View Poll Results: About what should PPL currency requirements be?
No requirement, pilots discretion
14
16.47%
6 hours per year or less
3
3.53%
about 12 hours per year
41
48.24%
about 24 hours per year
23
27.06%
36 hours per year or more.
4
4.71%
Voters: 85. This poll is closed
Currency requirements
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 680
Likes: 3
From: Who cares? ;-)
hi Monocock,
our 2-seater C 152 cost €85 per hour 
, that 's about 56 pound!! Plus the €330 yearly dues.....
I used to fly a lot... I used to tow gliders in a Morane and a PA 18. Back then I really felt comfortable. I flew to the North Cap of Norway in an Arrow. And yes I agree that flying regularly would be a good thing. But it isn't always possible! Should I give up flying completely? Give up all I invested? I don't think so. As long as flying is still half way enjoyable, I hope to continue... and teaching students what I know is very satisfactory for me. I flew from Germany to North Weald once... I'd love to do it again .. no way I can unfortunately.
When I see some of the pilots around that fly more but, as mentioned above, only for a Sunday local flight, then I agree that it must really be pilot descretion. Our regulations are often compared to the FAA ones. In the USA there are NO time regs, except the 90 day/3 landings. So why can't we adopt that here?
Westy
To fly at sensible touring speeds in two seat comfort can cost as little as £30/hr
, that 's about 56 pound!! Plus the €330 yearly dues..... I used to fly a lot... I used to tow gliders in a Morane and a PA 18. Back then I really felt comfortable. I flew to the North Cap of Norway in an Arrow. And yes I agree that flying regularly would be a good thing. But it isn't always possible! Should I give up flying completely? Give up all I invested? I don't think so. As long as flying is still half way enjoyable, I hope to continue... and teaching students what I know is very satisfactory for me. I flew from Germany to North Weald once... I'd love to do it again .. no way I can unfortunately.
When I see some of the pilots around that fly more but, as mentioned above, only for a Sunday local flight, then I agree that it must really be pilot descretion. Our regulations are often compared to the FAA ones. In the USA there are NO time regs, except the 90 day/3 landings. So why can't we adopt that here?
Westy
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 498
Likes: 0
From: Smurph Castle
You have made a good point there about different types of currency.
Spinning is an obvious one. The 90 day rule highlights another one - TO and landing; it doesn't necessarily follow that if you've flown, you're up to scratch. One easy TO and landing in one month for 4 hours of flying (by this thread's assessment more than acceptable) could be inadequate if you find yourself operating in really difficult conditions 4 weeks later.
On the other hand, I haven't transitted CAS in a little while, but I'd still be happy to fly a SVFR tomorrow (as if...
) and risk having to admit to the controller at some point that I was too busy to catch what they just said to me. This after all would not kill me! 
If I thought I was rusty enough that I would use up too much space on a frequency that had more important uses, I might think twice though.
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,981
Likes: 0
From: He's on the limb to nowhere
FFF correctly said
Not quite sure how any regulation is ever going to completely cover the complexities of a subject like currency.
except I do agree with the take off/landing currency requirements for carrying passengers. Not because the beloved regulators know better than me as to whether I am current enough (thus being one of the dangerous to be around 14), but if you are going to put yourself in the position where you can kill your passenger those three to/landings give you the opportunity to check whether your assesment of your currency is accurate.
Not quite sure how any regulation is ever going to completely cover the complexities of a subject like currency.
except I do agree with the take off/landing currency requirements for carrying passengers. Not because the beloved regulators know better than me as to whether I am current enough (thus being one of the dangerous to be around 14), but if you are going to put yourself in the position where you can kill your passenger those three to/landings give you the opportunity to check whether your assesment of your currency is accurate.
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 616
Likes: 0
From: Essex, UK
Currency in navigation is something that is honed by experience, but something that people tend to have, or have not.
Currency in things that will kill you is what matters (D&D can sort out our hapless navigators). What kills pilots, pilots of any aircraft, is lack of currency in spinning and engine out landings. Few people get killed because they got lost, many die because they turned base too slowly or because they picked an unsuitable field when it had all gone quiet.
History shows that pilots can keep their licences and their lives for decades, on minimum hours, until something goes wrong.
I'm not for increasing the hours, as it will mean that more people drop out and, more importantly, fewer people take up flying.
But once we are pilots, we need to be aware of how well we will effect the operations that we have not done for some time.
I flew 87 hours in 2004 and a 5 week break had me crapping it driving to the airfield.
