BFCL.345 FI(B) – Assessment of competence

Regulation (EU) 2020/357

1. Applicants for the issue of an FI(B) certificate shall pass an assessment of competence on a balloon to demonstrate to an examiner qualified in accordance with point BFCL.415(c) the ability to instruct a student pilot to the level required for the issue of a BPL.
   
   
2. The assessment shall include:
   1. the demonstration of the competencies described in point BFCL.325 during pre-flight, post-flight and theoretical knowledge instruction;
   2. oral theoretical examinations on the ground, pre-flight and post-flight briefings, and in-flight demonstrations in the appropriate balloon class;
      
      
3. exercises adequate to evaluate the instructor’s competencies.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

General

1. The format and application form for the assessment of competence are determined by the competent authority.
2. The balloon that is used for the assessment should meet the requirements for training aircraft.
3. The FE(B) acts as the PIC, except in circumstances agreed upon by the FE(B) when another FI(B) is designated as PIC for the flight.
4. The ‘student’ is either a real balloon student pilot under training or, in all other cases, the FE(B) or another FI(B). The applicant is required to explain the relevant exercises and to demonstrate their conduct to the ‘student’, where appropriate. Thereafter, the ‘student’ executes the same manoeuvres which can include typical mistakes of inexperienced students. The applicant is expected to correct mistakes orally or, if necessary, by intervening physically.
5. If more than one flight is necessary in order to complete all relevant exercises, these flights should be completed as close together in time as practicable and, in any case, within a period of 6 months. In principle, failure in any exercise requires a retest covering all exercises, with the exception of those that may be retaken separately. The FE(B) may terminate the assessment at any stage if they consider that a retest is required.
6. The total flight time of the assessment of competence should be at least 45 minutes.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

Content of the assessment of competence

(a) The content of the assessment of competence for the FI(B) should be the following:

(b) Section 1, the oral theoretical knowledge examination part of the assessment of competence, is divided into two parts:

(1) The applicant is required to give a lecture under test conditions to other ‘student(s)’, one of whom will be the FE(B). The test lecture is to be selected from items of Section 1. The amount of time for the preparation of the test lecture is agreed upon beforehand with the FE(B). Appropriate literature may be used by the applicant. The test lecture should not exceed 45 minutes.

(2) The applicant is tested orally by an FE(B) for knowledge of items of Section 1 and the core instructor competencies (teaching and learning content given in the FI(B) training course).

(c) Sections 2, 3 and 4 comprise exercises to demonstrate the ability to be an FI(B) (for example, instructor demonstration exercises) chosen by the FE(B) from the flight syllabus of the FI(B) training course. The applicant is required to demonstrate FI(B) abilities, including briefing, flight instruction and de-briefing.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

→ BFCL.360