How did they square that one away? Was he not being paid to fly?

I’m not nitpicking; I guess he had suitable experience and was an ETPS graduate, so eminently capable. Simpler times I guess when common sense didn’t let bureaucracy get in the way.

Billie ; Thanks. Definitive answer and I am now readied for the pub brawl this afternoon. I have, in addition, decided not to spend my Friday lotto win on a 74 but will just get others to fly me around.

An interesting quirk on licencing: when I was converting onto the A330 at Toulouse one of the instructors showed me his licence which said in the type rating section simply "all Airbus types"!!