Checkflights
 

I'm trying to get some clarity on checkflights. I can't seem to find anything in Lasors or in my air law book about them being a requirement to remain valid or legal. Are they a requirement made by the CAA to remain legal or is it a requirment asked by flight clubs/schools? What is the normal time period surrounding them? How does it work when you are a member of a group?

They're a requirement by flying schools & hire companies to ensure that you're safe to hire their aircraft, and/or to train you on an airframe that's new to you. Other than mandated differences training & biennial training/testing the CAA has no requirements for private owners.

Flying club rules
 

Yes.


It's not a CAA requirement but when you hire an aircraft from a club, that said club would like to know you are still safe to fly their private planes.
The club I work for allows you to rent aircraft as long as you have flown within a month.

If you have not flown for a month, you need at least one flight with an Instructor. This can take anywhere from 35 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes.

If you have not flown for 3 months you need to do a few more bits than you'd do on the monthly.


To finally note, you may find that some clubs have a mutual agreement about members. If member from Ice club rents a plane from Fire club, his checkout with fire club counts for Ice club etc.

1/60

I am pretty sure that unless your group rules state otherwise, you are 'technically' legal until your rating expires. The only rule you need to adhere to is the 90 day one for carrying passengers.

All checkrides are valuable and you should take every opportunity to do one, providing of course your instructor treats it as an opportunity to improve you. In other words, make sure you get your money's worth from the instructor.

Would you let any old bod who'd walked in off the street fly away in your aircraft without some sort of check?

It's their train set, they can make whatever rules they like. If you don't like their rules you don't have to hire from them.

As Gertrude says.

I've also been in syndicates who vary from a rigid checkride system, to (once checked out initially) a "you are a grown up, decide if you are safe but call somebody if you need a checkride" system.

I suspect that the latter actually tends to be safer because it forces people to think for themselves rather than just rely blindly upon a system. But, I'm guessing and may be wrong.

That said, I've flown as "grown up" on a few checkouts with a number of PPLs who really couldn't fly for toffee and no-way was I having them fly our syndicate aircraft solo. I suspect that full-time instructors must get this a lot.

G

I teach on microlights now. Used to work full time as FI when I lived in UK.
It's astounding how many PPLs think they can just jump in and go. Just because it only weighs 280 kilos they think it isn't a real aeroplane. The diversity of flying skills I find with people with nominally the same qualification is to say the least interesting.

I like the idea of "decide for yourself". Our club has a pretty relaxed ruling, no flying in a club aircraft for three months means an instructor check, unless the instuctor waives it, which is usually for people with other relevant experience.

What variations are there in club "currency" rules?
For example - Does your club require a checkride to be made before hiring even if the hirer is very recent in a non club aircraft ie 4 hours PIC in last 28 days? OR (as I suspect) is the currency rule is insurance driven.
Both same Class - SEP.

Club I hire from has an "any flying, with instructor signature if it's somewhere else" rule.

I invoked this rule once on the basis of some recent floatplane training ... but I hadn't actually flown anything with wheels for quite a while and made something of a balls-up of the resulting crosswind landing. (You don't usually do crosswind landings in a floatplane, you just choose your landing direction into wind.)