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[Bluerooster]

I see many references to the fact that The US AOPA has a larger membership than the UK AOPA.
Have you visited the AOPA US site? You can also join the forum, as an AOPA member, you have the right to do so.
While AOPA US, does not directly benefit the UK. The UK bretheren can make use of the same strategies that the US version uses to increase membership.
#1 being "Project Pilot", which is a mentor program, to get new non-pilots into the air, and help them through at least PPL.
The requirements of a Mentor are that they hold at least PPL and current medical. the requirements of the mentee is the desire to fly, and mabe a Student certificate.
This crap about the mentor having to hold CPL, and mentee PPL, is counter productive if you want new members, and to create new pilots. After all what does a PPL need with a mentor? (well I could use one, at times, but I've got my Dad)
The PPL has the knowledge and access to resources, that the beginner "wanna-be pilot" has not. The Mentor can help with ground training, and allow the mentee to fly from right seat. If the mentor happens to hold an instructor cert. It's a big plus, but not a requirement.

Also Thanks to the AOPA we are not in the same financial situation that our UK counter parts are in, with landing fees, and other types of user fees.
Yes we also have exhorbitant landing fees, But only at airports where you wouldn't want to be landing in a typical GA airplane anyway. There are a few small airports that charge "landing fees" but if you buy a couple of gallons of gas, the fees are waived. They all charge a tiedown fee of about $5-$10 per day for transients, (waived with gas purchase).

I can take off, fly to an airport 100 nm away, land, have lunch, and fly back home, The operating cost of my airplane, and cost of lunch is the only expense incurred. Shoot! There are many airports that are un attended and no-one will even know I was ever there. But they are nice spots, paved runways, "help-yerself-gas", and a nice terminal building open to pilots.
All Thanks to AOPA, And the fact that they want to get more people involved in aviation.
If the only people who get to be mentored are already pilots, and the only ones who are allowed to be mentors are commercial pilots, yer cutting yer own throat. Where is the incentive for someone to start with nothing and become a pilot?
I'm certian that the UK has plenty of pilots which are both willing and able to be a mentor, short of the CPL, and 200 hr requirement. And I'm certian that there are many aspiring pilots who don't meet the requirement of "Mentee" because they don't hold PPL. In this case the Mentees never get their PPL, and there is no need for the mentors. And as the existing pilots get older and die off, there wil be no-one to take their place.
Looks ta me like the AOPA UK needs to re-think their mission.
And work towards getting more new pilots. rather than mentoring those who are already pilots.

[Auriol Stephenson]

Bluerooster,

Forgive me. I really don't wish to be offensive. But your last post demonstrates vividly to any UK pilot how spectacularly misinformed you are regarding European flying regulations. I don't have time to respond to all the points you make, so I shall confine myself to just the following.

This crap about the mentor having to hold CPL, and mentee PPL, is counter productive if you want new members, and to create new pilots. After all what does a PPL need with a mentor? (well I could use one, at times, but I've got my Dad)
The PPL has the knowledge and access to resources, that the beginner "wanna-be pilot" has not. The Mentor can help with ground training, and allow the mentee to fly from right seat. If the mentor happens to hold an instructor cert. It's a big plus, but not a requirement.

and

If the only people who get to be mentored are already pilots, and the only ones who are allowed to be mentors are commercial pilots, yer cutting yer own throat. Where is the incentive for someone to start with nothing and become a pilot?

Under JAA/EASA regulations any person without a flying licence who learns flying technique in the air from another person is being instructed - not mentored. This requires an instructor rating. Any person who instructs another person during flight must hold both the rating or qualification that is being instructed and also have an instructor rating. At the present time, in Europe one is required to have a JAA/EASA CPL before one is eligible to train as a Flight Instructor. Any person who breaches these regulations WILL be prosecuted by the Civil Aviation Authority, (quite apart from having no insurance cover if anything goes wrong).

The proposed UK Mentoring scheme will not require the mentor to have a CPL, but only a PPL, 200 hrs PIC and British AOPA 'Silver Wings'. The purpose of mentoring is for the mentor to sit beside a licensed private pilot who is practising some newly acquired skill or activity in which the mentor him/herself is well practised and experienced. The mentor will be there only to help the mentee develop his/her self confidence and will not instruct.

Broomstick.

[Bluerooster]

Bluerooster,

Forgive me. I really don't wish to be offensive. But your last post demonstrates vividly to any UK pilot how spectacularly misinformed you are regarding European flying regulations. I don't have time to respond to all the points you make, so I shall confine myself to just the following.

This crap about the mentor having to hold CPL, and mentee PPL, is counter productive if you want new members, and to create new pilots. After all what does a PPL need with a mentor? (well I could use one, at times, but I've got my Dad)
The PPL has the knowledge and access to resources, that the beginner "wanna-be pilot" has not. The Mentor can help with ground training, and allow the mentee to fly from right seat. If the mentor happens to hold an instructor cert. It's a big plus, but not a requirement.

and

If the only people who get to be mentored are already pilots, and the only ones who are allowed to be mentors are commercial pilots, yer cutting yer own throat. Where is the incentive for someone to start with nothing and become a pilot?

Under JAA/EASA regulations any person without a flying licence who learns flying technique in the air from another person is being instructed - not mentored. This requires an instructor rating. Any person who instructs another person during flight must hold both the rating or qualification that is being instructed and also have an instructor rating. At the present time, in Europe one is required to have a JAA/EASA CPL before one is eligible to train as a Flight Instructor. Any person who breaches these regulations WILL be prosecuted by the Civil Aviation Authority, (quite apart from having no insurance cover if anything goes wrong).

The proposed UK Mentoring scheme will not require the mentor to have a CPL, but only a PPL, 200 hrs PIC and British AOPA 'Silver Wings'. The purpose of mentoring is for the mentor to sit beside a licensed private pilot who is practising some newly acquired skill or activity in which the mentor him/herself is well practised and experienced. The mentor will be there only to help the mentee develop his/her self confidence and will not instruct.

Broomstick.

First let me appologize for my ignorance of the local rules, That's why I'm here, to learn.
We do not want to see such rules here in the US
This is why I'm a member of AOPA, I, in the US, as a private Pilot, can mentor a non-pilot/student. The object of the game is to help the non-pilot to become a student pilot and then a private pilot. I'm not instructing, or signing logbooks, What I, as a Mentor am doing is helping the student to excell. And possibly demonstrating proper technique for a particular manuver. (in the air)
What you describe, we, In the US call a "Safety Pilot".

[DWeston]

So has the Mentoring scheme dropped the need for the Mentor to hold a CRI. And what is the situation with insurance cover when operating under the scheme. Is there a form that has to be completed by the participants to take advantage of the AOPA cover?

I ask because I've been doing some mentoring and the AOPA scheme, as written, seems a little over-cautious.

[Supercub185]

Wanted to say hello. I am a us aopa member and joined this site. If any of you cross the pond and come to maine stop by my little airstip, it is 90ME. Perhaps we could go for a ride in one of the planes. Love talking planes. Have a great day.