Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1746406
I’ve read that quite a lot of people are changing SOLI for their EASA licence(s) from the UK to an alternative EU member state. Genuine question cos I don’t know (and no criticism of this procedure implied at all) - but what is the perceived benefit of doing this? I’m sure it’s not cheap to do and surely even with a worse case scenario regarding Brexit, UK licensed pilots will still be able to fly their UK registered aeroplanes?

I’m actually a bit worried the other way. Having had UK SOLI for many years, when EASA started I had to change to Dutch SOLI as I work for a Dutch airline. (Too complex for our company to handle the loophole where Dutch examiners could in theory sign UK licence ratings as there’s too many of us and them!). I’m concerned that with a worse case outcome, will I still be able to fly my own UK registered light aircraft on my Dutch issued EASA licence? (For belt and braces I still maintain my old original national UK PPL in case it all goes t*ts up EASA wise but that’s not the point...!)
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#1746408
Has anyone done an FOIA to see how many people have actually done this in the past couple of years?
#1746421
JonBoy wrote: I’m concerned that with a worse case outcome, will I still be able to fly my own UK registered light aircraft on my Dutch issued EASA licence? (For belt and braces I still maintain my old original national UK PPL in case it all goes t*ts up EASA wise but that’s not the point...!)


So the CAA state the following on their microsite on Brexit:

If UK participation in EASA ceases and there is no mutual recognition of safety certificates, you would require a validation from the UK CAA. to continue operating UK-registered aircraft.

On the day this scenario came into effect, the CAA would publish on its website a general validation document for all EASA licence holders required to operate UK-registered aircraft. Individuals who hold an EASA licence at that point would be able to download the document. Additional details would be provided on this microsite closer to the date.


At that stage UK issues EASA licenses would become UK issued Part-FCL licenses. I expect/hope that at that stage you'd be able to convert your UK national PPL to a UK Part-FCL license in the same way that you can currently do it to a UK issued EASA Part-FCL license

However, we'll need to wait and see :roll:
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1746496
Why SOLI?

Well, I mainly fly F reg aeroclub aeroplanes...cause I live in France and am a member of a French aeroclub. Prior to this Brexit Carp my UK issued EASA PPL was fine here and anywhere else in Europe, and I could keep it valid pretty easily ( though not as easily as when in was JAR ironically). As of last march, if there had not have been all the procrastination, my UK issued EASA licence wouldnt have been an EASA licence, hence I SOLI'ed. However, first I made sure I had a UK ICAO PPL. And all the latest updates from the CAA and EASA say the same as yhey did before for my circumstances...

Regards, SD..
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#1746501
derekf wrote:However, we'll need to wait and see :roll:



We will. I’m sure that no-one knows what will happen on 1st January (probably not even Boris) . However, if you’d told me 3 months ago that Boris would have achieved a stonking majority and then used his first reshuffle to make his already “hard” Brexit leaning cabinet even harder [1] then Id have predicted the former but not predicted the latter at all.

That was the basis of the question really.... at some point we’re going to know that we’re not in going to be in EASA and will have to start planning the legal bits to keep the show on the road. The same is the case with medicines, many of which hold EU validations. I’d assumed that for both licences and medicines, there’d be some legislation to “deem” EU meds and pilot licences “British” but for aviation it’s more complicated as we have to keep working with the EU as our respective aircraft fly over and into each others’ territories.

... and that is only 2 areas of interest. There are 100’s of others.

[1] Having disposed of the only 2 cabinet members (Javid & Smith) who would likely object in any meaningful way to a cliff edge exit in January
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1746503
One of the few good things that could come from leaving EASA would be the opportunity to get rid of the buggers muddle of aircraft types and licences.

One licence valid for any G-Reg aircraft within a category, with privileges according to ratings and medical sounds quite appealing,

Forum traffic would halve overnight, as people would stand a chance of understanding it all.
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By GrahamB
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1746509
G-BLEW wrote:
One of the few good things that could come from leaving EASA would be the opportunity to get rid of the buggers muddle of aircraft types and licences.


There are only two EASA licences for recreational flying, PPL and LAPL

Ian

But there are also a UK PPL and an NPPL.
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By Smaragd
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1746529
derekf wrote:
JonBoy wrote: I’m concerned that with a worse case outcome, will I still be able to fly my own UK registered light aircraft on my Dutch issued EASA licence? (For belt and braces I still maintain my old original national UK PPL in case it all goes t*ts up EASA wise but that’s not the point...!)


