Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By T67M
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1869754
Rob P wrote:Our (two-person) group has a simple, pragmatic recency rule.

If you can remember the combination for the hangar lock without a piece of paper to help you, you are good to go.


Given how often I am asked for the combination to the padlock on the locker at the back of the shared hangar given that it is written in the aircraft, I think utilisation on our shareoplane may go down if we implement this rule!
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1870095
OpenCirrus619 wrote:If I remember correctly it was something like:
- Yellow: Freshly minted PPL / 30 day currency / good weather required / licensed airfields only
- Blue: More experiened PPL / 30 day currency / adequate weather required / discussion with instructor required for un-licensed airfields
- Green: Experienced PPL (probably holding an IMC) / 60 (90?) day currency / weather meets legal minima / trusted not to go anywhere "inappropriate for the A/C"


Back in the day, I used to remind people that North Weald with its massive runway was unlicensed, but Netherthorpe with its small grass one was licensed. Deciding allowed destination based on licensed/unlicensed doesn't make much sense.
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By MichaelP
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1870101
TLRippon wrote:We run on 28 days for pilots with fewer than 100 hours then a rising scale of hours to 90 days. This is driven by insurance requirements.


Have you seen this in writing?
Many club rules are justified on the ‘insurance’ fib.
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By MichaelP
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1870105
I don’t fly at Blackbushe due I became not current in the Cessna 152 after five weeks.
More than thirty days ago I flew a Warrior from White Waltham to Bembridge on a very gusty windy day with TCUs floating around. There was concern, and phone calls, but all was well, I think I have enough experience to handle it. But now I am not current.
Checked out on the Super Cub, but not allowed to rent it if the crosswind exceeds five knots.
I’m no longer current.
Last time I went to fly the Super Cub the wind was out of these limits, wind I have sent pilots first solo in tailwheel aeroplanes in my past, but which are now considered beyond my ability.

I’ve flown other aeroplanes in the meantime, used my CRI a bit too. Flew a funny biplane built to I K Brunel standard with the stately flight characteristics of the Forth Bridge. No check-out! They expected the benefit of my experience.

So I know that my use of flying school and flying club aeroplanes has to be limited to the amount of dual I can afford.
I don’t think dual is a bad thing, it’s just an expensive thing.
For now I have the use of a Warrior at Redhill.
Nice flight yesterday, though I am out of check in PA28s at two other places.
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By TLRippon
#1870125
MichaelP wrote:
TLRippon wrote:We run on 28 days for pilots with fewer than 100 hours then a rising scale of hours to 90 days. This is driven by insurance requirements.


Have you seen this in writing?
Many club rules are justified on the ‘insurance’ fib.


Yes Michael I have and it’s in the wall of the briefing room for everyone to see.
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By Sir Morley Steven
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1870130
Sorry you don’t like my rules Michael. Most people are happy with them and we can sometimes use discretion. Unfortunately our Ops team are not pilots and as such cannot do that.
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By MichaelP
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1870134
Sir Morley Steven wrote:Sorry you don’t like my rules Michael. Most people are happy with them and we can sometimes use discretion. Unfortunately our Ops team are not pilots and as such cannot do that.


I respect your rules Steven, and I actually like what you are doing at Blackbushe Aviation. IMHO you’re doing an excellent job.
There is no complaint on my part about how you run your business.
It is standard for the industry here.

It does not suit me though as I have a very limited budget these days and so the number of checkouts I receive have to be considered.

Having run a few aviation businesses in my life, I have had to use my discretion many times.
I am an ‘unknown’ here these days, and so I accept the rules.
I do have the ‘hours I say I have’ and more...

What is apparent to me is that I should either buy an aeroplane, or get into a group to continue to keep my hand in, but where?
Until I find a settled place to be and a new income I will have to be very careful with my finances.

I am a member at White Waltham where I have many friends from my past, but even there I can’t ‘fly’ club aircraft within the rules, and so beyond the social I can only check out (28 day rule) when I have a specific purpose to rent an aeroplane. Every penny has to be carefully justified.
I could not keep my currency in the Super Cub due to potential cross winds in excess of five knots when I wanted to fly it, and so now I have exceeded 28 days in that aircraft type.
Much as I love the Super Cub, I know I have to justify a dual flight before I can do anything in it. So I should be patient and see what I can do in the future.

On the other side I well remember so and sos from the Tiger Club’s past turning up and being allowed to fly club aircraft soliciting gasps and worse as they were no longer the ace pilots they once were.
Their hours and reputations from decades before were no longer ‘current’.

So while I might be annoyed and somewhat offended I also understand why organisations have certain rules.

I still drop by Blackbushe on occasion, and say hello when I see Steven.
By Boxkite
#1875578
GAFlyer4Fun wrote:
CloudHound wrote:I got fed up of the 28 cycle of checkouts which used up the hour I had to fly that weekend.


I had a family member that gave up flying for that very reason.

It's the reason I gave up renting at one place and added a half hour to my drive to get to another airfield.
The rule was supposed to improve safety but I found I flew even less often because of it.
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By aerial
#1875594
This thread offers some thought provoking insights into why many ppls drop out of flying. Perhaps it is a problem that some bright minds could solve? A solution would be good for the future of GA.
By Crash one
#1875604
I never had any intention of renting old worn out training aircraft. So after licence issue I went and bought an even older aircraft that needed work done to it before my engineer considered it safe for me to fly!
I then wrote down a rule that I could only fly it when I wanted to.
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By Boxkite
#1875605
CloudHound wrote:CAA recency requirements are 3 take offs & 3 landings in previous 90 days in order to carry passengers. Solo is at the pilot’s own judgement provided their Class rating is valid.

That should suffice for renting imnsho.

It should, but - as in all walks of life - insurance companies are the Kings, and trump any requirements by any other official body.