Timothy wrote:
You think that the learning experience generated by sitting in the aeroplane as PIC is greater, hour for hour, than doing scenario training with an instructor? You must have encountered some really bad instructors.
Maybe I didn’t put it clear enough. There is a huge difference between the currency needed for a professional pilot and a private pilot. I don’t know where EASA has got the 12 hour minimum from, but it’s there as a limit. It could be a simple function of total risk exposure per year vs risk per hour, I don’t know. Is a 120 h pilot 10 times “better” than a 12 hour pilot? Obviously not, no statistics shows this to be true, it’s the opposite, so there are other factors involved also. With minimum currency, a pilot will mitigate the low currency by taking less risk (fly only in nice weather, only short trips and so on). In addition, he will also be much more alert, more focused on the flight, he got more nerves if you want. He will use longer time, be more set on doing things right, take longer time to prepare between each flight. I think we all can agree on this.
Bottom line, the 12 hour pilot is not within the “risk group” of private GA, he is not “spoiled” by “high” currency. He doesn’t take flying lightly, doesn’t take risks and so on. He just isn’t likely to end up in a bad situation to start with. Each of those 12 hours are much more “worth” than each hour when flying 120. This is a fact, and it’s also a fact that those 12 hours means a lot on a personal level. In fact, it means enough to keep flying instead of quitting altogether. Each additional hour is “worth” more the less you fly.
But the underlying reality still remains. He only flies the minimum to keep current according to EASA, and why is that? Time and money, obviously. The budget is set, and it is very limited. Whatever you add, means you have to remove an equal amount of time/money. It’s far from a given that you will come up with anything at all that will “improve” the situation for a 12 h pilot by removing even one or two of those hours. For a 120 h pilot, the situation is different because each of those hours are “worth” relatively little. He can easily replace some of those hours with something “worth” more. For a professional pilot, each additional hour is “worth” close to nothing, thus anything other than flying one additional everyday hour will improve him as a pilot.
LeSving wrote:
Bottom line, the 12 hour pilot is not within the “risk group” of private GA, he is not “spoiled” by “high” currency. He doesn’t take flying lightly, doesn’t take risks and so on. He just isn’t likely to end up in a bad situation to start with. Each of those 12 hours are much more “worth” than each hour when flying 120. This is a fact, and it’s also a fact that those 12 hours means a lot on a personal level. In fact, it means enough to keep flying instead of quitting altogether. Each additional hour is “worth” more the less you fly.
Hmmm, not entirely convinced by some of that logic. Pilots flying low hours will usually be pretty conservative both as to weather and where they go. Equally there are some high hours pilots (I have in mind commercial pilots) that will spend a huge percentage of their time in the cruise and the rest in a very regulated and managed enviroment. I often think pilots with lots of landings in all weathers, all conditions and a variety of places are the “best”, at least within their aircraft type operating parameters.
I have also always believed currency is super important. I am not so sure now. Experience is equally, if not more important. I think its getting to the point where you have that fountain of experience to which to refer that is often ultimately important. If you are also very current, even better. Current, but without the experience, doesnt cut the muster when the more serious problems arise. I suspect a good 2,000 or 3,000 hours is the starting point in GA.
There is a huge amount of risk compensation in GA activity so, yes, the low-hour flyers tend to stick to easy flights. Most people who get a PPL are smart enough to do this.
