Couple of assorted questions for dim pilot.

[Fuji Abound]

Gasax

I am afraid so. I had the first mode S in a SEP in the whole airport for about six months.

Around these parts if there is a solid overcast and you get above the clouds you will be surprised how little traffic there is (after all almost no one has an IR so its only those with IMCrs) - try it in Europe and you might as well go stand in the middle of a dessert somewhere there is as much chance of meeting another aircraft.

Not that I am in any way deriding those pilots who have no wish to fly above the clouds or travel around outside the UK.

[Halfbaked_Boy]

SoCal,

Probably for the same reasons it's possible to obtain a driving licence without understanding the definition of the term 'coefficient of friction'!

Think about it, a few hours in the air (maybe, I don't know?), chat with the instructor, not too many 'veils a la Class D' (!) around... quite plausible for somewhere in the region of 80% of your flying theory to remain untested.

Then again, it all falls down to requirements, and I aint sure about other countries but I'm pretty sure there's no theoretical requirement to revalidating/renewing a flying licence (of all calibres) in the UK?

[Captain Stable]

you might as well go stand in the middle of a dessert somewhere

If it's a chocolate dessert, or cheesecake, or banofee pie I'd love to.
Spotted dick I think I'd have to turn down.

[fholbert]

but how can a license be successfully revalidated without understanding these basic questions?

Many of these questions are international issues or pilot technique . I've been a pilot since 1972 and a former ATC'er both USAF and FAA. I how no idea about o2 requirements for the UK.

Is it March Approach or March GCA? Hell, I used to work a GCA even. When I call them GCA they answer approach. When I call the approach they answer GCA?

I always leave my transponder on. The last time ATC said I was causing Ring Around... Never. GA Transponders don't have enough power.

[Islander2]

Use of oxygen by flight crew on G-reg non-PT flights:

FL130 in a G reg, but this is not mandatory

Just to correct Fuji on that statement, the UK ANO was amended in 2007 to mandate the use of oxygen when flying above FL100 up to and including FL130 for more than 30 minutes duration, and at all times when flying above FL130.

[Katamarino]

Re 'couldbase' and 'ceiling', I'd think you could define the cloudbase as the bottom of the lowest clouds, but the ceiling would be the base of the first layer of broken or overcast (which could have, say, scattered below, giving you a lower cloudbase than ceiling).

I could also be talking rubbish. Any votes?

[Fuji Abound]

Just to correct Fuji on that statement, the UK ANO was amended in 2007 to mandate the use of oxygen when flying above FL100 up to and including FL130 for more than 30 minutes duration, and at all times when flying above FL130.

Islander2

Thank you for the correction.

I was aware this was proposed but I thought after the fuss by the GA lobby it was never enacted for private flights?

[jez d]

SoCal, to further answer your question about the understanding of basic regs and protocols, we're all of us this side of the Atlantic going to have to go back to school come 2012 when EASA assumes full control of European aviation regulation.

It's hard enough for those of us who make a living in GA to get to grips with what EASA is proposing to throw at us. But heaven help your average part-time, recreational pilot, who will have to re-learn a whole raft of flying privileges/restrictions come the big switchover in 15 months time. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if a large number of pilots simply quit flying rather than jump through EASA's newly minted, gold-plated hoops.

Regards, jez

[Islander2]

I was aware this was proposed but I thought after the fuss by the GA lobby it was never enacted for private flights?

Regrettably, it was ... it now resides in the ANO as Article 54A.

[IO540]

The oxygen regs are IMHO a fait accompli because - in this bit of Europe - you can't go very far anywhere near FL100 or higher without going IFR i.e. needing an IR.

And the interaction of viable Eurocontrol routes and cloud tops / icing conditions tends to mean that IFR flight is done at higher levels still. I personally don't even bother filing below FL140 in most cases; one can ask for a "stop climb" earlier if it looks good.

I know there are IR holders who fly IFR without oxygen but I find it hard to understand why someone would go all the way to getting an IR, getting a decent plane, and then chuck away half one's operating ceiling by not getting a portable oxygen kit for about £500. I had oxygen for my earliest VFR flights down to Spain... makes planning so much easier because one can fly above various military areas.

[AdamFrisch]

No, what I think happened in my case was that I hadn't flown in 14 years, but that doesn't mean I didn't have a license. Mine expired year 2000 so I didn't have to redo any exams (if there now is a 10 year limit). I think the old license holders who bridged the crossing over to JAA also got grandfathered in somehow - once you've had a valid license in the old system, you were welcome over to the new one and that could have been an overriding rule in my case as well. I'm not sure.

By the way, there was no oral exam before my recent proficiency check/checkride/revalidation/whatever-they-wanna-call-it. There were some questions in the air, but nothing close to an oral grilling of any kind.

The point is, conscientious as I am, I naturally buy the latest UK Aviation Law & Meteorology book that's part of the syllabus for PPL's doing the exam today, and much of this info is not in there. At least I can't find it. The 500ft rule is however, after having had a re-read.

So, SoCal, perhaps you think this is basic stuff that I should know, but by the many answers of differing opinion in this thread suggests that maybe I'm not the only one who's a bit fuzzy on these.