PPL (M) / NPPL (M) TESTS, REVALIDATION AND RENEWAL OF RATINGS

1 INTRODUCTION PPL (M) / NPPL (M) TESTS, REVALIDATION AND RENEWAL OF RATINGS 1.1 In order to ensure initial and ongoing competence of Private Pilots the CAA appoint Examiners. The importance of the role of Examiners, with authorities which allow them to certify and conduct tests for Microlight pilots and applicants, cannot be over-stressed. The application of proper standards by the Examiner is the prime method of ensuring the quality of Microlight pilots. There are 3 types of Examiner appointments; the respective responsibilities are as follows: (1) Revalidation Examiners (R) are authorised to sign Certificates of Experience/ Revalidation. (2) Ground Examiners (GR) are authorised, in addition to the duties of a R Examiner, to conduct the written examinations for the NPPL (M). (3) Flight Examiners (FE) are authorised, in addition to the duties of a R and GR Examiner, to conduct the skill test and oral type examination for the NPPL (M). 1.2 Details of minimum experience requirements and selection procedures for Examiner appointments are provided in section 6 of this guide. 1.3 Details of charges are covered in Appendix A of this guide. 2 THE CERTIFICATE OF EXPERIENCE/ REVALIDATION 2.1 The normal way of revalidating the aircraft rating privileges of a PPL (M) / NPPL (M) Licence is by means of the Certificate of Experience/ Revalidation. The Certificate of Experience/ Revalidation may only be completed and signed if the flying logbook presented to the Examiner indicates the required flying experience has been achieved. a) In the case of NPPL (M) the Certificate of Revalidation will be completed by an authorised Examiner on the rating validity page of the licence. b) In the case of holders of the PPL (M) licence the Certificate of Experience will continue to be stamped in the licence holder s Personal Flying Logbook. The stamp to be completed by an authorised Examiner. 2.2 Experience requirements. The minimum flight experience requirements differ between the UK PPL (M) and the NPPL (M). NPPL holders must revalidate in accordance with the NPPL requirements. Holders of a UK PPL (M) may continue to revalidate in accordance with the requirements of the licence at the time of issue. UK PPL (M) holders may choose to revalidate in accordance with the NPPL requirements but if they do choose this option they cannot, at a later date, revert to the UK PPL (M) requirements. 2.3 UK PPL (M). The minimum flying required in preceding 13 months, completed during the validity of an existing Certificate of Experience or Test: 5 hours experience as Pilot of an aircraft of the same class as the rating in the Licence within the existing validity period of the rating, including at least 3 hours as Pilot in Command up to 2 hours as dual flying instruction as PUT with a qualified flying instructor who has certified that he/she was fit to act as PIC. If more than 13 months have elapsed since the aircraft rating was issued or revalidated a Certificate of Experience may be issued provided that sufficient flying experience was gained during the preceding 13 months and it was within the validity period of the previous certificate. PAGE 4/1

2.4 Following the Examiner s assessment of the licence holder's flying logbook the Certificate of Experience will be completed, stating the class of aircraft the Certificate relates to. 2.5 The Certificate of Experience has a validity of 13 months from the date it is signed. 2.6 Details of renewing an aircraft rating for a pilot who has insufficient flying experience to revalidate an aircraft rating by experience are covered in paragraph 5.7 of this section. 2.7 NPPL (M) 2.8 The minimum total flight time required for revalidation of a Microlight Class rating when included in a NPPL is 12 hours within the validity period of the existing Certificate of Revalidation. Of the 12 hours at least 6 must have been within the 12 months preceding the validity expiry date and any 8 must have been flown as Pilot in Command. 2.9 In addition to the minimum required flight time the holder must have completed at least 12 take offs and 12 landings and ; at least one hour of flight training with an instructor entitled to give flight training in a microlight aircraft; all within the currency of the existing Certificate. 2.10 Where the holder has not completed the required 1 hour of flight training but has completed all other requirements the Certificate may be revalidated but must be endorsed Single Seat aircraft only. The holder may then only fly single seat aircraft until the endorsement is removed following the completion of the required minimum of 1 hour of flight training. 2.11 The Certificate of Revalidation has a validity period of 24 months 2.12 Note. The Single Seat endorsement does not allow the holder to fly two-seat aircraft solo. 2.13 Note. The requirement for 1 hour of flight training does not require that the training be conducted in one flight, nor in the same aircraft, nor with the same instructor. This is a difference to the JAA PPL system. Instructor flight tests can be classed as Flight Training for the purposes of the NPPL revalidation. 2.14 Note. To revalidate by Experience the required experience must have been gained during the validity period of the existing Certificate. 2.15 Note. The Certificate of Revalidation, gained by experience, can only be signed during the period of validity of the current Certificate. Unlike the PPL (M) it cannot be signed after the expiry of the previous Certificate, nor can experience gained during the validity of an expired Certificate be used to qualify for a revalidation by experience. If the holder of an expired rating presents his documents to an Examiner for renewal the Examiner cannot complete a renewal by experience, the applicant must renew by test. See paragraph 5.7 2.16 The holder of more than one NPPL Aeroplane Class rating may use experience gained in aircraft of all Classes towards the revalidation by experience of any one Class however the minimum flight time required to revalidate by experience in any particular Class is 1 hour as Pilot in Command or 1 hour of flight training with an instructor in that Class. Detail of experience required for multiple rating holders is published in CAP 393. Schedule 8. PAGE 4/2