Currency in things that will kill you is what matters (D&D can sort out our hapless navigators). What kills pilots, pilots of any aircraft, is lack of currency in spinning and engine out landings. Few people get killed because they got lost, many die because they turned base too slowly or because they picked an unsuitable field when it had all gone quiet.
History shows that pilots can keep their licences and their lives for decades, on minimum hours, until something goes wrong.
I'm not for increasing the hours, as it will mean that more people drop out and, more importantly, fewer people take up flying.
But once we are pilots, we need to be aware of how well we will effect the operations that we have not done for some time.
I flew 87 hours in 2004 and a 5 week break had me crapping it driving to the airfield.
Registered User **
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 397
Likes: 0
From: Sydney
I would vote (if i could figure out how the voting thingey works) for 24 as a comfortable minimum, with no realistic upper limit unless based on financial considerations.
I have had a break now and then , in one year (2002) only flying 4 hours, pretty pathetic, but when you get back into it after 2 hours checkout I find it comes back again.
We are very lucky here in OZ, ATC are pretty cool, availability of differing types is good, reasonable cost ( to us I hasten to add, not to the GBP) and a huge variety of places to get stuck into.
My personal minimum is essentially a flight every 2-3 weeks, and that over a 4/6 slot period, ie 12 weeks, I have to do 1 aero, 1 LL circuit, 1 complex (either land-away or scenic or circuit) and 1 have fun (do whatever I want, usually aeros)/
there is a plan in all this, the mins here in OZ are 90 day and 5 Take off and landings, considering you can squeeze in 10 of those in a LL 900 oval circuit off the grass at YSCN , in about 50 mins , it works out OK.
aero sorties usually last about 40 mins, circuits about 1.0, scenics can be anything up to 2.5-3, usually 1.9-2.5 and the fun bit is usually 40 mins to 1 hour.
basically 2+ hours a month (in the month) or 5+ hours a quarter as an absolute minimum, ideally I would be trying for more.
But Kids tend to put a brake on things, I'm thinking of buying milk shares
I have had a break now and then , in one year (2002) only flying 4 hours, pretty pathetic, but when you get back into it after 2 hours checkout I find it comes back again.
We are very lucky here in OZ, ATC are pretty cool, availability of differing types is good, reasonable cost ( to us I hasten to add, not to the GBP) and a huge variety of places to get stuck into.
My personal minimum is essentially a flight every 2-3 weeks, and that over a 4/6 slot period, ie 12 weeks, I have to do 1 aero, 1 LL circuit, 1 complex (either land-away or scenic or circuit) and 1 have fun (do whatever I want, usually aeros)/
there is a plan in all this, the mins here in OZ are 90 day and 5 Take off and landings, considering you can squeeze in 10 of those in a LL 900 oval circuit off the grass at YSCN , in about 50 mins , it works out OK.
aero sorties usually last about 40 mins, circuits about 1.0, scenics can be anything up to 2.5-3, usually 1.9-2.5 and the fun bit is usually 40 mins to 1 hour.
basically 2+ hours a month (in the month) or 5+ hours a quarter as an absolute minimum, ideally I would be trying for more.
But Kids tend to put a brake on things, I'm thinking of buying milk shares
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,648
Likes: 2
From: UK
Our regulations are often compared to the FAA ones. In the USA there are NO time regs, except the 90 day/3 landings. So why can't we adopt that here?
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,648
Likes: 2
From: UK
True.
I guess I'm biased in that:
a) I have relatively easy access to an examiner at my home field. He would be my instructor of choice anyway.
b) I fly MEPs, not SEPs, so I have to go down the route of a proficiency check rather than revaidation by experience.
I guess I'm biased in that:
a) I have relatively easy access to an examiner at my home field. He would be my instructor of choice anyway.
b) I fly MEPs, not SEPs, so I have to go down the route of a proficiency check rather than revaidation by experience.
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 902
Likes: 0
From: Dorset
I haven't flown since Mar 04, due to a number of circumstances:
Generally speaking, I agree with most of what's been said - I've got around 200 hrs over 8 years, so should get back 'in the groove' fairly quickly.
- Weather - prevented me finishing my IMC course last Mar.
- Job change in Mar 04, involving commuting from Scotland to Essex on a weekly basis.
- Birth of number one son (4 weeks early) in May 04.
- Moving from Scotland to Dorset in Jul 04.
- Commuting from Dorset to Essex on a weekly basis.
- Job change in Dec 04, now working in Dorset.
Generally speaking, I agree with most of what's been said - I've got around 200 hrs over 8 years, so should get back 'in the groove' fairly quickly.
