[MattL]

@Genghis the Engineer I’m sure we can all come up with edge cases for all sorts, but in general I’m sure it’s just getting a logbook signature for something people are doing already. It’s not something I’d dig in over if I were the BMAA. The microlighters are getting a welcome big increase in capability; I wouldn’t fight too hard to invite detailed analysis of licensing and training equivalence.

[cockney steve]

aiui, if you already have the requisite experience, it is "grandfathered"
to the new higher weight -limit. I am minded that nanolights are completely unregulated, other than insurance (who checks? ) but, according to you-tube videos. one should be aware that the mass is so low that it is essential to make use of power, especially when landing.
Are Microlight pilot's really that stupid they need to be saved from themselves? many composite 3-axis machines are very slippery and relatively fast,Darwin has a way of weeding out the really slow or arrogant learners, meanwhile I see the new legislation as little more than job -creation for the Belgrano,perhaps attempting to fill the void left by all those commercial milch-cows who now fly under more benign regimes.

[Sooty25]

So, does my logged tailwheel experience in a microlight Kitfox, flown on my NPPL(M) now negate the need to get a tailwheel sign off to fly a Cub on NPPL(SSEA)?

[Ibra]

So, does my logged tailwheel experience in a microlight Kitfox, flown on my NPPL(M) now negate the need to get a tailwheel sign off to fly a Cub on NPPL(SSEA)?

No idea on M - > SSEA on NPPL but for FCL PPL I recall one could fly TMG TW without difference training but the SEP TW requires a difference training (for my case that took 1h15min to get Cub sign-off to fly it on my own, I had hundreds of hours in a tailwheel TMGs and tri-cycle SEPs)

PS: there is no requirement for TW signoff on TMG as there are no variants in the TMG class, you can fly a variable pitch, retractable gear tailwheel motor-gliders with EFIS displays without difference trainings but no gliding club will let one loose in one without at least logbook signoff after few dual checks…but if you buy one, you can go ahead on your own

[Genghis the Engineer]

So, does my logged tailwheel experience in a microlight Kitfox, flown on my NPPL(M) now negate the need to get a tailwheel sign off to fly a Cub on NPPL(SSEA)?

Have you ever heard the expression "if you can't afford the answer, don't ask the question" ?

My take would be that if you assume so, you're unlikely to ever be challenged on it. But, if you ask for an authority ruling, it'll be the most expensive answer readily available.

(And for the record, having reasonable hours on tailwheel microlights and motorgliders, I flew a Super Cub, that I subsequently rented, with an instructor to get a sign-off the first time I wanted to fly a tailwheel SEP anyhow. But I suspect that if I'd bought that Super Cub, and just flown it, absolutely nobody would ever have given me any trouble about it.)

G

[Bathman]

motorgliders

What about motorgliders? Is differences training required there?

[Ibra]

motorgliders

What about motorgliders? Is differences training required there?

There are no difference trainings in PPL/TMG and there are no variants for the TMG class in Part-FCL

I think there were some difference training for NPPL/SLMG at some point with some distinction between Self-Launch MG & Touring MG (similar to FCL) but still LASORS never had variants listed under SLMG class

SLMG class rating
1. Subject to paragraph (2) and to the conditions of the licence in which it is included, a SLMG class rating entitles the holder to act as pilot in command of ANY SLMG.
2. If the current certificate of revalidation for the rating is endorsed “single seat only” the holder is only entitled to act as pilot in command of a single seat SLMG.

