[leiafee]

I know this is buried downthread somewhere in the coivd sections but am I reading Irv’s newest one pager right?

http://www.higherplane.co.uk/bfr-ground.pdf

The Self Declared medical is now permanently accepted for bog standard GA flying? (Formerly EASA license, on formerly EASA/mostly still called group A by everyone I know aircraft)?

This feels like it should be good enough good news to be at the top of a thread unless there’s a gotcha I’ve missed?

[ls8pilot]

Details are here: https://www.caa.co.uk/general-aviation/pilot-licences/medical-requirements/medical-requirements-for-private-pilots/

You have to scroll down to find the bit extracted below. Note that as a student pilot you need a full medical of some form, you can only convert to a PMD once you have your licence.

Once you have a licence, if you only want to fly UK (G) registered aircraft in UK airspace you can use the online Pilot Medical Declaration (PMD).

A medical declaration (from 25th August 2016) is an affirmation of your medical ‘fitness to fly’ and may be used to exercise the privileges of a:

• UK Part-FCL Private Pilot Licence (PPL) to fly UK (G) registered Part 21 and non-Part 21 aircraft;
• UK Part-FCL Light Aircraft Pilots Licence (LAPL) to fly UK (G) registered Part 21 and non-Part 21 aircraft;
• UK Part-SFCL Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL) to fly UK (G) registered Part 21 and non-Part 21 aircraft;
• UK Part-BFCL Balloon Pilot Licence (BPL) to fly UK (G) registered Part 21 and non-Part 21 aircraft but restricted to private and commercial operation only (excluding commercial passenger ballooning, commercial operation only if commercial operation rating held).
• NPPL (NPPL) to fly UK (G) registered non-Part 21 aircraft;
• UK PPL to fly UK (G) registered non-Part 21 aircraft; and
• A UK Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Balloons that is restricted to commercial operation and the privileges of a UK PPL (Balloons and Airships).

It is valid for flying with the following operational conditions;
• With not more than three passengers on board;
• in aircraft with a Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM) of 5700kg or less
• In Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) or when exercising the privileges of an Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)/Instrument Rating (Restricted). The privileges of a full Instrument Rating (IR) are not applicable.
• by day or night when exercising the privileges of a Night Rating provided that colour safety has previously been checked by an AME.
• PMDs are not valid outside of UK airspace, as it is not an internationally-recognised medical standard, unless permission has been granted by the State of the airspace you are flying in.

[ls8pilot]

OK, I'm now officially confused! The CAA website (as in my previous post) makes no mention of the differentiation between sub 2000kg and 2000-5700Kg aircraft, which is important if you have a pacemaker (for example) or one of the other "CAA Specified conditions".

I resubmitted mine, (not strictly necessary but the previous one did not have SPL as a licence type on it). The confirmation back from the CAA seems unchanged and still says the CAA Specified conditions only apply to >2000Kg aircraft. Does not affect me personally but I have friends who it will affect.

Applicable Licence Types

EU Part-FCL PPL to fly non-EASA aircraft,
EU Part-FCL LAPL to fly non-EASA aircraft,
National Private Pilot Licences (NPPL),
UK Private Pilot Licences (UK PPL), or
UK Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Balloons that is restricted to commercial operation and to the privileges of a UK PPL (Balloons and Airships),

can be used in conjunction with a Pilot Medical Declaration subject to these limitations:

Aircraft No Greater than 2000kg MTOM provided you are not taking medication for any psychiatric illness. or
Aircraft Less than 5700kg MTOM if you have not had one or more of the CAA-specified medical conditions

[leiafee]

Note that as a student pilot you need a full medical of some form, you can only convert to a PMD once you have your licence.

Do we know if that’s a legislative hangover from the copy and paste exercise which they intend to tidy up down the line, or the intended outcome?

The safety case for that bit seems weak.

[Flyin'Dutch']

Note that as a student pilot you need a full medical of some form, you can only convert to a PMD once you have your licence.

Do we know if that’s a legislative hangover from the copy and paste exercise which they intend to tidy up down the line, or the intended outcome?

The safety case for that bit seems weak.

You've clearly never done initial medical examinations on those wanting to start flying.



The initial examination really is quite a big sieve.

[Dodo]

2 questions..

1) Has the reduced standards for a PMD of aircraft under 2000Kg disappeared? This was (if I recall correctly) basically having a valid driving licence and not taking prescribed medication for a psychiatric illness.
2) The link in the post above specifically states that it is acceptable to use a PMD for the privileges of an IR(r) or IMC rating. Is that really the case?

sorry cross posted with ls8pilot

[Irv Lee]

@leiafee It is in the same law change that announced changes to class D cloud separation due May 20th, but the pmd change (separate matter but in same law change) has 28/1 as start date. At the moment, PMD use is also covered by the ANO for national licences and/or non part21 aircraft, or ors4 1421, expiring end of March, for part 21 aircraft. This is presumably why there there is no rush to announce that pmd use is extended permanently.
This general idea of not announcing things early is a shame, Easa had the gold standard on this policy, there have been quite a few pilots in the past having to make financial or other decisions without proper data because regulators could not see decisions were needed 6 months before the usual easa April 8th regulation change date. Sitting in committees sipping coffee, clearly all that mattered under easa was that a decision was taken by 23:59 on April 7th, so a few days before that was something to boast about.

