PPL vs NPPL (UK)

[NattyBo]

Good morning!

I'm current AD Enlisted Air Force, I just got orders to RAF Mildenhall.  This is going to take me 3 years, which will be the end of my contract.  My goal right now is to be able to start applying to ANG units about a year out, hopefully taking some leave and flying around the country for meet & greets/interviews (hopefully). 

My question: I've noticed that many units require or strongly recommend applying with a PPL.  Right now I've got 13 flight hours, and I leave in 2 weeks so it's not feasible for me to hurry up and finish my PPL.  I've been doing some research and it looks like instruction over there is much more expensive.  There's an option that I found over there to fly three-axis Microlights, like the Ikarus C-42, for a significantly cheaper hourly price.  This grants you an NPPL, which basically allows VFR flight within the UK.  Here's a link that, although older, seems to detail the differences between the EASA PPL and the NPPL: 

http://tobeapilot.co.uk/nppl-lapl-and-ppl-what-is-the-difference/

I assume it'd be better for me to get the EASA PPL, which is the standardized and recognized license across the EU, but I wanted to check and make sure as this NPPL seems like it'd be the perfect option for me to build hours and have some fun while I'm in the UK.

Thanks for reading! 

[rudderrightmore]

Sounds like a Sport Pilot License. I don't see any documentation that says you can't claim microlight hours for your PCSM calculation, so it'll help your score. It wont count towards your PPL though, so if a unit requires a PPL, you're shit outa luck. 

That being said, plenty of units don't require a PPL and you'll have an interesting story to tell during the interview.