[Paul_Sengupta]

Imagine if, in America, a pilot who trained in California had to do his medicals with a Californian doctor, had to do all future written tests and check-rides in California with Californian examiners, could only fly Californian registered aircraft, and was trained to a different standard to pilots from other States.

Funny thing, under the JAA, you could have your medical anywhere in JAA land. Under EASA it's gone back to being necessary to have it in the same state as your licence.

And as for the examiner thing...

[Adrian]

I think the medical had to be done by an AME who was approved by the state of licence issue. I used to do mine with a CAA approved doctor in Paris. Then when the JAA rules came in, the CAA withdrew their approvals from all AMEs in other JAA member states.

And as for the examiner thing.... to give just one example, you can now do an IR check ride with any IR Examiner in an EASA state provided the examiner receives a briefing from the CAA. Which is not ideal, but it is a whole lot better than being forced to do it with a CAA-employed examiner in the UK, as used to be the case.

[Dodo]

Funny thing, under the JAA, you could have your medical anywhere in JAA land. Under EASA it's gone back to being necessary to have it in the same state as your licence.

Actually you can have your EASA renewal/revalidation medical with any EASA examiner in any EASA state, but the medical report paperwork must be forwarded to the CAA of the state of Licence issue by the AME. I do quite a lot of medicals in the UK for Irish licence holders and for a steady trickle of other state licence holders.

[skydriller]

Funny thing, under the JAA, you could have your medical anywhere in JAA land. Under EASA it's gone back to being necessary to have it in the same state as your licence.

.... when the JAA rules came in, the CAA withdrew their approvals from all AMEs in other JAA member states..

I would like to correct the above two comments. Its long winded, but bear with me.....

The idea under JAA was that you could have a medical anywhere in JAA land....and initially when the french signed the letter of intent to sign up to JARs, you could get a JAA medical in France because a DGAC class 2 was deemed "the same as" any other nation state class 2 JAA medical. Then the FFA persuaded the DGAC not sign the actual JAA medical regulations into law and at that point the French had a National DGAC Medical for their JAA PPLs, which wasnt recognised by other JAA member states. This meant that you could no longer get a JAA medical in France unless the AME was authorised by another JAA memeber state - which wasnt allowed at the time!! The situation now is that everything is EASA, therefore a french DGAC Class 2 medical is by default/definition an EASA class 2 medical.

I have experienced the whole CAA/DGAC/JAA/EASA saga since I moved to France with one of the first CAA issued JAA-PPLs. I have gone through every permutation of revalidation/renewal/medical for PPLs and a search of the forums will show I have been asking questions and commenting on my actual experiences throughout.

Personally for me, JAA/EASA was supposed to make my life easy, in reality it meant somethings were easy-ish, some things super difficult and complicated. The worst thing was/is that even within the CAA/DGAC, you get different people telling you different answers to questions....

Regards, SD..

[Dave W]

The worst thing was/is that even within the CAA/DGAC, you get different people telling you different answers to questions....

See? Pan-European Standardisation.

[skydriller]

I know your comment was tongue in cheek..

...but to be clear Im talking about different people within the CAA saying different things. The DGAC appears to be structured differently such that if you question someone about an answer someone else said, they will refer you "the man that knows all this backwards" - the problem is then getting to talk to "the man", but when you do eventually find "the man" the answer is definitive and they will write it down for you. The CAA seems to enjoy quoting legislation (often different bits) and leaving you to figure out what it means or if it even applies...

SD..

[flybymike]

The CAA seems to enjoy quoting legislation (often different bits) and leaving you to figure out what it means or if it even applies...

SD..

This is a common method used in the public sector to avoid decision making and thus to avoid any liability which might have arisen as a result of an incorrect decision.
Commonly used by HMRC when one is seeking a VAT ruling.

[Cookie]

So can NPPL holders continue flying EASA aircraft in the UK with an NPPL and a medical declaration till April 18?

Yes. Press release just issued for publication on LAA and NPPL website.

Cookie

[Flyin'Dutch']

Jon, that is in UK airspace only?

The press release on the NPPL website does not explicitly say so.

Probably no big issue for NPPL holders but it maybe for glider drivers who want to take their shiny gliders elsewhere into EASA land.

[Cookie]

The privileges of a NPPL have not changed. The licence provides the privilege to act as pilot-in-command of G-registered aircraft in UK airspace.

Cookie

[ZOGman]

The majority of flyers, I know, have never heard of Flyer Forum or buy aviation Mags regularly.

The only time they’re updated, regarding Licencing/Maintenance requirements, is when they meet an Instructor or CAMO for renewals.

Given the ambiguity that seems to be discussed on this thread - How can peoples hope to keep legal, insurance wise?

As an ex aircraft owner/pilot I get zilch from the CAA/EASA. other than silly money making, glossy, mags?

[Jenny]

Yes. Press release just issued for publication on LAA and NPPL website.

Cookie

The link on the LAA web site doesn't seem to work

Jenny

[Dodo]

Thanks Cookie. That was my interpretation, but I was beginning to doubt myself in the absence of anything official.

[skydriller]

As an ex aircraft owner/pilot I get zilch from the CAA/EASA...other than silly money making, glossy, mags?

The only communication that the CAA made to pilots about the whole EASA take-over was a letter basicly saying that the CAA were not responsable for telling pilots what the rules were or when things would actually change, but that pilots needed to find out for themselves (dont have my copy to hand, but Im sure there was a thread about it).

...well geee, thanks, huh...

[Cookie]

The link on the LAA web site doesn't seem to work.

Fixed. ATB, Cookie