CAA & Training

[MPL Pilot]

Hi Pilots to be..

I started with GPL training in July' 09 at Kitty Hawk, and have done 16 amazing hours with Johnny de Jager in the "Quaga" (TMA).
Unfortunatly CAA made some drastic changes with regards to training on the 8th Sept.

Apparently instructors may only train students at the airfield where the flight school is registered.
This changes a lot of things for many student pilots and instructors.
For 303 Squadron being based at brakpan, Johnny and myself have to fly to
Brakpan from KH, him being Pilot in command, land there, swop seats and then training starts. And swop seats back again to fly back to KH.
This means, more time in the air (very nice), only the student can not log the time flying there and back.

The flight school at Rhino Park, for instance, (aircraft that hanger at KH), the instructor must fly the aircraft from K Hawk to R Park. Swop seats with the
student before training can start! Seems silly for a 3-5 minute flight.

Students will only take off and land at the flight schools registered airfield, meaning they will get no experience on other landing strips.
CAA recons students can do advanced training (after receiving their pilot's licence) for experience at different airfields.

This is only the start, what about cross country flights and training in the general flying area. Who knows how this will be impacted?

I am greatfull though, obtaining a licence is still possible... Just making it more difficult, concidering the cost and time spent for training in our busy lives.

FLY SAFE

MPL Pilot

[lefssa]

Where did you see this new regulation? You can't and have never been allowed to instruct from just any field apart from where your school is registered however you can fly to anouther field for a few cercuits or obviosly a full stop landing. Keep in mind that an instructor can fly from eather side of the aircraft at any time. No need to fly from one side then change seats to instruct.

[KFA]

Agree, this has always been like this. If you train at another field then the school must apply for an off-base operation. This is only granted in extreme cases. Agree with Leffsa that an instructor can fly from any seat.

[braam hechter]

Hi All.

Isnt it amazing that its always the CAA changing the rules. From my experience, it may be worthwhile to read the legislation and become informed before laying the blame before the door of CAA. It would appear that some instructors are not as informed as they should be. There has been many things where the CAA, through voluntary compliance trusted the members in the industry to do the right things right. Only as of late has the CAA started in depth surveillance and has these blatant disregard for legislation, that has been around for a while, been highlighted. Unfortunately some of our fellow aviators are making it difficult for those who comply. Look at the posting by Lepreucorn regarding the member that had tea at the CAA after landing on the road, this lead to his lisence being revoked for 30 days. Also look on the Gyro forum where a gyro is flown with difficult to see registration numbers. These are activities that took place in the last two weeks. Will our fellow aviators not learn...

Soos hulle se, a jy nie wil hoor nie, moet jy voel.

Greetings and fly safe.

Braam Hechter

[MPL Pilot]

Ja Braam, you are absolutly right.
Unfortunatly I was taken for a ride, and these fly by night instructors will get their wings burned.
Just a pity there is no information available who these guys are, for want to be pilots.

I appologise for blaming CAA.

What must I say? lots of money gone, time waisted, but not the experience!
I will get my licence in the near future, this time from only a flight school with a good reputation.
The only difficult thing was when I set out in the beginning, questions I've asked, wasn't answered truthfully. The gyro
pilots know each other, and does not bad mouth each other, that was my experience. I didn't expect to be introduced to an
instructor by a well known gyro agent and then to be screwed, I suspect this gyro agent was also taken by surprise.
Training with an aircraft without an ATF, under a flight school name that doesn't exist, it's understandable that
CAA's blood boiled!

So, to want to be pilots, phone RAASA or Braam and get sound advice.

Till next time, fly safe

Pierre

[t-bird]

Hi Braam

You can’t expect all new trainees to read and understand the law. “From my experience, it may be worthwhile to read the legislation and become informed before laying the blame before the door of CAA.”

You only need to write air law before going solo.

The guys that should get the blame is the training organisation, the instructor, CAA, RAASA and SAGPA.

MPL pilot done his homework making contact with the Gyro guys on this forum and tried to figure out the best place to train .He also confirmed that he had a valid instructor.

There is no guidance from CAA RAASA or SAGPA for a new trainees.

SAGPA does not even have Johnny as an instructor on their website.

I also could not find any info for a new trainee on the RAASA website

Noting on CAA website that I could find.

The issue of not training at the schools airport and valid ATF should not be a new students responsibility but should be enforced by CAA and RAASA.

When last did you asked your friendly SAA pilot for his licences and Valid ATF and approval to operate from an airport, his mass and balance calculations before boarding a flight on a 747 ?

You are trying to shift CAA and RAASA responsibility to new trainees.

I would urge MPL to post his concerns on AVCOM under the CAA open door section

[MPL Pilot]

Hi T Bird

After the first post of CAA & Training, it wasn't difficult to figure out I've been had with the response that followed. I appreciate your input, and never
thought that Braam was shifting responsibility to new trainees. Although there is a need to help new trainees get on the right track, which was the reason for this topic.
It is a difficult situation, since I do not think a pilot or trainee will post negative reports of a flight school or instructor, because we want to be pilots and not stab each other
in the back, creating a stressfull atmosphere at a school, defeating the goal.

Personaly, I have enjoyed doing training with Johnny, and do not think he is a bad guy at all, he obviously did what he did without giving it much thought. Not concidering
the consequences for the trainee or himself.

CAA & RAASA have a difficult job, since they don't know who is the instructors or Flight schools that does things "illegal".

With that said, it is time to start training again and get flying.

Fly Safe

Pierre

[t-bird]

Hi Pierre

I hope that you get credit for the hours.
If you don’t then asked them why all the other people before you did get credits.

It is possible to get approval to train at a different airfield.

I started training at Rhino park and the school went belly up.

I then applied at CAA to get training at Rhino park on my own plane from an instructor based at Swartkops.
I visited Andre Swanepoel at CAA and he helped me to get written permission from CAA to train at Rhino park with a Swartkops based instructor.

How are u suppose to know that your instructor did not have authority to train you at Kitty Hawk ?

[MPL Pilot]

T-bird

It's true what you are saying and I spoke to Pierre and Willem at RAASA, their point of veiw is, it was illegal. They have a copy of my logbook and said the only
credit would be for the hours logged on the microlight, which is 15. But the hours of training done on TMA is not recoverable.

I spoke to JvL (suggested by BH) about training and plan to take some leave and start training there.
To be honest, I am scared I'll get nailed again.
JvL has to do things right because of the developement he is doing.

Thank you for your Interest.

[t-bird]

I went through the same situation at Rhinopark with the school closing down.
Almost stopped flying and that would have been the biggest mistake.

There are some honest guys, the guys at hanger 21 at springs.

You have the benefit of more than one instructor , last time I was there it was Reinier, George, Piet Kruger and Roelf all very capable people.

You can also try Johan Von Ludwig at Wagtail , but they are training at Parys.

You lost out on your flying hours and your time, what was the consequences to the instructor and school ?

[MPL Pilot]

I am going to do training at Johan Von Ludwig, that is why I am taking a weeks leave. Just a pity it is so damn cold early mornings now!

About the flight school, apparently it doesn't exist.
Doesn't know what is happening with the instructor, it must have damaged his reputation. Hopefully he learned something as well.

I saw you based at Summit, where is that?

[t-bird]

Summit is between Grand Central and the Krugersdorp highway.