Polite discussion about EASA, the CAA, the ANO and the delights of aviation regulation.
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By leglessflyer
#1854026
I gained my old brown PPL licence back in 1989; I last flew in the 90's! I want to fly again but don't know the regulations etc., or what to do to validate my old PPL. Can anyone help please? Thank you.
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By Paul_Sengupta
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1854034
Training as required by a training organisation followed by a flight test. You'll need an SEP rating sheet to add to your licence.
By UncleT
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1854110
I am currently in the process of working towards renewal of my old brown lifetime licence, not used since 2001. It's taking some time, since I was low hours before I stopped and have had to have lots of practice to get back up to speed, but I think it's coming together now.

You need to undertake training with a training organisation, until they are happy you are ready for a test, then take a skills test to renew your SEP rating.

Assuming you have a lifetime radio operators licence (FRTOL), you now will also need to get your English language proficiency certified to keep that valid.

The good news is that you won't have to retake any of the written exams.
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By Rob P
#1854115
UncleT wrote:The good news is that you won't have to retake any of the written exams.


That's interesting, in that the exams have multiplied since we took them for our brown licences. I have no idea what Human Factors (The subject, not the forum contributor) is all about for instance. :scratch:

I do seem to manage to aviate without knowing it though.

Rob P
By jonathan-7065
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1855081
I hadn’t flown since 2001 but decided to start again just as COVID came along.
Had 13 hours of training and passed my skills test last week. Hardest thing was getting used to the radio again!
Started on renewing my IMC rating now and loving it.
Paul_Sengupta, JAFO, kanga liked this
By OldCessnaPilot
#1855318
Like earlier posts, I have a brown PPL. Issued late 90s and had about 10 years of use before other commitments meant my flying was put on hold.

I am looking to return to flight. Asking around local schools or training organisations there seems to be little knowledge of how us 'returnees' are going to get on.

My first step was to register with the CAA portal, with photos of licence, identity proof, etc.
All my CAA dealing had been in the 'pre internet' era.
This took a couple of weeks to be processed.
Then I was able to enter a medical self declaration.

The first question is on training and/or a test. It appears that some training and a skills test are required.
But nobody seems able to say 'if you look in this particular place on the CAA website it is specified'.
It would be very annoying to spend a few hours of flying money on the retraining and test only to find I have been aiming at wrong goal. Does anyone have first hand experience in this area?
Or does anyone know where the definitive information is published?

The second relates to the medical requirement.
As I only plan on flying C152/172 sort of aircraft in the forseeable future, it appears the self declaration is adequate. I have found there are quite a few pilots at my local club using this (very affordable and no fuss) medical. With advancing years and frequent visits to the AME, the traditional method gets expensive.
A question was raised by an instructor. He was aware that the self declaration was OK in the run up a class 2 (or similar) medical expiry. However, as I have a long gap between my last class 2 and the self declaration, is this OK?

Thanks for reading and any definitive information gratefully received.
By UncleT
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1855330
Regarding renewal of your SEP rating, which is what needs to be renewed; the licence itself being non-expiring, the CAA website provides the following information:

"You will have to go to an ATO where the Head of Training will determine how much training you may require before completing the proficiency check (LPC).

The amount of training to be done depends on many aspects such as:

the last time you have flown the aircraft
your experience
the complexity of the aircraft
When you have completed the training, the ATO needs to issue a completion certificate which you can present to the examiner before completing the LPC."

https://www.caa.co.uk/General-aviation/ ... s-expired/

I cannot answer the PMD question.
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By Irv Lee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1855400
PMD would be ok.
DTO could renew you too (ato and dto are names for official flying schools now)
If you wait another 25 years renewing will be even easier if historical trends continue into the future ;-) 1980s meant almost half a course mandated by caa letter plus full test, 1990s eased off on mandation of training, but must pass "new" human performance exam, if never passed before, 2000s got rid of needing to do that and lesser tests came in for renewals known as LPC and retraining could be done by a CRI, 2010s had "course completion certificates" after derust training, issued by ATO or DTO (was RF) and shorter renewal test renamed Prof Check, 2020s means the retraining and course completion could be by any instructor outside a formal club IF expired under 3 years (not you!)
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By Flyingfemme
#1855607
Maybe they will eventually align with the FAA; a licence that, truly, does not expire and simply requires a fresh medical and a BFR with a CFI.
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By Flying_john
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1855810
Flyingfemme wrote:Maybe they will eventually align with the FAA; a licence that, truly, does not expire and simply requires a fresh medical and a BFR with a CFI.



What a super idea and it could have a brown cover
:lol: :lol:
By OldCessnaPilot
#1856485
Thank you for your replies.
The training and renewal are well defined once the right place on site has been found. Thank you UncleT for the link.
So far on the PMD, I can't find anything to contradict using it after a medical expiry. So that is the plan.

I have had a first flight with an instructor. Fortunately I had not forgotten absolutely everything!