BNUC-s vs. RPQ-s?

[RC Flying]

My colleague says he's not going to be working with BNUC after this year, he's going to try the RPQs no matter what - i.e. he doesn't even care what they're like, he doesn't want to deal with the BNUC admin again. Sometimes they ask you to correct something, which you do then send it in... then they ask you to correct something else they never noticed the first time. I spoke on the phone to them (BNUC) yesterday and asked if you get put back to the bottom of the pile to wait another 3 weeks each time you make a requested correction to your OPs Manual and was told, 'Yes, unfortunately that's the way the system works'. Well, to me, that's plane ridiculous. It's like how they used to do things in stuffy offices in the 1950s. If they were only one of many options, vying for our business (their customers) they wouldn't dream of treating us this way.

To me, the idea of courses/qualifications like BNUC etc was a way for the CAA to have some kind of assertion that we're safe and we know what we're doing. Making me wait over a month, then making me make pedantic corrections that were previously approved then making me wait three weeks at a time thereafter is not in the spirit of things in my opinion.

 

[ZAxis]

EuroUSC are not the arbitors of ops manuals, it's the CAA who ultimately accept or reject them. We were aware of the barriers EuroUSC put in the way of candidates and had our ops manual approved by the CAA directly. It was then presented, as a surprise, to EuroUSC one day before the flight test. Tony the flight tester pointed out one omission that was corrected on the spot and we went out and passsed the flight test. The test is to show that you operate to your ops manual competently not a test in how good your English is.
I am bitterly disappointed that EuroUSC persist in their games and thoroughly deserve any criticism thrown at them.
I'd love to see their own company ops manual which any accreditation organisation would have under constant independent review, i.e. ISO9000. Which is an accreditaion they do not seem to have.

andy

 

[RC Flying]

Exactly! The worst thing for me is I do send my Ops Manual to the CAA myself in July every year so it's already been approved by them. I told them this and they don't care, they won't renew my BNUC until I change my manual to their liking. They call the alterations 'suggestions', but it's meant in a Don Corleone mafioso sort of way.. i.e. follow our suggestions or you won't get your BNUC license renewed.

 

[ZAxis]

From EuroUSC's brochure:
http://www.eurousc.com/documents/LUASS_011_web.pdf
View attachment 14780
Doesn't seem to mention the need for them seeing the ops manual. Ops manual with major changes in their eyes would trigger a retest but a simple renewal doesn't. That's how I interpret it, so do they have their own secret internal requirements ?!

andy

 

[RC Flying]

Seems so. I didn't send mine initially, then having waited over a month after I paid for renewal and submitted logs emailed to see what was going on and they asked me for a copy of my Ops Manual.. then sent it back two weeks later with 'suggestions', which after an email or two to clear up semantics were actually 'mandatory alterations', at least they won't proceed without them.

 

[ZAxis]

Thanks for the info, we're facing renewal in a couple of months so looks like interesting times ahead.

andy

 

[RC Flying]

You'll have to let us know how it goes, see if they mess you around like they have with us. We're thinking of sending separate complaints to the CAA to get their admin looked into.

 

[Benjamin Kenobi]

ResourceUAS will take the BNUC-S license as proof of competency and you just have to do a flight test and not the flight school part if you want to go through them. Just an FYI...

PS - I do not work for them! I was just really impressed with their level of service. I guess it's their military background.

 

[RC Flying]

My colleague is definitely switching to Resource, so he'll be glad to know that. Me too probably.

 

[Redspan]

For someone like me who is undecided between BNUC-s and RPQ-s, and new to this arena generally, this discussion is very enlightening. Thanks

 

[ROVguy]

For someone like me who is undecided between BNUC-s and RPQ-s, and new to this arena generally, this discussion is very enlightening. Thanks

I also am undecided between BNUC-s and RPQ-s, or I was, but after reading this discussion I have come to the conclusion that even though the RPQ-s appears at first glance to be more stringent and more expensive in the long run. I would rather have that than the potential of lost revenue as a result of Eurousc messing me about regarding Ops manual semantics (which had previously already been approved!). Everything I hear recently with regards to the Eurousc gives me the impression that they are a bunch of freeloading cowboys who are only out to monopolise and keep as much revenue for themselves without any real regard for their customers or the organisation they are supposed to be representing. I for one will be taking my business and placing my future in the hands of Resource. I have no reason not to and every reason not to go with Eurousc. As an aside, has there been any update or confirmation of the future requirement of PPL(U) or CPL(U)?

