Glider pilot to a PPL
 

Hi, I'm an early solo glider pilot. I heard with gliding experience I can get reduced hours on my PPL. I am starting my bronze soon, and hopefully the bronze xc. Does anyone know what I need to do to get these reduced hours?

Thanks, Ollie.

Have a read of CAP804. Everything should be in there.

First of all, you need to get a glider pilot's licence, so Bronze + xc endorsement & then paperwork & cheque to the BGA who will then ask the CAA to issue you an SPL.

The amount of crediting you get depends on whether you do an LAPL or PPL course. Part FCL has all the details, Annex I FCL.110.A(c) for the LAPL, FCL.210.A(d) for the PPL. Basically, up to 7.5 hours for the LAPL, up to 10 hours for the PPL.

CAP 804 is long out of date.

Thank you. So im 16, and wanting to do a PPL, after I get my SPL. I have a colour deficiency. Would I still be able to get an SPL/ what are the medical requirements for a SPL?

Regards, Ollie.

If you have a few hundred hours gliding, or you are a gliding instructor, then you can probably do the PPL conversion with the minimum hours.

I did a glider to PPL conversion about 25 years ago, I think it took at least double that time. Probably between 15-20 hours.

The requirements are the minimum, expect to need a lot more if you are an early solo glider pilot.

Ollie,

Annex IV of that link is Part Med, Med.B.075 refers to colour vision. Ultimately, if you fail the colour tests you can still get a Class 2 medical but your licence privileges (PPL & SPL) will be restricted to day only.

Thats fine, thank you. Heres my grand plan:

Get class 2 medical
Get SPL
Get PPl but get hours reduced from prior gliding experience
Go to New Zealand, they offer an OCVA (operational colour visual assessment), I should be able to pass that, I have read through the spec, it mainly involves, chart reading (I know that already), strobe lights (red-white), runway lights, ground objects, instrument colours (probably the speed strips on the ASI.) This wil give me a class 1 medical for the New Zealand CAA.
Join a flight school, become a pilot.

If anyone can spot anything wrong with this, give me a heads up. Thanks for the continued help!

Regards, Ollie.

All I'd add is don't rush it - it's not the Battle of Britain! I know it's an expensive bug that bites us but it's better to be good than fast!

Do you know how colour deficient you are? Have you done the CAD test? Before this came out, I wouldn’t have been granted a class 1 but thankfully right place, right time (phew!).

https://www.avmed.org.uk/colour-vision-tests/

Champ

Yes, when I was 13 I did it. I was scared because I didn't actually know what I was doing and too young to understand, so I ended up with a score of 18 ish (proton red-green I think). I knew I needed >6. I have hope I could get lower if I tried it again.

It's good to have a plan. Do you have Australian/New Zealand citizenship or the right to work there? And why do you want to fly gliders first? (There's nothing wrong with that as a plan if you enjoy flying gliders, but don't think it will make beginning a commercial pilot any cheaper!)

It's still published by the CAA as a reference document and it's still their go-to document for exactly this kind of thing. Check out the CAA website and they will tell you to read cap 804..

A New Zealand licence will not currently get you a job in the UK. Things may change from January of course...........

Ah sorry if you misread, I was planning to move to NZ, but what do you mean with "things may change from January of course"?

"Do you have Australian/New Zealand citizenship or the right to work there? And why do you want to fly gliders first?"

No, I was going to apply for one when I'm older, as a student if I get onto a flight course. I have been flying gliders for two years, it allows me to fly actual aircraft despite being only 16, so it makes me aware of lots of areas in a PPL, such as principles of flight, meteorology, airspace, air law, etc. Also, most importantly, I love it!

Gliding has saved me having to find £10,000-15,000 to do hour building as I was accepted to do glider towing because of being a glider pilot. If you play your cards right it can deliver some good savings that regular power pilots mostly have no access to.

It is very hard to get GA flying work in Australia/New Zealand without having personal contacts and I've even seen experienced pilots get their visas denied. Do not bet your life on this, but feel free to PM if you want any further information, I'm Lasham based.

Hi, my plan would be to get a CPL in New Zealand and become a commercial pilot. I only am doing the PPL over here in the UK, so I can do the OCVA test in New Zealand when I arrive. If I pass OCVA night and day I can have an unrestricted class 1 medical and become a pilot over there. You nearby, I fly from Parham :)

Ollie.

Ollie. Reality check time. Unless there's something you're not telling us, you will not just be able to move to NZ and get a job as a pilot because (a) you need the right to live and work there and (b) there are no jobs there. Yes, it will be easy enough to get a NZ licence and medical - but where do you intend to live and work if not NZ? To fly in Europe you will need an EASA medical.

You have a PM

As you are 16yrs old at present by all means continue with gliding, if you are thinking of A levels and University study aeronautical engineering, join the university air squadron and take it from there. If university is not your aim and you haven’t got rich parents, glider towing is a good place to start, do check up on overseas employment rules, a great many countries are now only allowing “citizen” pilots to be recruited. If you are determined and talented you will make it but it will be hard.

Hi, I was hopefully wanting to join a flight university thereafter completing 3 A levels over here. (Physics, Chemistry, Geography)

"You have a PM" from planesandthings. I've tried to reply, however it says my inbox is full, yet I only have one message in it. I don't know how to fix this.

"As you are 16yrs old at present, by all means, continue with gliding, if you are thinking of A levels and University study aeronautical engineering, join the university air squadron and take it from there"

Yes, in fact, here's the university I was looking into.

Massey university

(can't post links until 10 posts)

Thanks, Ollie.