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Registration for the EASA 2018 Annual Safety Conference on 'A vision for the future of GA' is now open! https://www.easa.europa.eu/newsroom-and-events/events/easa-annual-safet…
We invite you to participate and discuss with us on how that vision should look like and on the many challenges and opportunities that the future has in store. The discussion themes range from our achievements in GA via more affordable modern aircraft to sharing the airspace with others, innovation, electrical aviation and cost-sharing.

A query reference PPL student instruction and hours flown...

Prior to EASA taking over flight training for an Student PPL pilot.
The the then rules were governed by JAR.

The requirements for a PPL under JAR was for 42 hours (which included a Skills test).

When EASA took this over they changed this to 45 hours. but in the end its actually nearer 47.

Why well its all in the wording..

A student PPL has to completed a course of instruction before he can take a skills test.
The skills test can take up to 2 hours to complete.
Therefore adding these 2 hours onto the 45 hours.
Under JAR once a student had completed a course of instruction he could then do the skills test, and that could be done within the 42 hours.

So i believe the wording being used by EASA has been interpreted incorrectly from what was originally meant.

IE the NAA,s are saying that the way that EASA has worded the rules means that the instructor cannot put forward a student for a skills test until he,s completed the course i not before 45 hours.

We are finding that some really good PPL students are getting to the point were they are ready for a skills test as early as 35 hours of instruction but as above their instructors cannot put them forward for skills test until they have done 45 hours.

The 45 hours requirement should be only for prior to the issuing of a pilots license.
We believe that this 45 hours before going for a skills test was not EASA,s intention when the rules were made.

So i am asking EASA to either review this requirements and change the wording or issue an AMC to say that the Skills test can be taken before the 45 hours..

Secondly

There seems to a query between different NAA,s on the Night Rating.
Under JAR a student pilot could do a Night rating as part of a PPL course IE if the student had hours left prior to a skills test or license issuing.
Now some NAA,s say the student cannot do the Night rating prior having a been issued a pilots license.

Again the interpretation of the rules differs.
I suggest a AMC to the night rating stating that this could be undertaken as part of the PPL course.

Ts....

Hi,
I have been reading with interest the developments in General Aviation Training proposals and look forward to seeing the new annex published this July. I have not seen any comment on what I consider to be one of the major impediments to the future development of small organisation or club-based pilot training, namely the training of Flight Instructors within these organisations. If small organisations are to survive, they will need to be supplied with local, non-professional, part-time or voluntary flight instructors who are authorised to train to the LAPL and PPL and BIR standards. This training will need to be carried out within these organisations by the currently ageing stock of flight instructors and time is running out! If we get to a point where the current stock of non-professional flight instructors retire before they have passed on their skills to the next generation, I fear that general aviation will be badly damaged. I would encourage lawmakers to consider allowing the establishment of a Basic Flight Instructor Rating that can be trained within a Declared Training Organisation by the current stock of flight instructors.
P.

Michael Erb from IAOPA covers some important aspects on GA and the GA Roadmap, in EASA's latest ON AIR newsletter: http://createsend.com/t/d-A78DF997803F9D752540EF23F30FEDED

Here's a great guest blog on AV Web by Jason Barker from the Seaplanes magazine on our GA Roadmap event at AERO:
https://www.avweb.com/blogs/insider/Guest-Blog-Europe-Leads-in-Simplify…

Here are a few excerpts: "The big surprise was attending the news conference EASA put on and paying close attention to just how significantly this agency has changed itself over the last five to six years ....... EASA's presence and effort appeared personable and authentic and it was definitely clear that the agency is listening to manufacturers, associations, pilot groups and proposals from outside and within the European aviation universe ...... But even though the U.S. remains the world aviation mecca, it’s the Europeans who are showing us how a regulatory agency can transform itself and actually be a catalyst to market growth instead of a hindrance. Who would have ever thought this would happen? "