Polite discussion about EASA, the CAA, the ANO and the delights of aviation regulation.
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#1889309
VRB: I took your advice and called again today, same story, same stonewall.

Paul_S: Yep, once I'm free and at the end of a page I'll switch over, I just don't want to confuse anything (even though decimals has blown the CAA's mind at present...)

MattL: So after my conversation today with the CAA where they say they can't proceed until they've hear back from my ATO, who swears they haven't had any communications from the CAA and therefore can't reply...
I was offered an address to whom I could email to request that the request be made again. Now, they've had every scrap of information about me already, there is no more, zero. So I can only think that they are accusing me of lying, but I've also told them that I have every flights receipt as an email that I could send them if they want, but they don't read my emails so :roll:
Therefore I asked them to explain the complaints procedure, at which the guy sighed a bit and explained it, I put down the phone and put in a complaint.
Could have been a mistake, but, at this point I think I'm past caring :cry:
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By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1889351
Expect complaint and application to happen in parallel. Often the only way to get a more senior person to look at an issue is to go that route.
Don't worry about getting off on the wrong foot with them, you are just a number!
The CAA was claiming for a while that their backlog was under 10 working days. They partially achieved this by saying if they didn't like the look of something they would claim something was wrong ( often incorrectly), then send it to the back of the queue. Note they are easy beyond that 10 days.

However complaints procedure isn't quick - don't expect it to work miracles. Unfortunately the CAA's shared services center isn't getting the best of reputations at the moment.
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#1889397
Unfortunately deluging the system with complaints is the only way it will highlight the current issues - it hits their internal KPIs. When I raised a formal complaint it was handled very well and quickly and I received a full refund.

I am hearing more and more stories of complete opposite experiences from people - I suspect the issue is down to which particular person gets your licence to process; training of people working at home and the support they are getting is probably the core of the issue.
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By Irv Lee
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1889462
MattL wrote:Unfortunately deluging the system with complaints is the only way it will highlight the current issues - it hits their internal KPIs.

The only way? Surely the general situation is driven from high up attitudes and acceptance or even a policy that they are prepared to have high levels of complaints as a consequence of not investing enough in people and training. I can imagine high complaint figures just being an indication that their chosen way of working is as predicted.
I suspect in addition to normal complaints, non emotional 'reveals' copied to all board members, also to your MP asking for head of CAA to be made to explain why customer experience of meeting targets in no way matches caa measurements of the same .
#1892275
Just a quick post to update anyone who cares :D

So today I had a phone call from the CAA. It was a very nice chap who explained that He'd personally checked my logbook, then sent it back to the original folk who'd decided it was wrong; they'd also checked it and all was well.
He was very sorry that this had happened, I said I was sorry to raise a complaint but I'd reached a dead end to which he proffered the opinion that without complaints there would never be a revision of anything (not verbatim).
So, my minty fresh licence will either have been printed and signed today (Friday) or Monday.

So from sometime next week... Watch the skies, I'm new to this :shock: :lol:
JAFO, VRB_20kt, T6Harvard and 7 others liked this
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By Micromouse
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1892487
I'll take notes, my application went in on the 23rd, on the 4th I had the request for the logbook, (again not possible to send in the log book pages on the initial application), i'll now wait 10 days or so to see if I get more of a response before chasing.
#1892577
Hi Micromouse, what did the auto reply emails say regarding time? My first auto reply said 10 working days, subesquent ones said 4 weeks.
Either way you can call for an update whenever you like, not that it'll change much but it might make you feel better :)
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By Micromouse
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1892849
Supercat wrote:Hi Micromouse, what did the auto reply emails say regarding time? My first auto reply said 10 working days, subesquent ones said 4 weeks.
Either way you can call for an update whenever you like, not that it'll change much but it might make you feel better :)


I think I'm going to call tomorrow as I didn't receive any auto email. I'll try again from a different address (with the same subject because thats what they like, to see if it gives a different result

Wayne
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By Micromouse
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1892851
just resent my reply from an icloud account which normally gets through the spam filters, and guess what I've now had the automated reply.... giving a turn around of 4 weeks!!!

"We acknowledge receipt of your email. Please note that our turnaround time for general email queries is 10 working days. However complex enquiries will be referred to our technical staff, who will endeavour to respond within 30 working days.

The standard turnaround time for licence applications is 10 working days, however we are outside this SLA at the moment. Our current turnaround time is roughly 4 weeks. We kindly ask that you do not chase your query or licence application within the stated timeframe as we are experiencing a high volume of emails and applications and are responding as quickly as we can."

Great. So I will by flying by 2023 :oops: :oops: :oops:
#1894080
One last update for you folk.
So, my licence turned up on Tuesday the 11th. I was very happy :D
I got checked out at my club on Wednesday, but I wasn't feeling over-confident as I'd not flown solo since my QXC which was more than a year ago so I basically chickened out and paid an instructor to be my safety pilot on Friday the 14th when I flew to Sherburn, which I've driven to at least twice to watch the planes, but never flown to. He'd trained there so there was a load of useful hints and tips, like how to use the self pay fuel pumps etc. Well worth the extras outlay.
Then today, which was a beautiful day for flying I flew solo on my own licence for the first time ever. I'm not going to lie, I had been very apprehensive the whole of Sunday and also this morning.
It wasn't the actual physical flying of the aircraft that was bothering me, (I feel I rock at actual machines 8) ) it was: airspace-radio calls-getting lost-overhead join on return-traffic, that kind of stuff.
Anywho, it all went frickin' perfect. I was a little high on final, but I just chopped the gas and rode her in.
So now I'm a very happy bunny :D

P.S. I also got a letter (in the form of an email) from the CAA, apologising for the poor service I'd received.
Which was nice...
VRB_20kt, JAFO, riverrock and 6 others liked this
#1894262
Hi Paul,
I do have Skydemon on a tablet and my phone as a back-up, but as I never used it in training, just the chart and hand written plog (which I was happy to learn the manual way as you never know...) I have little experience of it and dislike learning things on the fly as such, when I should be eyes outside. So I've been doing it the manual way and also Skydemon so as to be able to glance at it without relying on it yet. If that makes sense.
The plane I've been hiring has a pair of G5's and a moving map thingy, the G5's are a new thing for me, I've only experience of steam guages but they have been easy to transition to and I'm very impressed, the moving map thing would take a lot more learning so although I switch it on and press enter thats it :D although I do know it can do RNAV approaches etc, I really don't know what that is yet :shock: :oops:
A quick question for anyonwe who reads this; is there a part of the forum I can post a daft flight planning question?
#1894265
Skills test done mid-Dec and license applied fast upon. Have now also had the email re 'send in your LB you inattentive potential aviator' but nowhere on the application to attach it. How can this portal have ever passed even the most minimal scrutiny? I'm sitting here daily waiting to fly and can't without the piece of paper and worrying about lapses in ability to be safe.

I'll call tomorrow I think. Also feel same trepidation of 'waking the beast' of a Gov Dept but I've played all the right notes in the right order and, frankly, paid for the service! First world problems?

Thank you for posting and the updates - least I'm not alone navigating in this admin vortex (without SkyDemon :roll: ).