Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
User avatar
By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838140
So, we are a group of competent individuals with consistent complaints.

What can we do about it?

I have a few thoughts, and am certainly prepared to put a bit of time and money into supporting a solution.

- legal threats?

- media campaign?

- FOI request?

- Presentation to the minister?

- mass disobedience? (As in just use our passed but non issued ratings and invite prosecution? )


All of them seem to start with identifying the scale of the problem.

G
T6Harvard liked this
User avatar
By T6Harvard
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838145
@Genghis the Engineer , yes, you are correct, start with getting stats on the nature and scale of the problem.

Assemble ammunition first.

FOI request is a great idea - coming from aviation media will help raise the alert level at the CAA :mrgreen:
There may also be a role for interest groups sending individual requests relating to their members' interest, thus adding to the pressure.

Then present the actual stats to CAA and DfT, along with a few key examples about people not being able to work because of the failings.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838148
Does the CAA have a complaints department? The DVLA does and they sorted my licence renewal last year very effectively, so that may be another avenue.....
User avatar
By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838149
johnm wrote:Does the CAA have a complaints department? The DVLA does and they sorted my licence renewal last year very effectively, so that may be another avenue.....

Yes.

I went to them over non issue of my IR.

They are supposed to reply within 20 working days.

It took them 22 working days to issue me with an apology over non-issue of an IR passed 5 months before.

12 working days later and counting, I still have no IR.

G
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838153
@Genghis the Engineer :( that's an interesting insight, an ineffective complaints mechanism is a classic symptom of a dysfunctional organisation, so all doubt is now removed, we have a completely useless aviation regulator in the UK :roll:
User avatar
By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838173
I would like to argue with you @johnm , but between this, the Goodwood drone crash, and the overall handling of Brexit - which whether you approve of it or not, they had four years to plan for and clearly failed to adequately , I struggle to find any evidence with which to do so.

G
johnm liked this
By JodelDavo
#1838212
The CAA does have a complaints procedure but tends not to worry too much about it, holding the monopoly as they do. Their idea of responding within x days is to send you an email saying they’ve received it.

The best complaints procedure is to copy the CAA CEO in to any email, and then your MP and DfT if it doesn’t get sorted. Usually works for me.

They are an accountable organisation just like any other.
johnm, Stampe liked this
User avatar
By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838266
JodelDavo wrote:The CAA does have a complaints procedure but tends not to worry too much about it, holding the monopoly as they do. Their idea of responding within x days is to send you an email saying they’ve received it.

The best complaints procedure is to copy the CAA CEO in to any email, and then your MP and DfT if it doesn’t get sorted. Usually works for me.

They are an accountable organisation just like any other.


My current position is that the person who sent me the apology 2½ weeks ago got a terse but polite "what are you doing?" email from me Thursday lunchtime. She's getting to the end of this week, then a letter is going to the chairman, copied to a few department heads.

But, even if that solves it for me - it doesn't solve it for everybody else.

I'm rather tempted to do an FOI request. I've never done one before, so that'll be interesting in itself. A quick search shows the last time somebody did something like this over licence issue was in 2016, where the average time to issue licences was about 20 working days.

G
By DavidC
#1838401
It used to be the case that the CAA published their current turnaround time for licensing transactions. It was updated weekly and typically seemed to be about 2-3 weeks. Who knows what it is at the moment. Would it be worthwhile asking for that to be brought back in, possibly with additional stats such as the number of unresolved complaints?

I’d also like to see stats published for the year ending 31 March - these annual figures have been missing or delayed in recent years and could indicate how many fewer pilot licence holders they are responsible for, although many who SOLI’d may soon seek a parallel UK licence. Ideally the stats would filter out duplicates so we’d know the number of pilots rather than licences.

If online operation is to be the answer, publishing a development plan/roadmap with clear objectives, phases and benefits would improve credibility, as would reporting progress. Ultimately having all pilots registered on it, with their licence data cleansed and accurate should be able to support most transactions as self-service and paperless.
User avatar
By rich_g85
#1838413
Having applied via eLicensing to add the IR(R) to my CPL it’s taken them 3 weeks to decide that eLicensing can only be used to add an IR(R) to an ICAO licence, not my FCL licence :?

So I’ve submitted the paper forms and presumably gone to the back of the queue. Not impressive given the £120-something application fee.
User avatar
By Dave W
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838420
rich_g85 wrote:... eLicensing can only be used to add an IR(R) to an ICAO licence, not my FCL licence :?

Well, that's a feature that's going to keep on giving. Or not. :shock: :(

That's quite astounding.

But hang on: Surely an FCL licence ( a PPL*) is an ICAO licence?

Also, isn't it quite an irony that a UK-only tool (CAA e-licensing) is apparently incapable of putting a UK-only Rating (IR(R)/IMCR) onto a UK-only (FCL) licence?

*Is it possible to put an IR(R)/IMCR on anything but a PPL/CPL?
rich_g85 liked this
By JodelDavo
#1838442
rich_g85 wrote:Having applied via eLicensing to add the IR(R) to my CPL it’s taken them 3 weeks to decide that eLicensing can only be used to add an IR(R) to an ICAO licence, not my FCL licence :?

So I’ve submitted the paper forms and presumably gone to the back of the queue. Not impressive given the £120-something application fee.


But surely an IR(R) is called an IMC rating on a UK (ICAO Compliant) licence?

I only got an IR(R) when my UK CPL was converted to an EASA CPL. I still keep my IMC rating current on my UK PPL.
rich_g85 liked this
User avatar
By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838445
rich_g85 wrote:Having applied via eLicensing to add the IR(R) to my CPL it’s taken them 3 weeks to decide that eLicensing can only be used to add an IR(R) to an ICAO licence, not my FCL licence


Eh???

That would mean that you can only use your IR(R) privileges in an LAA/Annex (1/2?) G-Reg aeroplanes?!?!?!

Or am I missing something?
rich_g85 liked this
User avatar
By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838446
It's called an IMCR on a non FCL ICAO compliant licence, and it's called an IR(R) on an FCL ICAO compliant licence.

This is a whole new battle I'm not looking forward to. I technically have a current IR(R), but those privileges are embedded in my national CPL, and were dropped from my EASA CPL when it transferred to Ireland.

Who wants to take bets on how long it'll take me to get that rating onto a new UK-FCL licence?

G