QGP and XCP

XCP (Cross Country Pilot) is the current cross-country gliding qualification. QGP is the older qualification it replaced. They are often spoken about as if they are the same thing, but they are not — they have different requirements, and QGP is no longer issued or recognised by Gliding New Zealand. This page explains the difference and how QGP holders moved across to the XCP.

XCP — the current qualification

XCP stands for Cross Country Pilot. It is the qualification defined in the current GNZ Pilot Training Program (PTP). To earn it, a pilot must be cleared for cross-country flight and complete a qualifying cross-country flight of at least 50 km, as prescribed in the PTP.

On this site, the "XCP" member filter and the XCP column on the ratings report both refer to this qualification.

QGP — the older qualification

QGP was the qualification XCP replaced. It trained a pilot to the point of being ready to fly cross-country — beyond gliding range of the airfield — but it did not require the pilot to actually cross that threshold on a qualifying flight.

This left New Zealand out of step with the gliding licence standard in other countries, particularly the UK and Australia, where a cross-country flight was required. The QGP qualification is no longer issued or recognised by Gliding New Zealand.

How the changeover worked

When GNZ moved to the current PTP, existing QGP holders were handled two ways:

• A pilot who held a QGP and had also obtained a Silver Distance badge (a 50 km flight) was automatically credited with the XCP.
• A pilot who held a QGP but had no Silver Distance flight could later upgrade to an XCP after being cleared for cross-country flight and completing a qualifying 50 km flight as prescribed in the PTP. To claim the upgrade, an Operations Form OPS-03A had to be completed, signed by the CFI, and submitted to the GNZ Executive Officer.

What you will see on this site

• The ratings report shows a single XCP column. It no longer shows a separate QGP column, because an XCP-qualified pilot does not necessarily have a separate QGP record, and an empty QGP column was misleading.
• The members list has an XCP filter for the current qualification, and a separate QGP (historical) filter for the legacy record. A member may appear under "QGP (historical)" if their QGP was never upgraded to an XCP.