5.7 AIRCRAFT RATING RENEWALS 5.7.1 INTRODUCTION Pilots who do not achieve sufficient flying experience, or who have not presented their log book and licence for revalidation within the validity period of a current Class Rating, to revalidate their aircraft rating privileges by means of a 'Certificate of Experience/ Revalidation' are required to complete an aircraft rating renewal by Test. (Full details of rating renewals are provided in LASORS Section C). 5.7.2 CONDUCT OF AIRCRAFT RATING RENEWALS NPPL (M) 1) Where the last certificate of revalidation has expired by up to 5 years, he/she will be required to complete the following: a) Pass the NPPL (M) GST conducted by a Microlight Examiner b) Hold a valid medical certificate: NPPL, JAR Class 1 or JAR Class 2 2) Where the last certificate of revalidation has expired by 5 years or more, he/she will be required to complete the following: a. Pass the NPPL (M) GST conducted by a Microlight Examiner b. Pass the Aeroplane Technical Part 2 Oral exam conducted by a Microlight Examiner, the exam c. Hold a valid NPPL self declaration medical: or JAR Class 1 or JAR Class 2 certificate The Examiner should ensure the pilot's eligibility prior to commencing the GST. The Examiner must ensure that if refresher training was required that it has been completed and endorsed in the pilot's logbook by the relevant flying Instructor. Note. A revalidation of a NPPL Microlight Class rating by test completed during the validity period of the previous Certificate is valid for 24 months from the expiry date of the current certificate. Note. A revalidation of an expired NPPL Microlight Class rating by test is valid for 24 months from the date of signing after completion of the test. UK PPL (M) 1) Where the holder of a PPL (M) has not flown as PIC of an aircraft for up to a period of 5 years, he/she will be required to complete the following: c) Pass the PPL (M) GST conducted by a Microlight Examiner d) Pass the Aeroplane Technical Part 2 Oral exam conducted by a Microlight Examiner, the exam e) Hold a valid NPPL self declaration medical: or JAR Class 1 or JAR Class 2 certificate PAGE 4/3

2) Where the holder of a PPL (M) has not flown as PIC of an aircraft between 5 and 10 years, he/she will be required to complete the following: a) Undergo a course of training as specified by a Flight Instructor and pass the PPL (M) GST. In the case of a pilot holding a PPL (M) without operational limitations the Skills Test must include a cross country flight to another airfield at least 30 minutes flight time from the aerodrome of departure, a join into the traffic pattern at that airfield, and a landing with a return flight to the airfield of departure. b) Pass the NPPL (M) Air law exam conducted by a Microlight Examiner c) Pass the Aeroplane Technical Part 2 Oral exam conducted by a Microlight Examiner, the exam d) Hold a valid NPPL self declaration medical: or JAR Class 1 or JAR Class 2 certificate The Examiner should ensure the pilot's eligibility prior to commencing the GST. The Examiner must ensure that if refresher training was required that it has been completed and endorsed in the pilot's logbook by the relevant flying Instructor. Note. A revalidation of a UK PPL Microlight Class rating by test is in all cases valid for 13 months from the date of the test. 3) No credit is given for pilots who have not flown as PIC for a period of 10 years or more 5.7.3 ADMINISTRATION The Examiner may issue a Certificate of Test or Revalidation following successful completion of the appropriate renewal process. PPL (M) For a PPL (M) the Certificate of Test should be stamped in the pilot's logbook and completed, stating the Class of aircraft to which the certificate relates. PPL (M) A Flight Examiner may only enter a Certificate of Test for pilot s who are renewing a rating having flown within the previous 5 years as PIC within the time of an existing C of T or C of E. Otherwise the C of T must be entered by PLD CAA who will charge the current fee in force for licence renewals. An FIE MAY enter a C of T to renew any lapsed rating. NPPL (M) In the case of NPPL (M) the Certificate of Test / Renewal should be completed by an authorised Examiner on the rating validity page of the licence. Logbook. The candidate's logbook should be completed to show the Examiner as Captain, the candidate as P1/S and the fight duration entered into the P1 column. If the test is not successful the candidate becomes PUT and the flight duration is entered into the Dual / P2 column. (as for a GST) PAGE 4/4

5.8 CONTROL SYSTEM DIFFERENCES TRAINING 5.8.1 INTRODUCTION Microlight pilots completing a course of NPPL (M) training and subsequently granted a NPPL (M) may only fly aircraft with the same control system (i.e. weightshift or 3-axis) as used during the course. Appropriate Control System Differences Training with a Flight Instructor must be completed in order to fly a microlight aircraft with the alternate form of control system. Both the BMAA and the CAA strongly recommended that PPL M and PPL SEP Holders undergo Control System Differences Training as well 5.8.2 CONTROL SYSTEM DIFFERENCES TRAINING The Control System Differences Training aims to ensure that the candidate has achieved a level of competence in the operation of the addition control system appropriate to the Holder of a NPPL (M). Control System Differences Training covers aspects of aircraft handling and operation, which are not common to both control systems. 1) The flight training should consist of the following elements: - All manoeuvres used in normal flight. - Takeoff and landing (including crosswind operation). - Simulated forced landing without power. - Stall and recovery. - Unusual attitudes and recoveries. 2) Ground training should consist of the following elements: - Rigging and derigging procedures. - Aircraft limitations. - Flying controls. The individual elements of Control System Differences Training should be based on the guidance given for conducting the relevant parts of the NPPL (M) GST and the NPPL (M) Oral Type Examination provided in this section of the guide. 5.8.3 ADMINISTRATION The instructor will certify that Control System Differences Training has been completed in the pilot s logbook. The instructor must specify the control system of the aircraft to which the training relates. PAGE 4/5