NPPL
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: He's on the limb to nowhere
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So just to quantify the potential savings (and these are all back of the beer mat figures), lets say the NPPL doesn't allow you to do long cross countries. I've checked my records and had 12 hours of xc prior to ppl issue.
I still think the student would need to do at least 3 hours xc with an instructor just to make sure he knew how to do it if he got lost/weather closed in, so lets say there are around 10 hours to save in training. Obviously (to me) all the rest of the training (stalls, landings, slow flight, ground reference, emergencies, steep turns, etc etc etc ) would need to be taught to the same standard of the 'normal' PPL so I would hope there is no cost savings envisaged here.
So work out your cost of 10 hours at your favourite flying place and that might give you an indication of cost savings.
It scares me that you can keep current with only six hours a year (there is no way I'd go up with somebody who had logged that little in the previous 12 months unless I had the controls in front of me) but that's another issue. Obviously once you start flying then the costs will be the same, I don't think the cost of an ECG is much in the grand design.
Just out of interest, this sounds very similar to the Recreational Pilot in the USA. I think this was also introduced with the best of intentions, public demand, everybody thought it would be a good thing and would bring more punters in. However, if you look at the actual facts (yeh, I know, how tedious
) there has been a ridiculously low take up.
Out of 633675 'active' pilots in the USA, there are a massive 321 recreational pilots USA Pilot figures - it's down the bottom , I haven't knowingly met one.
I would think it's essential for the NPPL pilot to be able to 'upgrade' to a full PPL and his NPPL experience has to count for this. I wouldn't allow extra ratings to be tacked on to the NPPL. As for medical issue, I think the CAA should seriously consider making it easier to get a class 2. Other countries have sensible standards and there doesn't seem to be an issue with planes dropping out of the sky because you cannot read a colour chart!
I still think the student would need to do at least 3 hours xc with an instructor just to make sure he knew how to do it if he got lost/weather closed in, so lets say there are around 10 hours to save in training. Obviously (to me) all the rest of the training (stalls, landings, slow flight, ground reference, emergencies, steep turns, etc etc etc ) would need to be taught to the same standard of the 'normal' PPL so I would hope there is no cost savings envisaged here.
So work out your cost of 10 hours at your favourite flying place and that might give you an indication of cost savings.
It scares me that you can keep current with only six hours a year (there is no way I'd go up with somebody who had logged that little in the previous 12 months unless I had the controls in front of me) but that's another issue. Obviously once you start flying then the costs will be the same, I don't think the cost of an ECG is much in the grand design.
Just out of interest, this sounds very similar to the Recreational Pilot in the USA. I think this was also introduced with the best of intentions, public demand, everybody thought it would be a good thing and would bring more punters in. However, if you look at the actual facts (yeh, I know, how tedious
) there has been a ridiculously low take up. Out of 633675 'active' pilots in the USA, there are a massive 321 recreational pilots USA Pilot figures - it's down the bottom , I haven't knowingly met one.
I would think it's essential for the NPPL pilot to be able to 'upgrade' to a full PPL and his NPPL experience has to count for this. I wouldn't allow extra ratings to be tacked on to the NPPL. As for medical issue, I think the CAA should seriously consider making it easier to get a class 2. Other countries have sensible standards and there doesn't seem to be an issue with planes dropping out of the sky because you cannot read a colour chart!
