA that a 'LAPL-only' FI may provide flight instruction for a LAPL holder to include additional ratings in the licence - e.g. Night, Aerobatic or Mountain ratings. The 'LAPL-only' FI has to meet the same requirements as other FIs to be qualified provide such training, but does not have to meet CPL knowledge requirements. He/she may also conduct differences training for LAPL holders.

There is an action item on this requiring RMT.0596 to clarify the existing sections of SubPart J to make this clear.

Thanks Beag, so we can now see that to teach the Night Rating for anyone other than a LAPL holder you need to hold a FI Rating without the LAPL only limitation.

No, just as a PPL/FI may instruct an ATPL holder for the Aerobatic Rating (assuming he/she holds the relevant qualifications, a LAPL-level FI may provide flight instruction for a Night Rating to be included in a pilot licence, again assuming that the relevant instructional qualifications have been met, irrespective of the licence level.

It is only the instruction for a licence, not a rating, which requires the FI to hold the same (or higher level) licence. Thus a PPL/FI may not instruct for the CPL itself, but may instruct a CPL holder for an additional rating - and the same logic applies to the 'LAPL/FI'.

EASA made this clear several years ago.....

Thanks for all the replies , I will be going down the cpl tk and ppl/fi rating , I know I dmwont become a millionaire doing it , but it's the highest I can get due to not being able to get a class 1 due to a slight eyesight defect in the bottom of my left eye

Good decision although I would still recommend the ATPL TK for the IR TK credit. ATPL v CPL TK isn't really much extra work.

Very best of luck with it.