[Bob Upanddown]

Response:
The FAA has clarified that the FAA Medical Class III is in fact a valid ICAO class II license and will be taking steps to clarify this situation with the UK CAA.

- If the people at the DfT and those deciding on medical stuff have a role in reformulation I think we'll be screwed.

Looks as if no-one (AOPA or CAA, etc) is presenting the correct view to the DfT.

As with most things FAA, AOPA UK don't seem interested or is that just my view.

Ian. Any chance you can update your own forum with what you are doing for PPL/IR?

[G-BLEW]

Ian. Any chance you can update your own forum with what you are doing for PPL/IR?

I am a PPL/IR member, but I am not doing anything on their behalf regarding this mess although I believe others are.

With my magazine hat on I have spoken to Craig Spence at AOPA US, I have a statement from the FAA's press office, I have written to Grant Shapps (busy doing that democracy thing), tried to engage with the DfT (referred me back to the CAA) and tried to get a statement from the CAA (silence). It's the subject of my next column in the mag (due out in a week).

I believe the CAA/DfT has deliberately applied a more complicated solution when an easy one was staring them in the face, and I believe there's been a deliberate misinterpretation of the FAA's medical by someone in the CAA.

Ian

[glazer]

Thanks for the update Ian. Lets hope this gets settled soon
Is it worth contacting the Head of the medical service at CAA?

[Grelly]

It's the subject of my next column in the mag (due out in a week).

Give 'em hell!

[Flyin'Dutch']

Is it worth contacting the Head of the medical service at CAA?

This issue has arisen from the licensing/regulatory side, not the medical side.

[johnm]

While the new blood at CAA and EASA has made very good progress this issue illustrates that there are still dinosaurs lurking in the CAA and there's no cause for complacency.

[Grelly]

This from the man at the CAA:

<Quote>It is not so much the FAA PPL, but the use of a Class 3 Medical by the FAA which would appear to be in non-compliance with the ICAO Convention. On review of the FAA Medical certificate, there would appear to be an admission that it may not be seen as compliant by the FAA, therefore it warns holders that its use may not be accepted outside the territorial boundaries of the United States and refers to the Aeronautical Information Publication of the United States of America.

We are currently trying to obtain further detailed information from the FAA concerning their Medicals standards, to enable us to consider any leeway that we may be able to use.

We regret that we are reliant on the speed of the FAA to reply to the CAA, before any further decision can be taken.</Quote>

[EddieHeli]

[quote=from CAA]We are currently trying to obtain further detailed information from the FAA concerning their Medicals standards

[/quote]
I am surprised that this wasn't done when we joined JAA and dropped the UK class 3 medical, I can't believe this is the first time this has come up since then.

[G-BLEW]

The CAA could have done like the rest of the world. Someone there chose not to. Hopefully someone else will take a more enlightened view.

Ian

[Bob Upanddown]

- there are still dinosaurs lurking in the CAA and there's no cause for complacency.

I think that most of the old guard at the CAA have retired or moved to EASA taking their knowledge and experience with them.

When I retired as an engineer, the problem was that the CAA had not replaced the knowledge and experience that had been lost (part of the CEO’s drive to make the business efficient and profitable). So we end up with inexperienced (non-aviation?) people making tweaks to regulations without understanding the implications.

There are a few of the old guard left and I believe they are holding the whole thing together in the face of performance targets.

I would be interested to see your article if this is a move to ground the N registered fleet.

[glazer]

Any news on this yet?

[G-BLEW]

Nope. I believe it is being looked at from this end and that there's some work going on at the FAA. Will update ASAP.

Ian

[Irv Lee]

I have had two different (worried) pilots tonight contact me saying the CAA has told them not to fly their g reg annex two permit aircraft as their FAA licences are not icao compliant (presumably due to having FAA class 3 medicals). Article 150 which nominally gives the pilots the right to do so does have the rider of wording along the lines of "unless the CAA say otherwise" and apparently, they have done.

[Irv Lee]

Another strange thing concerning the 2 guys (above) told to stop flying annex 2 on their current faa paperwork and being told to fill in form 2140. This form contains a declaration that they have not had a validation suspended. Well if they haven't, then why are they filling in the form? And if they have had their validation under article 150 suspended until they fill in 2140,, how can they sign to say that they haven't?

[johnm]

Since MPs are non-existent at the moment is it time for an email and phone call blitz on the DFT .

the message is very simple "tell the CAA to stop being idiots on the following topics"