How much training do you need, and what training is relevant to the aircraft you wish to fly?
As a flying instructor it is my responsibility to assure safety in the future by
providing ethical, effective, and correct training to my 'students'.
'Students'?
Many pilots I fly with are licenced to fly their aircraft, but
are they really qualified?
Not always.
Aviation authorities around the world have blurred the difference between what qualifies as an aeroplane, and what qualifies as a Microlight, or Ultralight aircraft.
A pilot may achieve an Ultralight Licence (UPL), Microlight Licence or Permit, or even a Light Sport Licence and then be qualified to fly an aeroplane that exceeds the performance of a Light Aircraft for which many do a long course to achieve a Private Pilot's Licence (PPL).
In Thailand the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) for an Ultralight aeroplane is 500
kilograms.
In Europe there's the new 600 kilogram limit within which you can
have some remarkable 'high performance' types for which a PPL would need further
training, but in which a pilot with limited training with a lower level
licence/permit may freely go and fly!
Flew in this last week, it
hadn't flown for a while.
Back in 2008 we acquired an Evektor SportStar as a 'Light Sport' aeroplane.
It's MTOW had been increased to 580 kilograms and so Transport Canada's 550kg
limit would be exceeded... I argued that this was the Canadian version limited
to 550kg.
The SportStar is a very capable light aeroplane, but the 'gotcha'
was that as an Advanced Ultralight aeroplane it could not be used for Commercial
Pilot (CPL) or Private Pilot flight experience (hours in the logbook), and as an
Ultralight with every bit the capability of a Cessna 150; if you flew it across
Canada, none of the cross country time could be counted towards a PPL or CPL.
When we had the SportStar on the fleet, Transport Canada gave me Examiner
privileges for Ultralight aeroplanes.
In Thailand, Ultralight aircraft are given special cross country flight permits to allow them to go to designated airports such as for our flight to Lampang for some circuits; takeoffs and landings.
The Topaz aeroplane's owner had achieved his UPL after training in the
Quicksilver, an open Microlight aeroplane with a small Rotax two stroke motor.
So now he was qualified to fly an aeroplane with a 100hp Rotax 912 aircraft
engine, a glass cockpit, radio, transponder, and an Autopilot.
The Topaz is
better equipped and has a higher performance than a Cessna aeroplane many train
on around the world.
Fortunately, many UPLs who buy such aircraft find someone to give them proper
training, otherwise I fear the accident rates would be high.
Even so, in some
places these pilots are taught to recover on the stall warner, and never see a
full stall... There have been several stall/spin accidents to Ekolot JG05
Juniors, and I won't fly one without Vortex Generators (VGs) to solve their
terrible stall characteristics. The Topaz is about to have VGs fitted, it's
stalls were less dramatic, but still the wing drops were nasty.
Some of the
new Light Sport designs I have flown have stall characteristics that would not
be acceptable in a certified modern light aeroplane. UPL = a lower standard of
training, but a higher standard of ability required.
Friends Flying Club are the
only locally based Light Aeroplane club.
Flying clubs in Thailand are no
longer allowed to teach the PPL.
So the Ultralight clubs gain a lot of
students who want to fly.
Be aware of the weather.
In Thailand these aeroplanes can be found above cloud using their excellent
autopilots.
It's not only advising the UPL on how to operate an 'aeroplane' (my opinion), since these aeroplanes have the performance capability, you need to teach them: Weight and Balance, Aircraft Systems, Glass Cockpit use, Aircraft Performance, Navigation, Weather, and Radio Procedures, all of which are woefully under instructed for 'round the patch' low level, two stroke flying in a Microlight aeroplane.
One day we watched the radar as a very light aeroplane flew four and a half hours from inside Germany to Popham, and then onwards to it's home base. The cloud base over the Channel was 1,200 feet, and there was a 1,500 foot restriction in favour of UAV patrols. The autopilot in this aeroplane that can be counted as an Ultralight around the world was excellent.
Even the LAA do not understand the performance of these modern aeroplanes.
A
true Microlight aeroplane has little inertia, close the throttle and it will all
but stop in flight.
The builder of the Chilton was warned about this by the
LAA as the Chilton at 700lbs is a very light aeroplane. But if you leave any
power on for landing, you will need a long runway! The Chilton glides very well,
it's aerodynamics are superb. It does not have 'Microlight' characteristics.
Likewise the Topaz; this Light Aeroplane has a fantastic glide capability power
off, IT IS NOT A MICROLIGHT!
Some UK owners are moving to the British
Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) as they seem to be more in tune with
modern aeroplanes.
What's the point?
The weather has given us a natural break in the advisory circuits and airwork flying we have done in the Topaz, and it will be a couple of weeks before we can go again.
In Thailand I am very aware to not cross the line beyond giving advice; it is
difficult for me to avoid doing my best to assure safety here.
I once did a
course in Safety Management and worked as the SMS manager for an aviation
company in Bangkok.
I am well aware of the need here.
In Thailand a visitor may obtain a validation of their foreign licence, I use my
Canadian CPL for this purpose.
The validation is limited to one club, and
the club at which I might fly is at Pattaya, so I booked to go down there later
this week. Hopefully the weather will be better than it is now. At the moment,
like England, we have the remnants of a tropical storm overhead.
Unfortunately for the locals, the CAAT is going the EASA route with type
ratings... Fly a Cessna 172? Go to an approved flight training college to add a
Piper Cherokee Rating to your licence. If the approved college has no-one with
experience on your type, then pay for their training so that they can check you
out... Even a French EASA advisor was dismayed by Thailand's interpretation
of the EASA religious texts... The candidate wanted ME Turbine on his licence,
he has been flying a turbine twin, but not one registered in Thailand!
There's an online training course to convert
your Thai PPL to a Part FCL one, and this includes weight and balance for the Airbus
A320 I am told...