NATIONAL RECREATIONAL FLYING
The
people who learn to fly at Flying Clubs may be divided into the following
categories depending on their ambitions and motivation:
To
progress to a professional licence
To
gain an ICAO PPL to operate internationally
To
gain a PPL to operate locally and nationally.
The
third category has traditionally accounted for the majority of student
starts. As students progress through
their training they sometimes change their objectives, moving from one category
to another. This phenomenon is not
unique to aviation but happens in other fields of training and education. Some private pilots, with no professional
ambitions, seek additional qualifications such as Instrument Rating, Instructor
Rating over even a CPL just because they are interested in going deeper into
their hobby. In the past the favourite
one was the Instructor Rating for those with teaching ability who were desirous
of passing their zeal onto others and very often the desire to help newcomers
to the club as they were helped when they were starting out. This spirit of co-operation and mutual help
has been the main strength of Clubs over the years. As a result, the club movement has flourished and become
self-sustaining.
Now
this situation has changed.
Firstly,
the PPL itself has become more difficult and expensive to acquire. Secondly, it is much more difficult and
costly for Private Pilots to gain an Instructor Rating. This situation did not arise overnight, but
has been developing over the past few years as JAR-FCL was progressively
introduced. There have been many
requests from the private sector of General Aviation to all the representative
bodies to do something about it.
As a
result the IAC, with the full backing of AOPA and IIFI now propose a new and
separate regime for sporting and recreational flying, consisting of three main
components:
A
National Recreational Licence for amateur flyers
A
system whereby some of these licence-holders could qualify
to
train others to gain the licence, i.e. become instructors.
Since
the introduction of the JAR-FCL.1.PPL, more training, more effort and,
consequently, more expenditure is demanded of those aspiring to gain the
minimum licence entitling the holder to fly as PIC of a private aircraft
carrying passengers.
Private
Flying Clubs who offer training using mostly PPL holders with Instructor
Ratings on a part-time, voluntary basis are now facing a shortage of
Instructors. As stated in the
introduction it is now more difficult and a lot more expensive for the average
PPL in a Flying Club to gain an instructor Rating under JAR-FCL than it was
before. Even if such a person is willing
and able and can afford to meet the pre-entry requirements for an Instructor
course, he/she can no longer take the course at the club (RTF) but must attend
an FTO at another location, possibly abroad.
The cost of such a course plus accommodation, travel, etc. would be very
high indeed. For a club to sponsor
such an individual would put an enormous strain on their finances.
Before
the arrival of the Celtic Tiger, the shortage of disposable income as well as
our low population density has meant that Private Flying and General Aviation
as a whole has always been, to say the least, in a delicate condition. In most neighbouring European countries,
this branch of the aviation industry has always been more developed and
better-resourced. Yet, even those
countries are finding the demands of JAR-FCL too much. They also are now moving towards a special
and separate regime for recreational flying as the following extracts clearly
show.
Extracts
from report on Training Seminar organised by GAMTA in co-operation with AOPA
and held in UK, Spring 2000.
Ron
Elder, Head of CAA Personnel Licensing Department believed that it was a
mistake to include recreational flying in JAR-FCL.
Pamela
Campbell who represents IAOPA on the JAR-FCL Committee pointed out that the
original intention was to harmonise only professional licences but it had
subsequently been decided that these had to be based on a standard PPL, which
she agreed had been a mistake.
Martin
Robinson, Chief Executive of AOPA (UK) in his presentation on the NPPL said
that the Dutch, Swiss and French already have national licences.
Elsewhere,
Rod Dean, Head of General Aviation at CAA has said “I strongly believe the
proposed structure for the NPPL will bring great benefits to the industry and
to pilots”
There
is a recent indication that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will not
wish to legislate for private flying in any form, and , although the timescale
and eventual structure for EASA is not known, a return to National regulation
of private flying would require a National PPL. Should this eventually need to be ICAO compliant for
international purposes, it will be relatively simple to upgrade the parameters
of the currently proposed National licence.
For
convenience, referred to hereafter as RPPL.
It can be called Recreational, Sporting, domestic or National. The name does not matter, the concept does.
The
Licence is issued for the lifetime of the Holder and remains valid subject to
medical and re-validation certificates.
Any
normally aspirated, single piston engine aeroplane with fixed undercarriage
(nose or tail wheel) , maximum cruising speed 140 kts, maximum seating capacity
4 persons, which does not exceed 2000 kgs MGTOW.
This would
include:
All
light aircraft in general use, such as Piper, Cessna, Rallye,
etc.
Very
light aeroplanes (VLA). JAR.1.DEF
Three-axis
control microlight aeroplanes.
JAR.1.DEF
Touring
motor gliders.
They
may be factory or amateur constructed.
They must hold a valid Certificate of Airworthiness or Flight Permit.
Differences
training will be required where aircraft with complex features (retractable
undercarriages, variable pitch propellers, etc.) are to be flown
AERODROMES
(at which
training for the RPPL may take place)
Class
D or others to a lesser specification if such could be worked out.
To
act as PIC – but not for remuneration – of any aeroplane of
The
class or classes listed above.
To
carry not more than three passengers.
To
operate only within Irish Airspace (Shannon FIR)
All
flights to be daytime only.
All
flights to be in accordance with VFR or Special VFR.
