Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:16 am
#1524515
Early Feb I applied to the CAA to regrade my EASA Part-FCL to an LAPL, primarily because I'm sick to death of playing the 'find and chase an AME' game every year as for the past 3 now, each time I've contacted my AME for my Class 2 renewal I'm told "sorry, I've given up doing CAA work" 
My class 2 has (had) LAPL validity for 15 months from Feb and after some sage advice from Cookie thought I'd do the deed.
Forms required originals of both License and Medical so these went off via Special Delivery. Since then, nothing heard. Ok not unusual but sure in the past I've had an email receipt.
Roll on to yesterday and thinks I'll give them a call ... after listening to the inevitable "we are really busy at the moment and have an unprecedented number of bits of paper to push" and then the "you are number x in the queue" messages for almost an hour, finally got to talk to a human.
Told turnaround of about 8 weeks
... ok, fair enough, so I ask her whether I can still exercise the privileges of my license whilst it's being 'worked on' to be told quite categorically "NO".
Ok, right so, I still have my old national CAA PPL which is valid. Can I use that. "Only for annexe II aircraft" she says ... um, OK but what about the derogation until 2018 for EASA aircraft? "You can't use that as you have an EASA Part FCL" - eh?
I did get her to concede that if as she asserted the Part FCL was no longer 'valid' because the CAA have it to regrade to an LAPL, then it "should be OK" to fly the Pup on my old CAA License.
I do dispair with the CAA at times. I do not recall reading anything on the form or in the regs that say your license becomes invalid as soon as the CAA have it. If I send in my Firearm certificate to the Police for a variation it doesn't suddenly become invalid and I don't automatically become a criminal for holding my guns at home. How does the possession of a bit of paper that other than me I cannot recall the last time anyone else looked at it (unlike my FAC) make me fit or able to exercise my license privileges - and I took a copy anyway.
Somewhat puzzled by this stance. It's only a license regrade not adding ratings (or having any ratings removed).
My class 2 has (had) LAPL validity for 15 months from Feb and after some sage advice from Cookie thought I'd do the deed.
Forms required originals of both License and Medical so these went off via Special Delivery. Since then, nothing heard. Ok not unusual but sure in the past I've had an email receipt.
Roll on to yesterday and thinks I'll give them a call ... after listening to the inevitable "we are really busy at the moment and have an unprecedented number of bits of paper to push" and then the "you are number x in the queue" messages for almost an hour, finally got to talk to a human.
Told turnaround of about 8 weeks
... ok, fair enough, so I ask her whether I can still exercise the privileges of my license whilst it's being 'worked on' to be told quite categorically "NO". Ok, right so, I still have my old national CAA PPL which is valid. Can I use that. "Only for annexe II aircraft" she says ... um, OK but what about the derogation until 2018 for EASA aircraft? "You can't use that as you have an EASA Part FCL" - eh?
I did get her to concede that if as she asserted the Part FCL was no longer 'valid' because the CAA have it to regrade to an LAPL, then it "should be OK" to fly the Pup on my old CAA License.
I do dispair with the CAA at times. I do not recall reading anything on the form or in the regs that say your license becomes invalid as soon as the CAA have it. If I send in my Firearm certificate to the Police for a variation it doesn't suddenly become invalid and I don't automatically become a criminal for holding my guns at home. How does the possession of a bit of paper that other than me I cannot recall the last time anyone else looked at it (unlike my FAC) make me fit or able to exercise my license privileges - and I took a copy anyway.
Somewhat puzzled by this stance. It's only a license regrade not adding ratings (or having any ratings removed).
FLYER Club Member
.. but I still have only one original copy of the current Reval page and Medical