Who is responsible for supplying the PLB?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 980
Likes: 21
From: Uxbridge
Who is responsible for supplying the PLB?
Since all club EASA aircraft (that do not have ELTs) will be required to be equipped with PLBs soon, I would liken that to the First Aid Kit and the Fire Extinguisher. That is; a portable unit that must be carried. As far as I can ascertain the owner or the operator is responsible for equipping the aircraft with such items but the PIC must only ensure that they are in fact on board. If this were not the case I'd need another flight case for these items.
Opinions please!
Opinions please!
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,547
Likes: 0
From: Dublin
I don't think the leglisation says who must provide it, but simply that it must be there.
If the PIC checks and it's not there, then there can be no flight. It doesn't matter who should have put it there. It's probably a bit like headsets. Often rental aircraft come with them, sometimes they don't but you can hire them. Often pilots prefer to bring their own.
If the aircraft doesn't come with headsets, it's probably slightly cheaper to rent.
If the PIC checks and it's not there, then there can be no flight. It doesn't matter who should have put it there. It's probably a bit like headsets. Often rental aircraft come with them, sometimes they don't but you can hire them. Often pilots prefer to bring their own.
If the aircraft doesn't come with headsets, it's probably slightly cheaper to rent.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 980
Likes: 21
From: Uxbridge
Headsets are not required equipment. Aircraft can be flown with a hand mike and a speaker, or even non-radio.
It does matter who should have put it there, in the same way as it matters who should have supplied the first aid kit. (Not sure why I used capitals before)
I'm fully aware what PLB stands for bose-x, like you I've had one for years.
It does matter who should have put it there, in the same way as it matters who should have supplied the first aid kit. (Not sure why I used capitals before)
I'm fully aware what PLB stands for bose-x, like you I've had one for years.
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 532
Likes: 0
From: Wales
Well lets be practical, and more logical....
A Flying School is in the business of providing 'experience flights' to
members of the public, and PPL training. So the passenger, or student, will need to be issued with a PLB. So the Club will need to have spare PLBs if they have several aircraft.
So if you hire the aircraft as a PPL pilot, then in some cupboard there will be it's associated PLB gathering dust, which the club might hire to you for a quid or so.
A Flying School is in the business of providing 'experience flights' to
members of the public, and PPL training. So the passenger, or student, will need to be issued with a PLB. So the Club will need to have spare PLBs if they have several aircraft.
So if you hire the aircraft as a PPL pilot, then in some cupboard there will be it's associated PLB gathering dust, which the club might hire to you for a quid or so.
Joined: Aug 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,221
Likes: 129
From: Near Stuttgart, Germany
So the passenger, or student, will need to be issued with a PLB.
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,524
Likes: 1
From: United Kingdom
So the passenger, or student, will need to be issued with a PLB.
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,093
Likes: 9
From: UK
It really is simple - each aircraft should have an ELT. All very clever but expensive and not practical if there are no electrics such as in a Tiger Moth or microlight.
If this is not practical etc then one person on board should have a PLB.
Note that an ELT is registered to and fitted to a specific aircraft.
A PLB is registered to a specific person and should (in theory) only be carried by that person.
In practice a microlight club will probably have a few registered to the club owner. The risk here is
that the club owner's wife will probably have a policemen at her door to tell her that her husband has been fatally splatted when he is sitting in the hangar wondering why the student is late returning.
If this is not practical etc then one person on board should have a PLB.
Note that an ELT is registered to and fitted to a specific aircraft.
A PLB is registered to a specific person and should (in theory) only be carried by that person.
In practice a microlight club will probably have a few registered to the club owner. The risk here is
that the club owner's wife will probably have a policemen at her door to tell her that her husband has been fatally splatted when he is sitting in the hangar wondering why the student is late returning.
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 3,991
Likes: 8
From: UK
If I recall correctly the UK had a derogation until April next year from the requirement for EASA aircraft to have an ELT fitted. After that time if there is no further derogation then you will have to have an ELT.
Also other states (such as Holland) do not have derogations so legally even in a UK registered aircraft you should have one when flying in those countries. Whilst PLBs are a good idea (and probably better since ELTs don't work underwater in the case of a ditching) they do not fulfil any legal requirement for an ELT.
Also other states (such as Holland) do not have derogations so legally even in a UK registered aircraft you should have one when flying in those countries. Whilst PLBs are a good idea (and probably better since ELTs don't work underwater in the case of a ditching) they do not fulfil any legal requirement for an ELT.
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 519
Likes: 16
From: Luton
It really is simple - each aircraft should have an ELT. All very clever but expensive and not practical if there are no electrics such as in a Tiger Moth or microlight.
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 519
Likes: 16
From: Luton
If I recall correctly the UK had a derogation until April next year from the requirement for EASA aircraft to have an ELT fitted. After that time if there is no further derogation then you will have to have an ELT.
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,270
Likes: 0
From: The World
I am confused. To my knowledge the current change to come is the possibility to use a cheaper PLB as a replacement for a mandatory ELT - at least for certain countries. A PLB is always registered to a person, hence the name, while a fixed fitted ELT is registered to the aircraft ID and a mobile ELT can be both, registered to aircraft or person.
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 980
Likes: 21
From: Uxbridge
The PLB has to be registered to the owner or owners and can be registered to a company. The form also asks for vessel details (whether the vessel is an aircraft or not) including the callsign. I have heard of others registering them to: Aircraft - Various.