[Nick T]

Just to get this one back on (original) topic...

I managed to get through to the FCL team on the phone earlier today, to chase up my application (under the guise of 'I've not heard anything back yet, just checking that you're not waiting for me to send anything else through')...

Apparently my application is now second in the queue and will be processed either at the end of this week or early next week.

As I submitted it on the 30th August (using the online method) it does mean that they're pretty much around the 30 working day lead time. So, for those of you who submitted after me, it gives you a bit of a guideline about how much longer you likely have to wait

Quoting myself here... but still no licence. Spoke to the friendly lady at the FCL team this morning who has told me it is currently being processed.

I've optimistically booked a plane for the 29th

[Paultheparaglider]

I've optimistically booked a plane for the 29th

As long as you mean the next 29th February, my guess is you should be OK.

[Cessna57]

I spoke to a friendly lady this morning, and have been told it's only a few more weeks now.

to be honest, I'm bored of it now, big push and lots of excitement for GST, and then a couple of months waiting for a license.

Seems a very long time ago now that I was excited about finishing being a student.

[Nick T]

I've optimistically booked a plane for the 29th

As long as you mean the next 29th February, my guess is you should be OK.

[Nick T]

Today's update. Think it must be about 40 working days since I submitted my application.

I FINALLY HAD SOMETHING FROM THE CAA!!!

... an email saying that I'd not included the course completion certificate and therefore they couldn't progress my application.

So, despite

- me sending the course completion certificate with my online application
- me repeatedly phoning them over the past 2 months to make sure they've got all the documents required

they now decide to pull this one out of the bag.

Turns out, judging from a link they sent me to a 'course completion certificate' that there are actually a few of the bloody things. The one the school gave me (that I submitted) and one that you've got to use if you're doing an online application.

Needless to say I'm not best pleased with this after 2 months of waiting around, and my school weren't best pleased either.

Filled out the new form, got the CFI to sign it and sent it off this afternoon. Can't wait to see how long it takes now.

Utter farce.

And that's without me referring to their little 'screw you' in the form of...

You are required to comply with the above outstanding requirements within a period of 30 working days, from the date of this email, otherwise your application will be cancelled, personal items returned and a fee for the initial assessment will be charged, which is currently at £108 as per our scheme of charges. We will also charge a CAA refund Policy fee of £25.00.

[flybymike]

Absolutely infuriating.

[Ian Melville]

The team that did my FRTOL is just as bad. Took about 6-7 weeks in total.

I had an expired standalone FRTOL with my non-expiring NPPL. The current forms SRG1106 don't cover that situation. I conferred with Irv, and double checked his advice with FCL, who had to check with a manager. I supplied all the documents requested, the fee and waited a few weeks, only to get an email back that they did not have A) an English Language proficiency record for me, B) a countersigned copy of my Current Ratings page, which they had not previously said was required.

I sent a snotty email back with the missing document, saying that the Language proficiency had been done by the CAA at the Flying Show and had been confirmed by phone call a few months later, and that I objected to paying the £72 fee for something I already had. Reply came a few a few weeks later that they had now found my Language proficiency 6 SRG1199 paperwork, and that I did not need to pay a fee for the FRTOL as I already had a UK Pilots Licence!

A week later a brand new NPPL, with Radio inclusive and a new wallet arrived. Job done but they really need to do some joined up thinking in FCL department.

[Cessna57]

I did the checkride in my new share this week, I've not rushed, as I still have no license.

The only positive,

All the friends that asked if they could be passengers and I said yes to, now think that all PPL's must be sky gods. It must be a very important piece of paper if it takes over 8 weeks to check and issue. You can get a passport or driving license much quicker than that !

[Flintstone]

When I first flew to India the FBO representative welcomed me and said "You British gave us bereaucracy and we've since improved it".

Looks like the CAA are staging a comeback.

[Dave W]

When I first flew to India the FBO representative welcomed me and said "You British gave us bereaucracy and we've since improved it".

[MercianMarcus]

... in the same way a plague of locusts is God's work.

[GAFlyer4Fun]

. I supplied all the documents requested, the fee and waited a few weeks, only to get an email back that they did not have A) an English Language proficiency record for me, .

They did that to me a few times when I tried to go from CAA UK PPL with IMCR to EASA PPL with IR(R). .... but the ELP Level 6 was in the same envelope as the other bits of paper.... which got processed ok so dont know how they lose the ELP. I dare not ask if they have lost it post-EASA PPL issue.
I don't know if the problem is with the manual processing of the paper or the computer system.

I am between jobs at the moment,.... wondering if I should make a speculative application to CAA FCL for a job to help you all out.

[Nick T]

It just gets better.

Just spent the last half an hour on the phone to FCL.

Received an email from them this morning saying they can't progress my application now because I started my training in 2004 and they need to see my physical logbook. And they sent me a link to some document about training gained prior to 2012.

Yeah, I'm fully aware of those requirements, which is why I applied for (and was granted) the exemption prior to the skills test. To support that application I sent them photocopies of my logbook relating to the hours I was claiming for. And paid their £53 fee.

But does logic actually apply here? Can they not just open the flipping pdf they already have and go 'ah yeah, there's the hours'.

No. I have to now post them my logbook. And wait more.

And they couldn't have told me that they needed this last week, when they delayed the application because they wanted a different course completion cert? No, they make me wait another 5 days before springing this one on.

So why the hell did I even bother with the 'easier' online application? I should have just sent everything by post to begin with.

Utter incompetence.

[Dave W]

I think I'd be making a formal complaint at this point.

[DavidC]

The CAA Annual Report (CAP 1421) sheds some light on this.

(page 38) reports that a recovery plan was put in place in mid-2015, and it was decided to prioritise commercial pilot applications above private pilots. The 10 day turnaround was met 100% for both commercial and private pilots by Christmas, but started to slip for the latter by end March - the latest reported.

See extract from the Annual report below.

[By the way, I thought the overall content of the CAA Annual Report was good - much more customer and operationally oriented than in the past when it was mostly just a long set of detailed accounts]