I have a US CPL for LTA and PPL for SEL.
I am needing to operate a D numbered (German registered) LTA (balloon) at an event in France for 9 days this summer. This will be non-commercial, strictly private flying for pleasure (or as the Germans say – “driving”, because in Germany you drive a balloon, not fly it).
I asked the French CAA and they say that I will need to get my US license “validated” by the LBA. When I contacted the LBA over a month ago, I was told that there were some new EASA regulations going into effect April 8, 2015 in Germany. They were not sure what the new regs would do to validating my license. Its been almost a month since the new regulations went into effect in Germany and I still have no answer as to what to do???
I would appreciate any guidance anyone has to offer.
Thanks.
JT Head
In the UK there is a further deferment to the EASA validation requirement until April 2016 so if the balloon was G Reg then you could stiil fly it on a US Pilot Certificate:
Link
That is not to say there is currently such a rule in Germany or that the LBA have applied a similar deferrment!
Welcome to Europe, the land of bureaucratic insanity, and your president thinks it is a good idea!
Who says that hes not insane too?
No such luck in Germany. They did not defer until 2016. They signed onto the new EASA regulations effective last month, April 8, 2015.
If I don’t get the validation to fly the D numbered balloon, I will be flying a G numbered balloon part time at the event, as an additional pilot with a British balloonist.
