IMC in LAA?

[Seanjd]

Expecting an update at Telford on Saturday

[Seanjd]

CAA approves Night and IFR flight for Permit aircraft

http://www.caa.co.uk/News/Night-and-IFR ... 4294967430

[SteveHutt]

TL 2.27
APPROVAL FOR OPERATION OF LAA PERMIT TO FLY AIRCRAFT IN IMC, UNDER IFR OR AT NIGHT
http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co. ... cedure.pdf

TL 2.28
ASSESSMENT OF LAA PERMIT TO FLY AIRCRAFT FOR OPERATION IN IMC, UNDER IFR OR AT NIGHT
http://www.lightaircraftassociation.co. ... ssment.pdf

[Seanjd]

Great work by everyone involved

[P5151]

Well done all the people involved in gaining this you have done a fantastic job!!! I am really pleased by this achievement, the Association owes you a debt of gratitude.

Now, we need the board to ensure that they look at staffing requirements to carry out the extra work that will be generated and to deal with the backlog of mod applications that currently exist. This is a great association with great volunteers and our engineering staff are first class, but overloaded already so we must provide sufficient staff to deal with the extra work.

[AlanR]

This is a fantastic achievment and a superb result of course but I just wonder how great in the final analysis will be the demand and uptake.
The vast majority of the LAA fleet just can't comply for various airframe reasons i.e wingloading etc. I then just wonder how many others in the fleet will indeed take up the challenge and jump through all the hoops necessary for both the initial alterations to instrument panels, heated pitots etc. plus the initial and on-going annual testing requirements.
My gut feeling is that the takeup will not be as great as some may think....

[Brian Hope]

Now, we need the board to ensure that they look at staffing requirements to carry out the extra work that will be generated and to deal with the backlog of mod applications that currently exist. This is a great association with great volunteers and our engineering staff are first class, but overloaded already so we must provide sufficient staff to deal with the extra work.

The emphasis on carrying out assessments of aircraft handling and the suitability of instrument fits has been to outsource that to a team of trained specialists - rather like a team of Night/IFR inspectors. They will do the bulk of the work and it is anticipated that Engineering will be able to handle the additional workload that falls on them.
Not too sure about the backlog of mod applications that currently exist actually does exist these days. Engineering now has a much improved system to deal with mods and the backlog of people awaiting a response is minimal, and awaiting a response is now the key factor. Whilst there will always be a list of outstanding mods, the vast majority of those are either awaiting completion and test flying of aircraft to enable them to be signed off, or they are awaiting information requested from the applicant to further progress. 4e

My gut feeling is that the takeup will not be as great as some may think...
I don't know how many people some think will take up the Night/IFR option, I myself have absolutely no idea but what is important is that it is now available to certain types on the LAA fleet, and that says a great deal about the credibility of the LAA Permit to Fly system and the aircraft our members are building and/or maintaining. It also say a lot about the Association's self-help ethos, where those who feel strongly that they can improve the members' lot are prepared to put in the effort to move things forward. Very well done to them.

[P5151]

Not too sure about the backlog of mod applications that currently exist actually does exist these days. Engineering now has a much improved system to deal with mods and the backlog of people awaiting a response is minimal, and awaiting a response is now the key factor. Whilst there will always be a list of outstanding mods, the vast majority of those are either awaiting completion and test flying of aircraft to enable them to be signed off, or they are awaiting information requested from the applicant to further progress.

Brian, This is a great achievement by all involved and I do not want to detract from that, nor do I wish to attack our current engineering staff who all work hard on our behalf.However, I know that what you are saying is not correct from what is happening with a current mod request I have in the system. While things may be marked on the system as waiting a response from the applicant this is not always the case.

My gut feeling is that the takeup will not be as great as some may think...
I don't know how many people some think will take up the Night/IFR option, I myself have absolutely no idea but what is important is that it is now available to certain types on the LAA fleet, and that says a great deal about the credibility of the LAA Permit to Fly system and the aircraft our members are building and/or maintaining. It also say a lot about the Association's self-help ethos, where those who feel strongly that they can improve the members' lot are prepared to put in the effort to move things forward. Very well done to them.

I agree with you totally on this and was annoyed by the negative spin put on this by the poster. If 50 aircraft are cleared there will be 50 very happy LAA members, if 100 then even better! This will increase the value, utility and interest to other pilots in respect of a number of our fleet and allow them to do what they are capable of doing, night and IFR. I suspect in terms of the whole fleet the number will never be very high but that is irrelevant, this has never been a numbers game it is about freeing aircraft to do what they are capable of doing, and have been doing in other countries for many years. I for one will apply for at least night clearance on my RV9 as I rebuild it. Looking at the requirements there appears to be little I need to change because it was originally built with this mission in mind.

[Ian Hoolahan]

If 50 aircraft are cleared there will be 50 very happy LAA members

Actually many more happy members than that as many will be group aircraft, ours for example is a group of 7 and there will be larger groups than that, not sure what the average is but you can probably at least tripple the members for aircraft cleared!

[P5151]

If 50 aircraft are cleared there will be 50 very happy LAA members

Actually many more happy members than that as many will be group aircraft, ours for example is a group of 7 and there will be larger groups than that, not sure what the average is but you can probably at least tripple the members for aircraft cleared!

Good point Ian.