SSEA class rating
1. Subject to paragraph (2) and to the conditions of the licence in which it is included, a SSEA class rating entitles the holder to act as pilot in command of any SSEA with a maximum take off weight authorised of not more than 2000kg excluding any such aeroplane which is a SLMG or a microlight aeroplane.
c. i.
If the aeroplane is to be operated from water during take-off and landing, before exercising the privileges of the rating the holder must -
(aa) complete appropriate differences training; and
(bb) attain a pass in the Private or Professional Seamanship examination.
2. a.
If the current certificate of revalidation for the rating is endorsed “single seat only” the holder is only entitled to act as pilot in command of a single seat SSEA.
ii. The differences training must be given by a flight instructor entitled to instruct on the aeroplane on which the training is being given, recorded in the holder’s personal flying logbook and endorsed and signed by the instructor conducting the training.
b. i.
If the aeroplane -
aa. is fitted with a tricycle undercarriage;
bb. is fitted with a tailwheel;
cc. is fitted with a supercharger or turbo-charger;
dd. is fitted with a variable pitch propeller;
ee. is fitted with retractable landing gear;
ff. is fitted with a cabin pressurisation system; or
gg. has a maximum continuous cruising speed in excess of 140 knots indicated airspeed,
before exercising the privileges of the rating, the holder must complete appropriate difference training.
ii. The differences training must be given by a flight instructor entitled to instruct on the aeroplane on which the training is being given, recorded in the holder’s personal flying logbook and endorsed and signed by the instructor conducting the training.

[Sooty25]

Can’t see what the fuss is about - surely any microlight pilot would have sought some instruction before doing tail wheel or nose wheel etc for first time ?

The fine line is whether informal type conversion with another pilot experienced on type, and hours built since, now needs a formal differences sign off by an instructor.

And, who is signing off microlight instructors to confirm their ability to instruct the individual differences? Do they all need to retrain?

[lobstaboy]

And, who is signing off microlight instructors to confirm their ability to instruct the individual differences? Do they all need to retrain?

Yes they do. Including for 450-600kg. It's going to be shambolic.

[Mz Hedy]

Can’t see what the fuss is about - surely any microlight pilot would have sought some instruction before doing tail wheel or nose wheel etc for first time ?

Not necessarily, and many or most were successfully self-taught.

The fun bit is that purchasers of Ben Ashman's delightful-looking SSDR retractable sub-70 trikes will require formal sign off if they have a pilot's licence but not if they don't (a licence being optional to fly sub-70kg).

It might change under the new 600kg+ regulations, but AFIK the only multi-engine microlights out there are single seaters. Go figure.

[Sooty25]

And, who is signing off microlight instructors to confirm their ability to instruct the individual differences? Do they all need to retrain?

Yes they do. Including for 450-600kg. It's going to be shambolic.

So who is currently legal to fly a 600kg? Who checks out the instructors if nobody can fly a 600kg?

[MattL]

If you read the BMAA link provided by Cookie, past experience is all covered. The only instructors who will need to get some differences training are those that have never flown 600kg aircraft previously; hardly a unreasonable ask that they go and do that before instructing others.

Everybody has been berating the CAA demanding simplification of licensing and that all the differences are removed and everything is made the same / standardised; well welcome to what you’ve all been asking for.

[lobstaboy]

. The only instructors who will need to get some differences training are those that have never flown 600kg aircraft previously; hardly a unreasonable ask that they go and do that before instructing others.
.

"The only instructors" - that's pretty much all of them!
Yes it's perfectly reasonable to expect them to be difference trained themselves before instructing others. But that will have consequences (which may be unintended but should have been foreseen). What will happen will be that microlight only, by which I mean sub 450kg, instructors will find it hard to get the difference training and will either give up or lose business. This whole thing is going to concentrate microlight training in a much smaller number of large scale schools that will probably offer other training at the same time.
In five years time it'll be harder than it is now to get training at a sensible distance from home, it'll be more expensive, and it'll be on 600kg machines whether you like it or not. The distinction between microlight activity and the rest of leisure GA will be gone.
Oh, and flex wing training will be a thing of the past.

[VRB_20kt]

So who is currently legal to fly a 600kg? Who checks out the instructors if nobody can fly a 600kg?

Presumably an SEP FI can do microlight differences and then teach microlights.

Given that an ev97 (480kg) and C152 (~760kg) are already within the remit of an SEP instructor it doesn't look impossible.

(Edited for attribution)

[MattL]

@lobstaboy differences would probably be a one off trip and ground briefing, probably take half a day max. You think microlight instructors will give up rather than do that?

They could have gone the ‘make everyone get an SSEA rating’ route with all this, I wouldn’t knock it if I was a microlighter