Pilot Training Guide PPL & NPPL

About Us Established at Carlisle in 1991 and now into our twenty first year of operation, we are proud of our reputation for providing the highest quality flight training and warm club atmosphere. We have recently opened a second operating base at Cumbernauld, situated between Edinburgh and Glasgow, with current customers from as far afield as Lancashire, Northumberland, East Lothian and Perthshire. Border Air is now uniquely placed to offer our services to the whole of Northern England and Southern/Central Scotland. Our philosophy is that to get the best out of our students we should have the right staff in place, who want to teach and do so for a living. We also believe that we should encourage people to become ‘Aviators’ and not just teach towards a licence. Many flying schools operate 90 minute lessons, 30 minutes of ground briefing and 60 minutes in the aircraft. Experience tells us that this is too short and that the essential pre flight briefings are the first thing to be cut out. This usually results in more time needed to complete a license course and more expense as a result.

At Border Air we use two hour slots as standard. This is an important consideration and something that many people miss. All of our flying instructors hold professional flight crew licences as well as the required instructor ratings. Between them they have many thousands of hours of instructional time as well as experience in other kinds of private and commercial flying, bringing together a huge knowledge base. Our sister company, Northumberland Aircraft Maintenance Ltd provides first class engineering support to our fleet of aircraft and consequently down times due to engineering issues are very low when compared with many other flying establishments. We are proud of our fleet of aeroplanes which are all fully owned by the company.

EASA FCL Private Pilots Licence The Course The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Private Pilots Licence (PPL) allows the holder to fly fixed wing aircraft, passengers, anywhere in Europe and allows for easy conversion for use all around the world. Flight school training consists of a minimum number of hours that must be completed before a licence can be granted. These minimum hours are as follows: 25 Hours Dual Instruction 10 Hours Supervised Solo Flight Time o Including 5 Hours Solo Cross Country Flight Time

The training course therefore requires a minimum of 35 hours flight time PLUS a further 10 hours of unspecified type. This final 10 hours can be made up of, dual instruction, solo flight, or a combination of both. The PPL skills test may be conducted within this extra 10 hours, if the student and instructor agree they are ready. However, it is advisable to think of the 45 hours total as a minimum amount of flight training before the skills test should be attempted, as the student can not apply for their licence, unless 45 hours flight time has been completed. Included in the requirement is at least two hours of stall & spin awareness and avoidance training, and at least one hour of instrument appreciation training, along with an appropriate amount of radio navigation training (usually two hours).

It is usual to take the Radio Practical Test before licence application. The radio licence will be added onto the pilot’s licence without additional cost.

Dual Instruction Dual flight training will cover the following areas: General handling o Aircraft Controls o Climbing o Descending o Turns o Stalls o Spin Awareness & Avoidance o Slow Flight Circuit Training o Take-Offs o Approaches o Landings Emergencies Navigation o Cockpit Management o Flight Planning o Air Traffic Control Procedures o Controlled Airspace Procedures

Supervised Solo

Supervised solo flight time is intended to introduce the student to the responsibility of flying an aircraft on their own, while still being under the supervision of an instructor from the ground. This solo flight time will be used to practice techniques and skills previously learnt from dual instruction lessons, including circuits, navigation, emergencies etc. The student is also required to complete at least 5 hours of solo cross country flight time which will include their PPL Cross Country Solo Navigation Qualifier. This flight must be conducted in one day, covering 150 nautical miles, and include full-stop landings at two different airfields other than the airfield of departure.

Skills Test

The skills test is conducted with a CAA recognised examiner, usually from the student’s normal training base and in an aircraft they are familiar with. The purpose of the flight is to demonstrate the ability to act as pilot in command of the aircraft, being responsible for decisions and flight safety. The test is divided in to the following sections: 1. Pre-flight & Departure 2. En-route Navigation 3. Emergencies 4. General Handling 5. Arrival, Landings & Post-flight

The Ground School

In Addition to the flying, 7 written exams are required to be passed, in order to obtain a PPL. To help student complete their exams, we provide ground school instruction for our pupils, using the vast knowledge and expertise of our instructors.

The 7 PPL written exams consist of the following subjects: Air Law & Operational Procedures Aircraft Technical & Principles of Flight Communication Flight Planning and Performance Human Performance and Limitations Meteorology Navigation and Radio Aids These subjects may be studied with either classroom based work or private study, or a combination of the two. Border Air Training is authorised to conduct the written examination with a CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) examiner on staff. All examinations must be passed before a candidate attempts the final PPL skills test and the Air Law exam must be passed before a student’s first solo flight.

The subjects may be studied in any order but it is advisable for candidates to take advice from instructional staff regarding this. The examinations take the form of multiple choice questions with a pass mark of 75% for each examination. The examinations are marked locally and results are provided very quickly with feedback provided as a matter of course.

EASA Class 2 Medical

In Addition to the above requirements, an EASA class 2 Medical is needed before a student can fly on their first solo flight and also required for licence application. An EASA medical must be obtained from an EASA approved aero medical examiner. A comprehensive list of approved EASA Aero Medical Examiners is located on the CAA website.

UK National Private Pilots Licence (NPPL)

The UK National Private Pilots licence (NPPL) is a lower cost derivative of the EASA Private Pilots Licence. Currently only recognised by the UK. The NPPL allows a holder to fly VFR (Visual Flight Rules) day light operations UK ONLY, on the same aircraft as a PPL holder, but does not allow night flying or instrument flying. From 2014 the UK NPPL, will become the EASA Light Aircraft Pilots licence (LAPL), allowing an NPPL holder who has converted to an EASA LAPL, to fly across Europe, which the current NPPL does not allow.

The NPPL Course

The UK NPPL course structure is very similar to that of the PPL, the only difference being the NPPL is only 32 hours, at which the Skills test can be taken and once passed, a licence can be applied for. The UK NPPL hour’s structure is as Follows: 22 Hours Dual Instruction 10 Hours Supervised Solo Flight Time o Including 5 Hours Solo Cross Country Flight Time

UK NPPL Medical Requirements The UK National Private Pilots licence (NPPL) does not require a medical examination by a EASA Aero Medical Examiner. A Student is only required to be assessed by a NHS GP or Private GP, as long as the NPPL medical requirements are met. As of 2014, with the NPPL changing to the EASA Light Aircraft Pilots Licence, an EASA Class 3 Medical will be required, which will still be able to be obtained for a GP, For further information about pilot training at Carlisle or Cumbernauld bases, please don’t hesitate to give us a call and we will be very glad to help. Carlisle: 01228 573490 Cumbernauld: 01236 734672