Advice
 

Hi Everyone,

I am 47 and have just completed my JAA PPL well converted it from a Cypriot licence. I have approx 120 hours and hope to do my IMC next year and maybe a tail wheel conversion after that.

I enjoy flying but don't want to fly for a career (bit late anyway), however I really would like to do some regular free flying that does not require a CPL. I have been told that I can tow gliders and drop those "mad jumpers" and claim expences without a CPL, is this true? and can any one advise me on the best path towards this sort of flying? I stress I am not hour builder I just love flying and if some one else is prepard to pay for the fuel, well....

Many thanks

Mal

It is absolutely true that you can drop skydivers and tow gliders with a PPL to get free flying!

I've dropped lots of skydivers. Initially it was unpaid on a PPL although I eventually got a CPL, moved onto bigger aircraft and then got paid for it.

Dropping jumpers is GREAT fun, is a fantastic way of keeping current, does wonders for your aircraft handling skills and in my case was a fun way of getting enough hours to get a flying job.

To drop jumpers in the UK you will need to get a British Parachute Association Jump Pilot's ticket. You can find out how to go about getting qualified by reading Section 9 of the BPA Ops Manual available here.

There will be someone on here who can advise you on how to get involved in towing gliders - I've never done that :)

The one thing that I would say is that you mention 'expenses' in your post and if you've only got a PPL, expenses are very dodgy ground. When I was dropping jumpers on a PPL, most places I flew at picked up my food tab at the drop zone canteen on the days that I flew there. Although on a busy, eight hour, flying day I could sometimes eat almost my own body weight in toasted sandwiches (it's hungry work! :) ) - no money ever changed hands and I would advise very strongly that it shouldn't.

If you search the Private Flying forum for "glider tugging" within the last month you will find this recent thread:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...glider+tugging

Lots of pertinent information there.

Further searching both extending the time frame and substituting "parachuting" will probably find more threads. It is a topic that comes around quite frequently.

SD

I just hope they have enough jumpers for all these pilots!

There aren't - that's why the responses are invariably negative, sadly.

SD