Polite discussion about EASA, the CAA, the ANO and the delights of aviation regulation.
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By Supercat
#1888647
Hello there folks,
Has anyone had a minty fresh PPL issued recently? I sent in my application on the 2nd of November using the rather clunky online system. This system doesn't have a way to let you send in your Logbook scans, so you have to wait for them to say you haven't sent them and then you can reply to that email with them attached. Which I did and got an automated reply saying they were working within the 10 working days limit. Yippeeee!
So, 12 working days after the initail contact, but 10 working days after the logbook uploads I received a phone call from the CAA.
Which was a surprise.
Wherein a lady told me I didn't have enough solo time and that my decimals were wrong. At that time I couldn't dispute it as I was at work dangling about in a cherry-picker 30m up (AGL not AMSL) ;) She also wanted my student record from the ATO. I said to her that if I hadn't done enough then I'd just book some more time and get it flow quick-sticks! But She kept reassuring me I didn't need to... And that if I did I'd have to take my Skills test again.
So when I got home I got out my logbook, carefully wrote down each date and exact times start to finish, then converted this into minutes then into decimals... And I had actaully flown 30 minutes longer than the decimal stated... Total solo time 11.6 hours.
So I put this all in an email with the full breakdown of the dates and minutes with a copy of the Student Record and got back the automated reply saying that this time I shouldn't expect anything for roughly 4 weeks.
And now four weeks was up yesterday, mailbox is empty, no more calls since and I don't know what I should do.
From what I've read there doesn't seem much point trying to contact them, unless anyone out there has had a good result from requesting information on progress? Does anyone know who to contact? Should I just keep waiting?
I'm not going to lie, this is REALLLLLY bugging me... It's taken so long to get me to this point, I'm now kind of here, but not.
SO any advice is always happily received.
Regards, Supercat.
User avatar
By VRB_20kt
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1888660
On one of the emails there will be a phone number to call. Ring them. Find out if there’s an issue and if there is deal with it. You may need to be more persistent than is ideal.

Each time there’s a “problem” they reset the clock and you go back down the pile.
#1888671
VRB: Good call there, I'd only looked at the later email replies, there is a phone number on the first.

JAFO: Yeah, knowing what I know now I wouldn't have started the decimals, if I ever get to the end of a logbook (in my dreams) I will just write the minutes.
It began this way:
Instructor- 'And this is how you fill out your times, use this clock thing over here to work out the decimal'
Me- M'kay...
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By JAFO
#1888678
Supercat wrote:Yeah, knowing what I know now I wouldn't have started the decimals, if I ever get to the end of a logbook (in my dreams) I will just write the minutes.


If I was you, I'd swap at the end of the page. :thumright:
#1888717
JAFO: I'd been toying with that Idea but wasn't sure if I'll ever need to show it to someone else. Should I tot it up in imperal and write it in at the top of the next page do you think? Or go renegade and just switch? Or will I just confuse myself later...

For what it's worth I did call the CAA and asked for an update.
They told me they were waiting on my ATO to confirm my logbook entries.
So I call my ATO, they haven't heard a word from the CAA...
So I've sent another copy of my Course Completion Cert with the ATO's name circled and a third set of scans of my logbook.
Fingers crossed I might one day get to use the thousands of pounds I've thrown at this for my own pleasure, although it seems a pipe dream at present.
#1888736
Bathman wrote:
JAFO wrote:Why use decimals?


Do the same as what the ATO/DTO do. Then when the CAA ask for your training records they match.


Time is measured in hours and minutes not decimals. The Army often do things in decimals because they can only count to ten but if God had meant them to fly he'd have painted the sky green.

@Supercat It's your logbook, as long as you're recording what's needed and not trying to pull the wool over anybody's eyes, you can do it in the way that suits you.
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#1888836
Supercat wrote:JAFO: I'd been toying with that Idea but wasn't sure if I'll ever need to show it to someone else. Should I tot it up in imperal and write it in at the top of the next page do you think? Or go renegade and just switch? Or will I just confuse myself later...


If I were you, and, of course, I am not and am just some bloke on the internet so ignoring me might just be the best course of action, if I reached the end of a page with 12.4 hours solo and 43.6 hours dual, or whatever, I'd start the next page by carrying over 12:25 and 43:35 then crack on.
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#1888862
MattL: I like the idea of complaining, but do you not think it's a bit premature? I don't want to get off on the wrong foot with them before I even get going, but I do seem to have hit a brick wall, obviously no-one has been reading the emails I've sent...

JAFO: Your ideas has merit, on the next page I AM going to start afresh.