Using UAS hours to contribute to PPL
 

I've got about 36 hours, which I've accumulated over the last few years.

My experience entails 20 hours back in 2001 on a RAF Flying Schol, and then about 16 hours on a UAS between 2003 and 2005. I've still got my log books.

I've recently decided to look into doing my PPL (not decided whether to do it in the UK or US yet). I'm not looking at going down the pilot career path, by the way.

So does anyone know if the hours I have could potentially count?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cam.

Any hours flown on SEP Class aeroplanes, with a military QFI or civil FI will count towards PPL issue, as will solo hours.

Air experience flying will not count.

So it is highly probable that all hours will count - as you have the logbooks, you should have no problem.

You will need to cover those PPL exercises which you didn't complete on the Flying Scholarship and UAS courses (e.g. solo navigation and precautionary landings), do the Q X-C and pass the PPL Skill Test once you've also passed all the PPL exams.

So, all in all, probably cheaper in your case to complete your training in the UK as, by the sound of it, you won't need to do much.

Thanks
 

...for that, Beagle.

I had about 2 hrs of Air Experience Flying, which I was able to count towards my PPL.
Should I not have been able to do that? I'm not quite sure what the problem would be? :confused:

It should not have counted as anything except passenger flying.

Since the dumbing down of the UAS system last year, the NPPL accreditation document has been amended to remind applicants that 'air experience' flying with pilots who aren't current QFIs on type cannot be counted towards the NPPL.

BEagle wrote: "the NPPL accreditation document has been amended to remind applicants that 'air experience' flying with pilots who aren't current QFIs on type cannot be counted towards the NPPL"

Does that mean that air experience with a QFI who is current can count towards an NPPL?

Can the same hours count towards a full PPL as for an NPPL?

With regards the thread on credit for military taxi times, does the UAS organisation qualify (eg. approx 5 minutes per sortie), prefereably independantly logged?

Thanks in advance.