Polite discussion about EASA, the CAA, the ANO and the delights of aviation regulation.
Forum rules: Please keep it polite!
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By Irv Lee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1557340
Well, reg facility will be renamed, we expect, and you should be current long before that, but it shouldn't be a problem even if you do it next year under the new name. I expect we will be told all about it for definite early on April 7th so all the RFs have a few hours to reverse shutting down and cancel the "Goodbye Employees" parties that evening.
Mr CAA was correct in that you are able to go to an ato, but if he said you cannot go to an RF, he needs "re educating" on how to speak to customers and "how things work" now... because i know from people contacting me that it it is not just you he is giving "bad direction" to. Presumably quite a few pilots don't ask around and just do as told, and needlessly waste a lot of money doing things the hard way.
Licence: It was reissued in 2008 to put English proficiency on it, they gave everyone with an rt licence a four, but did not tell them. It was a good idea, it was meant to seamlessly get pilots to level six over four years via assessments during flight tests, but it went wrong because they didn't understand most ppl-Sep and nppl-ssea revalidate by experience, not test. Pilots only discovered the problem when masses of EASA licence applications were rejected in autumn 2012 with the reason "English level four expired" without anyone knowing they ever had an unexpired one.
Your licence will go to new format next time printed. Be careful not to use the phrase
ratings on the back
like you did above when you come to discussing your older style licence or you will end up confusing your ato/rf, as the same phrase on new licences would mean "requires CAA action and eighty-odd pounds extra to renew". Your section xii is not on the back, it is merely on another page.
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1557347
:lol:
You couldn't make it up could you!
So page 4 of a 4 page document is not the back.
I wonder if I could qualify for level six English?
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By Irv Lee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1557370
MikeW wrote::lol:

but not funny if you have had a succession of pilots indicating they are getting official advice that is a real disgrace. And there is clearly no shame, embarrassment or apology in their (agreeing) reply when it is put back to them that there are much cheaper, easier and quicker solutions than the single one originally suggested to the pilot which always seems to be "get an EASA medical and get an EASA licence" which they will even tell someone intending to fly microlights on an old UK ppl on a medical declaration if the pilot simply change address!
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1557456
Indeed the whole business is deplorable, I was only referring to the "on the back" bit.
The CAA guy agreed that a renewed SEP on my existing licence would be valid for non EASA a/c but definitely said it was a requirement to apply for an EASA PPL at the same time whether I wanted it or not.
I do believe that is wrong.
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By Cookie
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1558297
The CAA guy agreed that a renewed SEP on my existing licence would be valid for non EASA a/c but definitely said it was a requirement to apply for an EASA PPL at the same time whether I wanted it or not.

I do believe that is wrong.


It is wrong. Although, there may be circumstances where you might wish to apply for an EASA licence.

In fact, the minimum you would have to do is just to complete training as required with an instructor plus a SEP Proficiency Check with an examiner.

Since it sounds like you have an old UK (pre-JAR-FCL) licence, the SEP Class Rating will already be in Section XII of your licence, which means that your examiner just has to sign your Certificate of Revalidation upon successful completion, and send the examiner report form (SRG1157) off to the CAA. You can then exercise the privileges immediately - no CAA fees required.

Your old UK PPL could be used with a Pilot Medical Declaration which will then be valid for EASA aeroplanes (within the privileges of a LAPL holder) up until 08th April 2018, and for non-EASA aeroplanes ad-infinitum - with the usual caveat that the class rating and PMD must be valid. See here.

Cookie
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1558413
Thanks Cookie. I think it's all clear now. I have the PMD, I will renew my SEP, I will get micro differences training if I decide to go that way, and I'm unlikely to bother about EASA. Permit/microlight will keep me happy!
By MikeW
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1582356
For various reasons I haven't been able to go ahead with this yet (i.e. renewing my expired SEP rating on a UK CAA PPL)
Now my wife is about to have an operation which will leave her pretty much immobilised for 6 weeks and needing a lot of help for another 6 weeks.
Am I going to have a problem if I don't complete the refresher training and the proficiency test before the magic date of April 8? Is the RTF/ATO business resolved yet - will the local RTFs stiil be able to deal with this?
Thanks.