Peter wrote:
I think the LAPL, being sub-ICAO, is a potential dead end in various ways
The easy “upgrade” from LAPL to PPL makes it worth while. The only thing you cannot do with LAPL is IFR, and from LAPL to PPL is maybe 5% of the “work” compared with from PPL to PPL-IFR. It’s not a dead end in any way at all, potential or real. It’s just a (slightly) simpler way to fly VFR, which 99% of PPL pilots do in any case.
VFR night from LAPL requires a bit more instructing than from PPL. And that’s the thing. If you have LAPL, then take VFR night rating, then you have all instructions needed for PPL, and can get it with just a check ride (I think, but may be mistaken).
LeSving wrote:
can get it with just a check ride (I think, but may be mistaken).
maybe in theory, but in practice you need an ATO for that and all ATO-s I have asked require 10h flight at their plane – which where I live means C150 @200EUR/h. With my LAPL+night I have theoretical interest in PPL, (because of BIR), but there always seems something more urgent or interesting that need money. OK, now that our club also has ATO,maybe they can count glider towing with Wilga as LAPL-PPL training :)
The LAPL is also no good for outside Europe, and AFAIK is no good for getting a 61.75 piggyback FAA PPL so you cannot do a trip in the US and fly out there a bit.
And how many people fly out of Europe? And if your based anywhere north of Watford how many people fly outside of the UK.
The privileges of the lapl cover what 98% of flyers actually need.
I think that if you could get a lapl using a medical declaration it would be a real winner.
LeSving wrote:
VFR night from LAPL requires a bit more instructing than from PPL. And that’s the thing. If you have LAPL, then take VFR night rating, then you have all instructions needed for PPL, and can get it with just a check ride (I think, but may be mistaken).
I think you need to cover Basic Instrument Flying from PPL (EX19) as in FCL.810 for Night rating on a LAPL, I knew that some had their applications bounced by UK CAA because LAPL holder had 5h night course but failed to cover EX19 (similar, I had a French Brevet de Base with “night endorsement”, the night signature was lost in LAPL translation due to lack of night cross-country Ex20 & basic instrument flying time Ex19 
)
LAPL should cover 90% of fun flying for 3 years but honestly if starting from scratch & have C2 medical it is same effort as PPL?
ivark wrote:
maybe in theory, but in practice you need an ATO for that
A DTO will do just as well.
