I would be very surprised if there was an opening for a PPL to fly on an AEF.

There is generally a waiting list to join and several hoops to jump through before you are approved to fly with cadets.

The sort of flying that the AEF's do is not just cruising around with a cadet admiring the view. Most want to do aerobatics so a PPL would have to be qualified to do some fairly complex aeros - you would be surprised what cadets want to do!!!

The AEF's offer some of the most rewarding flying for ex service pilots as most cadets are keen and a pleasure to fly with so places are sort after.

Beagles point about flying a G- reg a/c doesn't really apply as they are flown under military rules and you don't need a civilian license.

HF

HF - that's true if flown by a military (or reserve military) pilot, but I doubt whether it's true for others (except for student pilots under training).

I wouldn't care to put it to the test.....

Thanks for the input. The guy I spoke to today was the man to talk to and he currently has a one or two PPLs operating on AEFs. My conversation with him leads me to believe it is unlikely but it is possible and we agreed that I should touch base when I move to Prestwick

DD

Not sure of the set up of the AEF's but I would think that as he is a serving WO, he could be supernumerary on the AEF and therefore would fly under that banner with a suitable work up by the QFI's? Going back to the VGS Vigilant system, staff wishing to join that hold a ppl or a service qualified pilot have their required flying hours reduced to reach a Grade 1. Last I remember it was 5 hrs before it could be awarded as apposed 50hrs for someone starting from scratch.

Some twenty years or so ago on No 6 AEF we had a Fg Off VR(T) who said he was the only one of us to have been promoted to commissioned rank when he joined us. He'd left full time service as a master pilot unlike many of the others who'd had to accept demotion from AVM, Gp Capt etc to join our illustrious mob of flying officers. Democracy of a sort !

Best place to look is the ACP1919 and other relevant publications:ok: