FTN has obtained updated advice from the Department for Transport on its return to flying guidance, following the news that at least one UK flight school is to shortly to recommence flight training for its commercial student pilots.
On Friday 15 May 2020, the DfT confirmed in a statement that recreational flying could recommence subject to pilots observing social-distancing advice, but that this guidance precluded ‘dual’ flying training for the time being.
FTN was subsequently contacted by a UK school providing commercial pilot training courses, who told us that they were recommencing dual flight training within the next 10 days. The DfT have now told us: “Organisations are allowed to conduct training in this sector because commercial pilots/crews are viewed as ‘critical workers’ and are needed to maintain cargo and repatriation flights, and other essential aviation transport services. We have adopted a similar approach to the operation of driving schools where lessons and tests continue to be allowed for critical workers, but are suspended for all other candidates.”
A full update on this developing story will be published on Monday in the latest print edition of FTN.
