GFPT - Instructor approval to fly
Solo cross country requirement for the PPL is minimum of 5 hours. This can be done easily in two solo flights of around 2.5 hours and it would be a very slow aeroplane that couldn't complete the 150nm with two land away requirment in under three hours.
I'd suggest the student would gain more from an interesting flight of around 2.5 hours than lots of straight lines for 4 hours to justify doing the GFPT. All sequences in the GFPT have to be tested again in the PPL flight test so having a GFPT doesn't give any "exemptions" later on.
Why did they do away with the RPPL, I don't know I wasn't here then, but maybe because it wasn't "ICAO" ...but then neither is the GFPT. Nowhere else I am aware of allows someone without a PPL to carry passengers!
Most countries do a navigation flight test at the completion of navigation training then advanced training leading to a separate general flight test at the very end of the course. Here in Australia things always have to be different...
I'd suggest the student would gain more from an interesting flight of around 2.5 hours than lots of straight lines for 4 hours to justify doing the GFPT. All sequences in the GFPT have to be tested again in the PPL flight test so having a GFPT doesn't give any "exemptions" later on.
Why did they do away with the RPPL, I don't know I wasn't here then, but maybe because it wasn't "ICAO" ...but then neither is the GFPT. Nowhere else I am aware of allows someone without a PPL to carry passengers!
Most countries do a navigation flight test at the completion of navigation training then advanced training leading to a separate general flight test at the very end of the course. Here in Australia things always have to be different...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There is value in flying straight lines in more remote areas. A large number of PPL and CPL students fail due to 'failure to navigate'. Why? Poor position fixes and the poor application of course correction rules like the 1 in 60.
2.5 hours, minus around 0.3 for each destination the student visits for the approach, landing and subsequent take off (remember - two full stop landings are required on at leave one of their solo navs) leaves around 1.6 hours flying time. Even at 120 knots the student is really going to leave the boundaries of their training area for very long. You're looking at 30-40 mins nav legs at most, which doesn't always give a lot of time for the student to bed down their navigation cycle, particularly if they are familiar with their surroundings.
From experience, students who try to take short custs and skip things like the GFPT end up shooting themselves in the foot and costing themselves more money when things don't go exactly to plan. Just do the GFPT and obtain your PPL and build some real flying experience on your way to a CPL (I fully agree with you YPJT). There are other benefits too like becoming familiar with the flight test format and ATOs.
2.5 hours, minus around 0.3 for each destination the student visits for the approach, landing and subsequent take off (remember - two full stop landings are required on at leave one of their solo navs) leaves around 1.6 hours flying time. Even at 120 knots the student is really going to leave the boundaries of their training area for very long. You're looking at 30-40 mins nav legs at most, which doesn't always give a lot of time for the student to bed down their navigation cycle, particularly if they are familiar with their surroundings.
From experience, students who try to take short custs and skip things like the GFPT end up shooting themselves in the foot and costing themselves more money when things don't go exactly to plan. Just do the GFPT and obtain your PPL and build some real flying experience on your way to a CPL (I fully agree with you YPJT). There are other benefits too like becoming familiar with the flight test format and ATOs.
It used to be that all GFPT sequences didn't have to be tested again in the PPL flight test if the student had previously demonstrated skill in those areas ie has passed a GFPT. If, however, the student has not passed a GFPT prior to his/her PPL test then the GFPT sequences would need to be included in the PPL test. It seems that credit allowance has disappeared. Wonder why?
Doing a GFPT doesn't have to add additional flight time to getting a PPL. Last time I wrote a syllabus the GFPT was included within the 40 hr PPL syllabus so it wasn't 'additional' hours at all.
The GFPT has advantages:
15 hours instead of 5 solo. That can save money for the student in the long run by reducing the number of required dual checks. Bear in mind that most people don't complete the licence in minimum time so the flexibility is often handy eg stronger headwinds delaying the flight. Who wants student stuck at another field because they don't have sufficient solo time left to return? Also, not all CPL courses involve a PPL test. Some go straight to CPL. Having the additional solo time is needed to meet CPL training requirements.
Previously it would break the required test items into one short test and one longer test instead of one much longer flight. A bit of an icebreaker to introduce the student to flight tests, if you like.
If the student really wants they can go for a pleasure flight with friend or two. Not part of their training but nothing wrong with flying just for the fun of it. It can even help motivate a person to finish their training.
Doing a GFPT doesn't have to add additional flight time to getting a PPL. Last time I wrote a syllabus the GFPT was included within the 40 hr PPL syllabus so it wasn't 'additional' hours at all.
The GFPT has advantages:
15 hours instead of 5 solo. That can save money for the student in the long run by reducing the number of required dual checks. Bear in mind that most people don't complete the licence in minimum time so the flexibility is often handy eg stronger headwinds delaying the flight. Who wants student stuck at another field because they don't have sufficient solo time left to return? Also, not all CPL courses involve a PPL test. Some go straight to CPL. Having the additional solo time is needed to meet CPL training requirements.
Previously it would break the required test items into one short test and one longer test instead of one much longer flight. A bit of an icebreaker to introduce the student to flight tests, if you like.
If the student really wants they can go for a pleasure flight with friend or two. Not part of their training but nothing wrong with flying just for the fun of it. It can even help motivate a person to finish their training.
Last edited by Tinstaafl; 26th Feb 2011 at 03:57.
If I had my time over I would still do the GFPT for two reasons. Firstly, the dual checking as mentioned but more importantly, when I went for my PPL despite being with a different ATO I knew the procedure, i was more relaxed than many of my non-GFPT friends were. I knew what to expect in the theory, I knew to expect an engine failure after take off situation on any climb out and I knew that when given the simulated engine failure, the field may not be obvious but the ATO sure has one they think is best (in both tests directly under the plane).