 

[RC Flying]

Let us know how it goes, I'll be really interested. I don't think the BNUC people are a bunch of freeloaders or bad people, they are ultimately doing a good thing in a lot of ways. However, their admin side and back to the bottom of the pile way if dealing with Ops Manual adjustments, many of which are a bit nit picky for me, is extremely irksome come renewal time. It should not take two to three months to do this.

 

[ROVguy]

I was speaking on a corporate level, not per say the instructors or personnel. At the end of the day it's the management that come up with and implement the admin procedures and they get there instructions from further up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RC Flying]

I guess, I'm not sure they're big enough to have a corporate level though. I more get the impression that they're a bunch of old-fashioned aviation types with heads full of desks and paper stacking (with the exception of maybe one person answering emails and phone calls), where everyone else is all databases and technology - making their plodding processes frustrating for those of us living firmly in century twenty one.

 

[Droider]

I guess, I'm not sure they're big enough to have a corporate level though. I more get the impression that they're a bunch of old-fashioned aviation types with heads full of desks and paper stacking (with the exception of maybe one person answering emails and phone calls), where everyone else is all databases and technology - making their plodding processes frustrating for those of us living firmly in century twenty one.

This sounds spot on. Take for example their urban flying event this Friday. Yep a Friday well not to bad but right in the centre of London and starting at 9.30 am. Fine if you live in London but the the majority it a rett bloody expensive pain in the arse. AND makes it a very expensive event to attend. £300 in train fares and a 5am start to get to London just in time to enjoy the armpit experience that is the underground at that time in the morning!
Dave

 

[Bowley]

This sounds spot on. Take for example their urban flying event this Friday. Yep a Friday well not to bad but right in the centre of London and starting at 9.30 am. Fine if you live in London but the the majority it a rett bloody expensive pain in the arse. AND makes it a very expensive event to attend. £300 in train fares and a 5am start to get to London just in time to enjoy the armpit experience that is the underground at that time in the morning!
Dave

I get that feeling when I have to navigate nigh on the length of two countries for a 10 minute flight test!

 

[PMaughan]

Just wanted to say that so far my EUROUSC experience has been very good.

Ground school locally in Edinburgh with a very easy to follow ops manual template and first review back within 7 days then within half a working day of me re-submitting I heard back from the flight examiner asking for some dates for the flight test so all in all pretty impressed especially after all the posts I'd read saying how bad it was.

However it is a long trip for the exam but I guess that's living in Scotland for you...

Pete

 

[HexCam]

Just wanted to say that so far my EUROUSC experience has been very good.

Ground school locally in Edinburgh with a very easy to follow ops manual template and first review back within 7 days then within half a working day of me re-submitting I heard back from the flight examiner asking for some dates for the flight test so all in all pretty impressed especially after all the posts I'd read saying how bad it was.

However it is a long trip for the exam but I guess that's living in Scotland for you...

Pete

That's great to hear.

 

[RC Flying]

Agreed, good to hear. I think it is better now with a few local examination centres for the ground school. If they can get some flight test places sorted and a smoother, more intuitive setup for renewals it will be great. I do like BNUC and I'm glad to be part of it, just it's been a little frustrating at renewal times because of their system/processes.

 

[Atlanticbaron]

Hi all. Have just joined this forum and discovered some great information.

I flew large aircraft for 43 years but this is my first foray into RC flying. I've just signed up with ResourceUAS on a course starting in a couple of months. They appear to be a thoroughly professional organisation with a strong safety-based ethos.

At the present time I'm writing my Ops Manual and would appreciate some advice.

I've seen quite a few manuals in my career so know exactly what one looks like, but would be interested to know:

• How much information is the CAA are looking for in a RPAS Ops Manual (I'm working from the template in CAP722).
• How many pages does your manual contain?
• Is it required to be in paper format, or can it be done electronically? (my last two airlines produced all of the manuals on CD-rom)

Thanks in advance

Atlanticbaron