[santon]

Hi
I have a JAR PPL which expires in September. I'm not up to date on the alphabet soup of licences available to me to replace it.
I am a 59 yrs old Brit and the only time that I have ever flown outside Europe was 20 years ago in the U.S. I don't fly IFR or multi engine and probably never will.

Am I right in thinking that my two choices are
1. EASA LAPL
2. EASA PPL
and that the differences are that a LAPL is easier re medicals but won't let me fly outside EASA land.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Also I have been trying for ages to get my level 6 english prof. but everyone I ask ( including staff at the Belgrano and on stands at AeroExpo etc.) says that they can't do it.
Can an LAA bod test me or do I need to go to a flying school and presumably pay a lot of money for them to do it?

thanks
John

[Dave W]

Irv's EASA FAQs cover this: See here, where he says:

[JAA PPL] This is recognised legally as the same as an EASA PPL so see above for general scope, but there are more factors to consider on top. Remember, a JAA PPL has a five year expiry date, so the last will expire sometime in 2017. You can apply anytime for an EASA PPL, but you can also wait until you are within sixty days of that expiry before applying for an EASA PPL (using CAA form 1104). If 'licence reprint' is needed on your JAA PPL by the CAA (e.g. a change of address, or a new rating to be added) at anytime before the 5 year expiry, you will be forced to apply for an EASA PPL at that time. NB: you are required to apply for an EASA PPL right now if you have a UK IMC rating in your JAA PPL which you wish to use in an EASA aircraft, as it needs to be listed as an EASA I/R(R) now.
The use of a JAA PPL with a LAPL or UK declaration of medical fitness in the same way as the EASA PPL can be, i.e. only in non-EASA aircraft and remaining in UK Airspace. If flying EASA aircraft, a full class two or class one medical is needed. See above.

This one I shall apologise for in advance.

Also I have been trying for ages to get my level 6 english prof. but everyone I ask ( including staff at the Belgrano and on stands at AeroExpo etc.) says that they can't do it.

Are you certain they understood what you were asking for?

[Irv Lee]

Where are you John? The CAA not doing your language check only means either they didn't have a flight examiner on the stand to chat to you, or Dave's last bit is correct.
If your future flying is definitely lapl-like, you can get a lapl medical every two years rather than a class two every year, that could be a major factor pointing to a lapl. I am trying to think of a factor pointing the other way but haven't got one yet, it may come after another glass.

[santon]

Thanks for your responses.

I live near Reigate.
Can you do a level 6 prof. test please Irv?
A friend of mine recently applied for a new licence, went to the Belgrano and he was also told to go to find an examiner for a level 6. It's bizarre.

Looking at Irv's page re licences it suggests that I can't fly a permit plane outside UK airspace. Is that correct? If so I will need to get an EASA PPL.

thanks

[Irv Lee]

No, you cannot automatically assume you can fly over other countries in a permit aircraft without research, fortunately many nearby countries are relaxing and the nearest to the south relaxed a long time ago.. An example... until this month, Belgium allowed permit aircraft from other countries, but you had to tell them and pay eighty-odd euros (officially). Not sure what percentage did. The licence wasn't the problem, the permit was. This seems to have changed for Belgium at the start of this month. See viewtopic.php?f=1&t=104508
But if I were flying across other countries in a permit, I should do some research as to their permissions.
Ps: I suspect many do not bother to check anything like that, and "just go"
Pps: I can do English Prof but there must be someone at Redhill to do it.

[santon]

HI Irv

I understand that permit aircraft need permission to be flown outside the UK. However your website states:

It is also valid in suitable UK non-EASA aircraft, but technically, if it is used to fly a non-EASA aircraft outside of UK airspace, as it is a non-ICAO licence, permission from the foreign authority is needed to use it in any State (even an EASA one).]

This suggests that the LAPL licence is limited as well as the aircraft. Have reciprocal arrangements been put in place for LAPL licences as they have for permit aircraft please?

[Irv Lee]

Well there are two
aspects
1) non EASA states should be asked as a lapl is non Icao. Local non EASA states like Jersey have exemptions subject to specific experience for UK lapl visitors
2) every sensible EASA state will have made the lapl valid in their airspace even in non EASA aircraft. This is not compulsory on the State though, they can do what they want for non EASA aircraft, I do not know of any EASA state that requires pre permission for lapl in non EASA aircraft, but it is possible and I have not looked (yet).
Someone came to me to "revalidate his lapl Sep rating which was coming up for expiry" (sic) proud that some of his hours were flying his aircraft into Ukraine "which he would not have been able to do on his previous nppl ssea". I should have filmed the incredulity faces pulled over the next 20 minutes