AUPRT: learning to recover an aeroplane that has got away from you
An "upset" is an aeroplane in an attitude or at a speed its pilot did not intend: nose too high, banked too steeply, too slow. Loss of control in flight has long been one of the leading causes of fatal accidents in commercial aviation, which is why European rules now require this training, in a real aeroplane, before a first multi-pilot type rating.
What the rules require
Since December 2019, a pilot must complete the advanced UPRT course before starting a first type rating for a multi-pilot aeroplane. Under Part-FCL the course consists of at least:
- 5 hours of theory,
- briefings before and after each flight, and
- 3 hours of flight instruction with an instructor in an aeroplane.
It is a course, not an examiner's test. There is no checkride at the end, but the instructor assesses you throughout, and the school issues the certificate once you can recognise an upset and recover correctly.
What you actually do
The flying is done in an aircraft approved for the manoeuvres, with an instructor qualified to teach them. You experience and recover from nose-high and nose-low attitudes at various bank angles, spiral dives, stalls and the beginnings of a spin. The emphasis is on prevention first: recognising how an upset develops and stopping it early.
Why it cannot be learned in a simulator alone
A simulator cannot reproduce sustained g-forces or the physical surprise of an aeroplane somewhere it should not be. The first reaction of an untrained pilot is often wrong, and often startled. The purpose of the course is to have that first reaction in training, with an instructor, and to replace it with a method.
What to expect
- It is physically demanding. You will feel g-forces you have not felt before, and some people feel unwell on the first flight. Tell your instructor; the lesson is adjusted.
- It is short. Three hours of flying, usually over a few days.
- It is about limits. You see where the aeroplane's limits are, and learn the discipline of staying away from them.
On the FlyInPoland route, AUPRT comes after hour building and before the commercial and instrument training.
FlyInPoland.com plans and coaches your route. The training itself is delivered by the approved training organisation named in your written offer, and the figures here are the legal minimums, not a quotation.