[MattL]

If you go to the declaration portal it seems to have been updated to include Part 21

The new website text says IR(R) can be used, also doesn’t mention instructing / examining excluded on a PPL

Yes the sun 2000kg stuff seems to have gone

All very confusing

[ls8pilot]

Interestingly, going back to look at the ANO 2016 (below) there was no mention of the sub-2000kg distinction, so this seems to have been something introduced by the CAA rather than in the legislation (see para 163)

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/765/part/6/chapter/3/made

The wording is pretty loose, it specifies "For the purposes of this article, “disqualifying medical condition” means any physical or mental condition or illness, or any history of such a condition or illness........ (then lists some examples) .....that might impair the safe operation of normal flight controls or render the licence holder unfit...."

So in theory having your tonsils out at age 9 comes under a "history of medical conditions" and I guess it's up to you to judge whether that renders you unfit !

I assume in practice this is to allow the CAA to issue guidance as to how this is interpreted?

[gaznav]

Looks grand to me - I’ve held Class 1 and Class 2 in the past (and could again, but it gets expensive over 50). So I PMD’d a year or so ago when my Class 2 slipped to LAPL expiry.

This is what the CAA website now states:

Once you have a licence, if you only want to fly UK (G) registered aircraft in UK airspace you can use the online Pilot Medical Declaration (PMD).

A medical declaration (from 25th August 2016) is an affirmation of your medical ‘fitness to fly’ and may be used to exercise the privileges of a:

• UK Part-FCL Private Pilot Licence (PPL) to fly UK (G) registered Part 21 and non-Part 21 aircraft;
• UK Part-FCL Light Aircraft Pilots Licence (LAPL) to fly UK (G) registered Part 21 and non-Part 21 aircraft;
• UK Part-SFCL Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL) to fly UK (G) registered Part 21 and non-Part 21 aircraft;
• UK Part-BFCL Balloon Pilot Licence (BPL) to fly UK (G) registered Part 21 and non-Part 21 aircraft but restricted to private and commercial operation only (excluding commercial passenger ballooning, commercial operation only if commercial operation rating held).
• NPPL (NPPL) to fly UK (G) registered non-Part 21 aircraft;
• UK PPL to fly UK (G) registered non-Part 21 aircraft; and
• A UK Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Balloons that is restricted to commercial operation and the privileges of a UK PPL (Balloons and Airships).

It is valid for flying with the following operational conditions;
• With not more than three passengers on board;
• in aircraft with a Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM) of 5700kg or less
• In Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) or when exercising the privileges of an Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)/Instrument Rating (Restricted). The privileges of a full Instrument Rating (IR) are not applicable.
• by day or night when exercising the privileges of a Night Rating provided that colour safety has previously been checked by an AME.
• PMDs are not valid outside of UK airspace, as it is not an internationally-recognised medical standard, unless permission has been granted by the State of the airspace you are flying in.

Pilots must not make a pilot medical declaration if they do not reasonably believe that they meet the medical requirements for a Group 1 (Car) Licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and do not suffer from any physical or mental condition or illness, or any history of such a condition or illness that might impair the safe operation of normal flight controls or render the licence holder unfit at any time to perform any function for which the licence is granted. As a minimum, such conditions include:

(a) any alcohol or drug abuse, addiction or misuse;
(b) any neurological condition requiring medication;
(c) any functional disability likely to impair safe operation of normal flight controls;
(d) any recent surgery or new medical treatment;
(e) any collapse, fainting (syncope), seizure or loss of consciousness;
(f) any history of (a) to (e); or
 
(g) other medical conditions specified by the CAA:
i. Being prescribed medication for any psychiatric illness
ii. Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other psychotic illness, or a diagnosis of personality disorder
iii. Dementia or cognitive impairment
iv. Being prescribed medication or treatment for angina or heart failure
v. Cardiac surgical procedures including coronary angioplasty or stenting and cardiac device implantation
vi. Insulin treatment for diabetes
vii. Chronic lung disease with shortness of breath on exertion

If any of the above are present the applicant must visit an AME and apply for a LAPL or Class 2 medical certificate (as appropriate to the privileges that they are seeking to exercise)

Your licence is invalid without a current medical certificate or declaration. It is your responsibility to renew the declaration if it has expired.
If you have reason to believe you no longer meet the DVLA Group 1 ODL standard, or suffer from any of the specified medical conditions, you must not fly and must withdraw the declaration by ticking the appropriate box and re-submitting the form.
For minor and self-limiting conditions (for example colds, day-case procedures, minor musculoskeletal injuries etc) withdrawal of your declaration is not required. You should, however, not fly until you have fully recovered.
After initially making the declaration it is valid (unless it is withdrawn for one of the reasons listed above) until the age of 70. After the age of 70, a new declaration must be submitted every three years.

The fact this is now enshrined in the legislation means that I no longer have to think about renewing a LAPL or Class 2 medical to fly my Chippy or Condor if the annual renewal of the ‘UK Policy’ of PMDs was not renewed. I never fly abroad (I’ve done that enough in the past) and I don’t instruct nor do I plan to. So for me this is great news for as long as I keep my health as stipulated above. Thanks CAA

[Irv Lee]

@gaznav It has not just been "annual policy" for some time for flying those aircraft, it has been hard coded into the ANO for a while

[oldbiggincfi]

Is there a greater risk of "dropping dead" when instructing on a Part 21 A/C than a Microlight when having a PMD ?

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