Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1842868
Recency?
As so often, it is simplest to read the regulation.
(The Sailplane Rule Book; free download from EASA)
This bit:
SFCL.160 SPL – Recency requirements
.....
(b) TMGs SPL holders shall exercise their TMG privileges only if in the last 24 months before the planned flight they:
- (1) completed at least 12 hours of flight time as PIC or flying dual or solo under the supervision of an FI(S), including, on TMGs, at least:
- - (i) six hours flight time;
- - (ii) 12 take-offs and landings; and
- - (iii) a training flight of at least one hour total flight time with an instructor; or
- (2) passed a proficiency check with an examiner; the

Note that the first bit, the 12 hours mentioned in (b)(1) can be in any sort of sailplane, which includes TMGs.
For TMG flying, there is no 'sailplanes excluding TMG' requirement.

As others have said: enjoy.
#1842945
So what you are saying is that you cannot maintain a licence as current by satisfying the requirements of a rating (in this case TMG) held on that licence without satisfying the currency requirements of the licence itself (the SPL).

For note: I have read the regulations and was still slightly confused. It may be a point of consideration for the OP.

Dutch -Thanks.
#1842948
SPL recency is similar to LAPL recency. The licence remains valid for life, the privileges can only be exercised if the holder satisfies the recency requirements. TMG hours cannot be used to maintain sailplane recency, some sailplane hours can count towards TMG recency.

The OP can fly TMGs exclusively & the SPL continues to remain current/valid for TMG privileges as long as TMG recency is maintained.
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
#1842959
Okay, so Dutch says Glider recency has to be maintained so that the SPL licence can be used to maintain TMG recency (if I understand correctly) and low&slow, you say that it's okay to just hold the TMG rating's recency current.

As for me I'm still genuinely confused.
#1842964
My source is the law as published by EASA which AFAIK has been copied & pasted into UK law. Obviously I will eventually need a UK source but at the moment Euro-law acts as a good proxy.

SFCL.160 (a) deals exclusively with sailplane recency & explicitly excludes all TMG flying from counting towards sailplane recency.

SFCL.160 (b) deals with TMG recency. There is absolutely no requirement in SFCL.160 (b) to maintain sailplane recency to fly TMGs on an SPL.
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
#1842968
Flyin'Dutch' wrote:@allout further to our off-forum email conversation would it be useful for completeness to post the requirements for the various permutations?

(LAPL-S now) SPL Sailplane:

SPL TMG

PPL TMG

?


Going directly to an LAPL(A) or PPL(A) with TMG privileges will involve doing almost the entire pre-solo syllabus, with some reduction for qualified glider pilots. Adding TMG privileges to an SPL involves a minimum of 6 hours training, some exams & a flight test. Much easier.

An SPL holder with TMG privileges who has done a few hours in TMGs gets a big reduction in minimum training hours for both an LAPL(A) & PPL(A).
Flyin'Dutch' liked this
#1842969
A pleasure - hope this helps.

PPL(A) TMG Class Rating - very similar to PPL(A) SEP Class Rating requirements (expiry dates/ revalidation or renewal/ examiner signatures/ that sort of thing)

SPL TMG privileges - rolling recency requirements as previously posted & repeated below.

I find it helps to note that a TMG is a sailplane & bin a few previous understandings.
- 'Glider recency' does not exist in the regulation
- 'SPL TMG Rating' does not exist in the regulation
Bin those, read the regulation, and all should be sweetness and light, but happy to expand further if requested.

(low&slow and I are crossing and agreeing as we type)


SFCL.160 SPL – Recency requirements
.....
(b) TMGs SPL holders shall exercise their TMG privileges only if in the last 24 months before the planned flight they:
- (1) completed at least 12 hours of flight time as PIC or flying dual or solo under the supervision of an FI(S), including, on TMGs, at least:
- - (i) six hours flight time;
- - (ii) 12 take-offs and landings; and
- - (iii) a training flight of at least one hour total flight time with an instructor; or
- (2) passed a proficiency check with an examiner; the

Note that the first bit, the 12 hours mentioned in (b)(1) can be in any sort of sailplane, which includes TMGs.
For TMG flying, there is no 'sailplanes excluding TMG' requirement.
By PaulisHome
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1843054
allout wrote:A pleasure - hope this helps.

PPL(A) TMG Class Rating - very similar to PPL(A) SEP Class Rating requirements (expiry dates/ revalidation or renewal/ examiner signatures/ that sort of thing)

SPL TMG privileges - rolling recency requirements as previously posted & repeated below.

I find it helps to note that a TMG is a sailplane & bin a few previous understandings.
- 'Glider recency' does not exist in the regulation
- 'SPL TMG Rating' does not exist in the regulation
Bin those, read the regulation, and all should be sweetness and light, but happy to expand further if requested.

(low&slow and I are crossing and agreeing as we type)


Um.

My view is that a TMG is a different animal from a sailplane. The regulations deal with at least three different type of aircraft, Sailplanes (a synonym for gliders), TMGs and Aeroplanes. (OK, Balloons and so on, but we'll ignore those for this conversation).

Sure, in the SPL regulations, you can treat TMGs as sailplanes for some of the regulations, but only really in the same way that you can treat TMGs as aeroplanes in FCL (that is when you fly TMGs on a PPL).

Also, whilst 'Glider recency' doesn't exist, 'Sailplane recency' does (SFCL.160 (a)) - and with Sailplane being a synonym for Glider, they're the same thing.

None of this pedantry changes the conclusion that our OP can happily fly a TMG on an SPL without needing to maintain Sailplane recency.

Paul