Restricted PPL

[superdimona]

Can anyone tell me the history of the (R)PPL and why it was removed in favor the GFPT? It seems to me that the (R)PPL beat the snot out of the GFPT. If you were only interested in say aerobatics, glider towing etc you could get a lot of flying in before upgrading to a PPL.

[aroa]

From the dim distant past, as memory serves, or not.. the RPPL allowed you to take passengers and fly around yr local area... and as sd says, clock up hours glider towing, dropping skydivers etc. The restriction being one of distance from yr home field, 25 nm was it? lest the newbie stray too far from the nest and get lost.
Once you had clocked up yr Navs, and could go further afield to get lost or not, you werent a fully fledged PPL.

Why the change to GFPT.? You'd have to delve into the mysteries of bureaucracy for that. Any "safety" reason for that to be done ???

My take would be that someone deep in the bowels of CASA wanted to put his/her stamp on something he/she was involved with, so we got change for the sake of change. We'll change the name.
What did that change produce? Any known safety benefit???

I see that Warbird joyflights are restricted to a similar distance or is it 25 kms these days, restricting a CPL just like an RPPL.
Mustn't land out of course, to show that passenger another warbird at another airstrip... holey moley!!!.. could cost you yr ar$e... thats a charter.!!

[Ted D Bear]

It was 5nm from departure aerodrome ARP or the associated training area, from recollection.

[Avgas172]

In the case of the PPL (R) you actually had a private pilots licence with an area restriction, in the case of the GFPT I believe you still have to be authorised by your instructor to fly off to the trg area, whilst I had my PPL (R) I used the opportunity to hire aircraft from various locations around Australia during the Bi-Centenary celebrations that year (1988), and take the family for rides around the airfield local areas after a check flight, not sure if you can do that with a GFPT. It was a great prelude to a full unrestricted licence IMHO.

[...still single]

Yeah, it was good.


...so it had to go.

[Seagull V]

Yep the RPPL served a good purpose. It allowed pilots to build their experience and rebuild their bank balance before undertaking Nav training for their Unrestricted PPL.

Why did it die? Apparently the CAA had been embarrassed by a few Aussies gaining full foreign licences on the basis of their Oz ICAO RPPL. The Alphabets, who were offered the options of the GFPT or a full PPL, opted for the GFPT under duress. Surprisingly the GFPT accident record appears to have been satisfactory.

Never fear, hope is at hand if you live long enough, as the proposed CASR part 61 has a whole new national (non ICAO) recreational licence to replace the GFPT while having grreater feeedoms than the RPPL. For those interested view this Part 61 Consultation Draft on the CASA website: http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:PWA:c=PARTS061

[Frank Arouet]

It was 5nm from departure aerodrome ARP or the associated training area, from recollection

It was within the confines of the immediate training area, whatever size and distance that may be, or by the most expedious route between adjoining training areas.

Training area's were defined on a map, usually with regard to landform, and a Grade 1 Instructor could send a Grade 3 Instructor to that area for flying training.

Many benefited from cross country's with an UPPL in the left hand seat and you did not need an instructor to sign you out.

As previously stated it was PPL with an area restriction which was lifted when the flying NAV's plus MET and NAV theory were completed.

So easy, but somebody had to bugga it up of course. Hopefully to be rectified with small modification for the new RPL Part 61.

[Capt Fathom]

And many a RPPL strayed from their designated area! They knew better!

[Avgas172]

And many a RPPL strayed from their designated area! They knew better!

Hell it was harder to fly back into the CTA in Cairns than it was to wander a little off course from the Mulgrave Valley training area towards Atherton .....

[Wally Mk2]

Many of us had a RPPL but like all things in life change was going to happen,for better or for worse.
Having a RPPL at EN was great, Bacchus Marsh was EN's training area a 100 yrs ago so off I/we would go on a mini nav-ex every time just to get to the training area, racked up a few 100 hrs b4 i got the restrictions lifted:-)


Wmk2

[Frank Arouet]

And many a RPPL strayed from their designated area!

2 of my solo NAV's included flights into and out of Canberra, back via Wagga, Bathurst then to Camden.

I had a Restricted Private Pilot Licence.

It wasn't until that restriction was lifted that I became an UPPL. From memory that happened at Fortitude Valley after I flew there from Bankstown to have it signed off on my first private trip.

I think my NVFR was also used prior to official promulgation, rubber stamping and documentation by Mrs Gilltrap. I thought Bob Jervis' signature was sufficient.

Obviously that would now be illegal.

[OZBUSDRIVER]

RPPL was a full licence. You could sign off a MR among other things. GFPT is sub standard by comparison