So the CAA state the following on their microsite on Brexit:

If UK participation in EASA ceases and there is no mutual recognition of safety certificates, you would require a validation from the UK CAA. to continue operating UK-registered aircraft.

On the day this scenario came into effect, the CAA would publish on its website a general validation document for all EASA licence holders required to operate UK-registered aircraft. Individuals who hold an EASA licence at that point would be able to download the document. Additional details would be provided on this microsite closer to the date.


At that stage UK issues EASA licenses would become UK issued Part-FCL licenses. I expect/hope that at that stage you'd be able to convert your UK national PPL to a UK Part-FCL license in the same way that you can currently do it to a UK issued EASA Part-FCL license

However, we'll need to wait and see :roll:

I assume the OP is talking about an old UK national PPL and not a UK NPPL. Why would one want to convert it to a UK issued Part-FCL? It's a perfectly valid ICAO licenCe.
#1746535
The word on the grapevine is that over 5,000 UK commercial pilots (out of approx 20K) have changed their state of licence issue from UK to another EASA member state - typically Ireland or Austria. The main reason is that they can continue to fly non-G registration aircraft anywhere worldwide, whereas if UK leaves EASA then UK issued licences would only be valid on G reg aircraft worldwide (and other reg aircraft but only in the UK). This has been driven by the larger low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet which have fleets of aircraft registered in a variety of countries, giving full flexibility that their pilots can fly anyone anywhere. Other British airlines, such as BA, don't seem to have gone down that route.

The risk is that if anyone does want to SOLI, they need to have it completed before we leave EASA, otherwise it will revert to the same process to convert any 3rd country licence involving lots of theory exams, training and tests.

The process takes about 3 months and involves switching your medical records which can only be held by one state. Any further dealings with the licence authority do not involve in the UK CAA. Medical examinations must be taken at an AME that is approved/linked to your new EASA licensing country. I am unclear how restrictive this would be - are most/all UK AMEs able to continue to provide EASA medicals if we left EASA. I suspect so, since many can do FAA medicals, but it might well reduce choice and increase costs. This may also impact those wanting Class 1 initial medicals, which are only available at a very few locations in the UK anyway.

I sense that few UK EASA PPLs have undergone SOLI. It makes sense for those who live and fly abroad.

One consequence would be that any commercial pilot who has undergone SOLI and is also a PPL instructor/examiner loses their IMC privileges (at least for examining IMC skill tests). I suspect (but am not quite certain that) Instructors would lose their FCL.935 privilege (sign off UK EASA PPL SEP revalidations). They themselves would need their SEP to be revalidated by an examiner rather than a UK instructor. Whether this has a significant impact on the availability/number of UK PPL examiners isn't really clear to me.

I was intrigued that you can retain a UK national PPL while also holding a foreign EASA PPL. This might be a useful workaround if we left EASA, allowing an commercial pilot and/or instructor to fly/instruct any EASA aircraft anywhere but also retain the privileges for instructing/examining IMC ratings and sign off SEP revalidations. Whether its worth the extra cost/hassle for the limited extra privileges is debatable.
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By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1746548
As with EVERYTHING to do with Brexit, The vast majority of people will not be directly affected by the UK leaving Europe however that happens. However, anyone who did exactly what was promoted 20yrs ago, and went out and made the European union part of their lives, be it personally, or professionally, will be majorly affected and has needed to mitigate the negative aspects of leaving as much as they can.

For Pilots, this means SOLI.

Regards, SD..

Note: This isnt meant to be political, its just stating facts.
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#1746554
DavidC wrote:The word on the grapevine is that over 5,000 UK commercial pilots (out of approx 20K) have changed their state of licence issue from UK to another EASA member state - typically Ireland or Austria.


I wonder if they have retained (or acquired) a UK licence as well?

The risk is that if anyone does want to SOLI, they need to have it completed before we leave EASA...


It would appear that we're not in EASA looking here but we're being treated as though we are in.

Can it still be done to avoid

....otherwise it will revert to the same process to convert any 3rd country licence involving lots of theory exams, training and tests.
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By G-BLEW
Boss Man  Boss Man
#1746603
GrahamB wrote:
G-BLEW wrote:
One of the few good things that could come from leaving EASA would be the opportunity to get rid of the buggers muddle of aircraft types and licences.


There are only two EASA licences for recreational flying, PPL and LAPL

Ian

But there are also a UK PPL and an NPPL.


Indeed, the EASA system is relatively simple, but has been complicated (for good reason) by the CAA introducing all sorts of things enabling people to fly more/longer etc.

The flip side of every derogation/exemption/whatever is complexity.

Ian