No
passengers may be carried unless the pilot has carried out three take-offs and landings
as the sole manipulator of the controls within the preceding 90 days.
No
rating other than a Flight Instructor Rating or an R/T Rating may be endorsed
on the licence.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RPPL
Thirty-five hours total flight time, including
Fifteen hours solo time, including
Five hours solo cross-country, including
One
flight of 150nm, with two intermediate landings
Air
Navigation
Meteorology
Principles
of Flight, Performance, Tech. Gen.
Human
Performance and Limitations
Air
Law
For
subjects 1 to 4 inclusive, as in the JAA syllabus AMC FCL 1.125 with the
omission of topic headings 26, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81 and 82.
Subject
5 based completely on Irish Air Legislation (Acts and Orders) as applicable to
private flying.
NOTE It may be possible, even desirable, to
draft a separate syllabus later based on experience with the RPPL.
FLYING TRAINING
Exercises
1 to 18 inclusive of Flight Instruction Syllabus AMC FCL 1.125 with the
exception of 18c.
During
the flying training, the certification for the grant of the SPL and the
authorisation for cross-country flying would be recorded and signed by the
supervising instructor in the normal manner.
The
objectives of the theoretical and flight training are to produce pilots who can
operate simple aeroplanes safely and competently in daylight in accordance with
the VFR, discharge their responsibilities to their passengers, share the
airspace with other users efficiently and be capable of using the Air Traffic
Services as appropriate.
Theoretical
Knowledge, written:
Papers
based on the above syllabus
80%
of questions, at least, to be MCQ type with three answers
Pass
Mark 70%
Oral
examination on practical aspects of the Theoretical Knowledge syllabus
Performance
exercises
Flight
test based on Flying Training Syllabus.
NOTE : A
candidate may present for the skill test an aircraft configurated with either
conventional landing gear or with a tricycle undercarriage.
However
a licence holder may not exercise the privileges of this licence on an aircraft
configurated other than as selected for the test until the holder’s logbook
contains an instructor’s certificate to the effect that the holder has
satisfactorily completed difference training on the alternate configuration.
The
standard of Medical Fitness is based on the D501 professional Drivers
Medical. The applicant must make and
sign a declaration that they believe they are in good health and fit to fly as
a pilot, before a registered GMP. The
GMP will issue a certificate declaring that he/she has no reason to believe
that the applicant does not meet the standard (this may entail some degree of
fitness examination).
The
certificate will be valid:
from
initial issue for five years to age 45
for
two years from age 45 to 65
thereafter
for one year.
REVALIDATION
AND RENEWAL OF RPPL
REVALIDATION
Class
ratings on RPPL valid for two years
To
revalidate, applicant must have flown:
a) Six hours per year, three of which must be as PIC, and
b) have a bi-annual flight review of at least one hour with an instructor in the twelve months prior to expiry
or
alternatively
take
an LPC within the preceding three months.
RENEWAL
If
the validity certificate has expired by more than one month, the applicant must
undergo a skill test to renew, or meet such requirements as may be decided by
the Authority.
INSTRUCTORS (for grant of RPPL)
Any
currently rated Class I, Class II or the New Class III.
Two
categories:
Restricted
and,
Unrestricted.
Restricted
To
instruct for the grant of an SPL or RPPL
To
authorise and supervise solo flights by students
May
not give any direction or certification with regard to first solo or first solo
cross-country flights.
As
for restricted
Authorised
to certify and give directions for first solo and first solo cross-country
flights.
To
supervise instruction.
Requirements to Upgrade from Restricted
to Unrestricted:
One
hundred hours instructional experience
Supervision
of twenty solo flights by students
Recommendation
from supervising instructor.
Requirements for Class III Instructor
Rating:
Licence : RPPL or higher
Experience : One
hundred and fifty hours total.
One
hundred hours PIC
NOTE :
Hours flown on Course may count for total.
Course
Twenty
hours flight
One
hundred hours ground school
Knowledge : To be covered in course (ground)
|
Air
Navigation |
Teaching and Learning |
|
Meteorology |
Applied
Instruction |
|
Principles
of Flight, Performance, Tech. Gen. |
Evaluation
and Testing |
|
HPL
for Instructors |
|
Skill
: To
be covered in course (flight)
Briefings
Practice
instruction. Ex 1 to 18 – including
Demonstration, Patter and Monitoring.
Written
papers on some topics listed above (to be further developed).
Skill
Test
Briefings
Oral
on some topics
Flying
test of instructional techniques (to be
developed).
LEGISLATION
To
introduce the RPPL and the Class II Instructor Rating, an Amendment to the
personnel Licensing Order (SI 333 2000) will be required.
Basically,
the responsibility of the Irish Aviation Authority but it may be possible to
have some of the work delegated to Aviation Associations or to a special panel
set up.
Examinations
and Testing, or some parts thereof, could be delegated to IIFI or to a panel
proposed by IIFI and approved by the IAA.
These
ideas would need further discussion and development.
CONVERSIONS
TO JAR-FCL
RPPL
to JAR-FCL.1.PPL
Training
– twenty five hours dual at RTF or F TO
Examination
– as per JAR-FCL.1. Syllabus
Skill
Test – Oral and Flight Test as per JAR-FCL.1
Class III Instructor to JAR-FCL.1
Instructor
As
contained in JAR-FCL.1 Section H.