What country to move your EASA PPL to?

what_next wrote:

Just the same way as in Iceland, Switzerland and Norway and other non-EU EASA members

That’s exactly what they do not want.

what_next wrote:

Just yesterday they started the process of “raisin picking” (as our prime minister calls it)

That’s an EU minister speaking to the EU.

But seriously why would the UK pilots want to be in EASA anyway? Judging but UK pilot forums and chats in the clubs 99% of them absolutely despise EASA.

I would not judge sentiment from the UK sites. They are dominated by a small number of people who probably average 10hrs/year and most of them don’t even own a plane so get no exposure to EASA except on their PPL issue and there EASA is a clear improvement over the “£50 every 5 years” JAA PPL business, which will pay for approximately 25 of these

How do I know? I spent 10 years on them! It was the sort of stuff which goes on elsewhere which shaped the mod policy (and lots of other stuff) here and it has delivered a nice polite informative forum which is still running 4.5 years later.

That’s an EU minister speaking to the EU.

Yes; nothing spoken publicly by an EU politician on this topic means anything at present, or usually at any other time

When I changed my AME a few years back, the new one read me back the notes of the old one, everything was available to him.

When someone changes an AME, it raises suspicion. Almost nobody changes their AME until the AME drops dead – even if it means flying there, or driving for hours. And I know people who simply cannot change their AME, ever. Like some people cannot ever change their maintenance company, but that’s another story

Accordingly, I have heard multiple stories of getting “turned over” well and truly by a new AME, and since he obviously knows how this game works, he does have a good reason to be suspicious. A friend has just renewed his FAA Class 3, with a new AME at some medical centre which does FAA and EASA ones, and he got comprehensively turned over in that – as well as being charged best part of £200. So I would fully expect any new AME here in Europe to obtain everything he can get his hands on, on you.

Probably thousands of airline pilots got their initial Class 1s, especially the CV test, in Hungary, so as I said lots of people in the business are a bit careful. Probably more post Germanwings. If you want to get real serious treatment at a hospital here, tell them you are Germanwings pilot (only kidding, but they do tend to downgrade someone who is standing up and talking)

Back on the topic, why do anything until Brexit actually occurs and the UK situation is known? You can always transfer your PPL to another country especially if you live there and speak the language (perhaps subject to acceptance of the existing medical).

Peter wrote:

When someone changes an AME, it raises suspicion

By who? I have had at least 5 different AMEs (in 25+ years). When I was younger, I only had to go every 5th year, and AMEs do indeed disappear and new ones come in that period of time. Now I have to go every bloody year, and from year to year, the “stability” of AMEs is appearing much better than every fifth year. The only requirement for me is availability (one is on holiday, the other cannot get an appointment until the end of next month etc). The AME is simply a representative from the aviation authority. There is no confidentiality between your AME and you vis a vis the authority. When you talk to, and are being examined by an AME, you talk to- and are examined by the authorities. Of course there is a trust relationship between the AME and the authority, but the aspects of that is none of my concerns. I expect the AME and the authority to do their jobs, why should I bother with any eventual aspects of that? If it raises suspicion when I pick a new AME, then the authorities have a serious problem, not me. I can also go to any AME in the whole of EASA, but if I do, that AME will then have to send every bit of information and examination directly to the Norwegian aviation authority (LT). An AME is nothing like a “civilian” doctor where there is a clear patient-doctor confidentiality. An AME is no substitute for a family doctor either.

LeSving wrote:

An AME is nothing like a “civilian” doctor where there is a clear patient-doctor confidentiality. An AME is no substitute for a family doctor either.

Here in Prague, one can go to an AMC (the Institute of Aviation Medicine), which charges an equivalent of €100 or so for a renewal, or a AME who charges 1/4 of that. I’ve been to both and know that my file at the AMC contains copies of AME’s notes as well. Between the two I currently prefer the AMC for a simple reason – this is a military institution that professes a typical military doctor attitude: “If something with you is wrong beyond acceptable limits, we’ll do our best to get you back in shape ASAP”. And if something is only slightly wrong, they give you a full picture. In fact, it is possible to sign up with them as a family GP, and I’ve been thinking of doing exactly that.

About the state of issue to choose, it would be a good idea to list the pros and cons of each state (price, administrative efficiency, gold plating etc.)

Given that we’re moving closer and a no-deal Brexit, I’d like to revive the thread. Not to discuss the merits of Brexit but to “simply” figure out where to go.

Is there a pragmatic/lenient EASA CAA that is the natural destinnation to move to?

Hi mmgreve, I am in the process right now, UK CAA PPL-A (no IR) → France DGAC. I chose France because I live there. I have started the process in November and it is still going on, to be honest the French were quite fast and answer emails (same day replies) or phone calls quickly (this is also due to the fact that the application is done at a regional level and not the main office in Paris), the long processing time is more on the UK side. There has been a little issue when the french sent their request to the wrong email adress, but that is all solved now.
HOWEVER, I do speak french natively, I guess it helps a lot when you have them on the phone, but they SHOULD speak english too. Also english is accepted for the license, french is not required.
I could be that they only deliver level 5 even if you have level 6 english on your UK license, the documentation on this topic is a bit confusing.
I hear the Irish IAA is good, but they are overwhelmed with demands (a UK instructor told me). Austria seems to be very professional too.

I do NOT recommend Germany, since once you transfer your medical there you won’t be able to transfer it to any other country anymore for " data protection " reasons and you need a background check (Züp in german) to get a license ( I hear you need a background check in Czech republic too, if you are not Czech)

I would recommend you start ASAP as the UK CAA is experiencing a huge backlog and as this process needs the cooperations of 2 CAAs. I can post an update as soon as I get more information.

I am puzzled as to why someone who e.g. never lived in the UK should have a UK license.

The UK CAA used to be efficient but that was more than 10 years ago. I am just about to chase up my IR for which I did the renewal flight August 2018, and I do have proof of delivery of the package sent by Special Delivery.

Also more than a decade ago I spent a lot of time trying to contact the DGAC (for this) and their switchboard hung up the phone as soon as they heard a non French speaker.

Well I just moved back to France last Friday…

Anyways I agree ,the UK CAA used to be one of the best in the world, sad times.

I am not surprised for the DGAC, unfortunately you are not the first one to tell me such things.
I had the same story whilst contacting the Bavarian branch of the LBA when I used to live in Germany.