I don't think so.

EASA is likely to deliver a "pan European NPPL" which is a good thing for VFR pilots.

However, the majority of purely-VFR pilots do little more than burger runs. What EASA will do for the rest remains to be seen. Introducing a VFR license is relatively easy (once the local CAA job protection stuff is sorted, and the French have got what they wanted). In fact JAA more or less delivered that - the medicals were the main issue.

Also there are thousands of pilots who would most strongly disagree about losing the "loved national rating" you refer to...

And I can guarantee that EASA is not going to do anything whatsoever about idiotic airport management, which is by far the #1 issue for pilots using GA for something real. This is totally outside its mandate.

EASA is about licensing and similar paperwork. Once you have collected your bits of paper, that issue is done and dusted, more or less. It doesn't affect the next flight.

Real irritations:

JAR/EASA
Nimbys, windfarms & eco-twats
DfT (who used to be called DoT until they did something so embarrassing they changed their name.Tossers)


TBC...

Perhaps - but what about Eurocontrol's standardised rules of the air...
EUROCONTROL - SINGLE EUROPEAN SKY MANDATE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDISED EUROPEAN RULES OF THE AIR (SERA)

This is a real problem area.

Walter Mittys

Logbook cheats and liars

Appalling customer service at many GA clubs/schools

300 hour aircraft owners with an IMC who've been to France a few times and believe they have as much experience/knowledge as any Instructor

They probably do have more experience than most instructors (sadly).

I think that I have to agree with IO540, I have met (f) ATPL holding instructors who hve never been across the channel.

Most of them can teach people to fly an aircraft but have no idea how to use an aircraft for traveling.

And why would all Instructors have been or wanted to go across the Channel?.

I haven't been across the channel in a single and would be quite happy to put my hand up and say I have a clue how to do it thanks to PPrune but it would be a steep learning curve.

Then again the Highlands of Scotland to the Channel would be a bit of a trip.
Just like from the south coast to Kirkwall would be a bit of a trip going the other way. Flying around in the Cairngorms and dealing with the wx for me is normal as it will be for any northern Instructor. Stick a south Coast Instructor out of Perth to Kirkwall in anything other than CAVOK and they will be in the same situation.

PS I agree a 300hour owner that does go see places will have way more clue than your common garden Instructor. But thats not the instructors fault. Most of us at that stage would love to be able to afford to do that sort of flying. But we can't so we don't. It doesn't make you a bad PPL instructor for not having that experence.

Wot Smithy said. And:-

People who want non-standard joins when the circuit's busy, and end up cutting you up :*

Instructors who don't think PPLs have any opinions worth listening to :sad:

Aero Clubs which have no interest in what their members want :ugh: :* :(

Agreed, as long as said PPL instructor flies and trains within thier own experience skill set, and honestly tells a student "I don't know either" when that is truly the case.

You don't need to have "crossed the channel" to be able to teach basic aircraft handling skills well.

You need to have "crossed the channel" if you're planning to tell everyone that you're a pilot who has crossed the channel!

....Is a very relative thing. I've crossed continents in different types, but found trying to get enough sky in Scotland (pun intended - yes I know "e"), very challenging.

We all fly in our comfort zone (and hopefully are honest about it). The experience comes from safely expanding our comfort zone.

Today's weather. Horrendous :uhoh:

This weekend's weather, not looking good :uhoh:

obviusly most of you haven't dealt with passengers...that's def the most annoying thing. Not the notams...

. . . . sky heroes who are dismissive of "spam cans". So a PA28 may not be pushing the outer limits of aviation, but it damn well suits me and my budget.

. . . . similarly, the self-same experts' contemptuous attitude towards PPLs who can't pack in dozens of hours a month. It might take me a while to fill in a page of my log book, but that doesn't make me a dangerous pilot.

(note to self . . . . watch out for creeping paranoia)

Mostly positive about flying, but there have been a few things getting my goat recently:

- "Can't do" Britain; particularly flying schools, there is enough red tape already without you adding all your rules and regs thank-you.
- 28 day currency, on a given operator's a/c, particularly on simple types. If I've been flying a PA28 down the road, and have done an initial checkout with you, I do not need a recurrent ride just because I've not flown yours in 5 weeks.
- people who want to turn GA flying into the same button pushing, system monitoring fest as flying a big jet. If I had a computer fetish, I could stay at home and exercise it lot more cheaply; I came to fly.

Thats all :E

Ah but their PA28 will have the narcokingbendixgarmin radio stack with efisclockworkgpsflatscreen nav kit. Hence you need differences training!
Oh not forgetting how differently they all fly!

Still my pet hate... Stripes worn in a single...

How about GPS's that have track lines that are not magenta.....mine has a green track line.

I am not drawn to aviation because it annoys me.

-- IFMU

crossing the channel
 

It would seem it ture pprune style a few did not read my post in full, the "crossing the channel" was just an example. So for those of you who don't read more than one, the punch line is below.

Most of them can teach people to fly an aircraft but have no idea how to use an aircraft for traveling.

As an instructor you are trainning a person who could launch off across the globe the day after the PPL is issued, so as one who instructs in the southern UK it is likely that the first thing my ex-students will do is fly into europe.

How then could I teach my students properly for the flying that they are most likely to do if I had not done it myself?

Going back to the thread may be one of things ten things that I hate in aviation is people who dont read posts on pprune past line one!

It sounds to me that "crossing the channel" is one of many "rites of passage" to which a UK or European pilot would asipre. That sounds reasonable to me. The fact that an instructor, or other mentor pilot, would train a another pilot, without having themselves accomplished all rites of passage, is not only reasonable, it's enevitable. There is just no way we can all do it all. Many less experienced pilots with whom I have flown, are off doing the most remarkabe types of flying near and far. Perhaps I will do some of these types of flying too.

The key is that an instructor, or mentor pilot does their job honestly, and gives their best to prepare another pilot for a new experience safely. When that is accomplished, the trained pilot should either have the skills to safely undertake a new adventure, or know that they do not have those skills, and thus seek out more training.

We all have something to teach another, and lots to learn, if someone will teach us. Those who remain at peace with this, will do well. Those who don't agree, are in for a nasty, and probably embarrasing surprise one day!

The fact that you do not know it all, does not mean that you are not very important as a teacher of some things, as long as you are teaching what you know...