CPL Written Exams
 

I want to instruct at weekends to enthuse others with my passion for private flying. Under present JAR regulations I need to pass the CPL writtens before completing the FI course. The CAA tell me that I must undertake an approved CPL distance learning course. Unfortunately there are no approved CPL distance learning courses! I cannot afford the 4 weeks ground school associated with an ATPL distance learning package. Any suggestions as to how I should proceed? (The CAA shrugged their shoulders and said it was up to the industry to provide an approved course!)

Why doesnt the CAA introduce

a National PPL
a National CPL
a National ATPL

-for people that dont wish to have the
benefit of flight crew jobs in Europe
which for most people are irrelevant cos they cant speak French or whatever

The national exams would return and people
would choose the route they preferred..

Its called consumer choice - a novel concept
for a licencing authority - dont hold your breath

I can sympathise with this situation, although I am interested in looking at it from a slightly different perpsective.

I wonder firstly, is it compulsory for ground schools to provide the classroom element of ATPL in two fortnightly blocks, or similar arrangment?

For any "working" wannabees, who only have 4-5 weeks holiday, pasing the exams in one year can become difficult at best, if not impossible, especially when considering the days required to take the exams as well.

Do any schools provide this element over serveral weekend sessions, or have plans to do so in the future? After all, in the current situation, I'd imagine there a lot fewer "working" wannabees prepared to give up work for full time study, and not everyone can make special vacation arrangements with their employers.

Additionly, I'm sure many would appreciate the opportunity to pay for the ATPL study over more that the one or two installments that seems standard at the moment. Scheduling the classroom element over several weekends throughout a year must make this more feasible.

JAR + Downturn = Bad news for training
providers

JAA rules have made it virtually
impossible for people to continue
in employment whilst getting their
fATPLs.

Its much more time consuming
and expensive then it used to be
to do it part-time, certainly in
the UK

With JAR coupled with the current
climate its likely that the number
of people being able to justify fATPL
full time over a year will reduce and
JAR rules have effectively eliminated part time study which are also in decline.

Unless urgent action is taken - when any upturn comes, there will be a much reduced training establishment as more training providers go under during this very difficult period

Maintaining licences has become more expensive and the numbers of pilots
with valid single crew IRs is declining
as airline pilots only need the multi
crew IR.

The cost of maintaining the licence until the next upturn is likely to be prohibitive for many especially those on Flying instructor rates i.e. national minimum wage

Its all happened before except this time we have the benefit of JAR - so all those
Continetal chappies can come over and
work for Easyjet and Ryanair when its picks
up.

Gasman, I sympathise with you. I got over half way through the old national CPL exams before I became unstuck with a fail. The CAA said no to a retake, go and do JAR CPL. The only people offering an approved course were 4 Forces and now they're gone. I've written letters to the CAA pleading with them to allow me to continue with the Nationals, but they just dont want to listen. I've written letters to my MP about the situation - all to no avail. Soon its going to happen to guys that want an IR. The CAA are withdrawing the Nationals for that in November and there are no approved course providers yet for JAR IR.
I'm going to keep on hammering the CAA to re-introduce the National CPL so I can use the credits that I already have.
Fancy starting a lobby group?

Well, SFT Aviation (my employer) is looking into CPL and IR courses at the moment. Not sure of the timescales of any introduction, but we might be the earliest, so get in touch!

[edited because I can't spel]

[ 01 October 2001: Message edited by: Send Clowns ]