There is nothing in UK law specifically to prevent a passenger from handing the controls in any phase of a private flight. However, it is an offence to recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft. In the event of an accident, you might have to prove that your actions in allowing your passenger to handle the aircraft controls in a critical phase of flight did not constitute such an offence.An instructor rating is required only to give instruction to a person for the purpose of becoming qualified for the grant of a pilot's licence or the inclusion or variation of any rating or qualification in a pilot's licence.

So if this is the case is it acceptable to have differences training from pilots who are not FIs? EG tailwheel.

BB

There are a few specific cases where the ANO (and similar rules) require differences training from a suitably qualified instructor. Tailwheel is one of them. So for tailwheel, the answer is no.

However, there is no such requirement for, for instance, aerobatics. So legally speaking anybody can teach you aerobatics, even if that person doesn't hold a (legal/current) PPL.

(Whether that's a wise idea is another matter altogether, and it looks like this is one of the areas that's going to change under EASA. But that's a different discussion.)

Babybear

I think you raise the same somewhat circular debate.

You are required to have an instructor's sign off for any differences - note instructor not examiner - that much is certain.

Could you handle the controls to gain some tail wheel experience under the supervision of a PPL who is not formally instructing you. Who knows and maybe who cares. Is he instructing you or isnt he - what would his insurance company think if they knew. The fact is he is in command and is responsible if anything goes wrong and he most certainly cannot be paid. You would probably find if you were friends with such a PPL you would become very good at tail wheel flying so when you presented yourself to an instructor for an hour of difference training and a sign off you breeze through.

No. Differences training is conducted for the purpose of the variation of an aircraft rating (e.g. to extend the validity of an SEP Class Rating to tailwheel aircraft).

This fully answers the question I didn't spell out fully, thanks.

BillieBob and mad_jock, many thanks - ten years of flying and I never knew that (or began to think about it in enough detail).

Of course I could have checked the ANO, but that requires effort.


:ok: