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UK pilots: how do you avoid your EASA PPL getting auto-converted to a UK PPL? (and the mess of similar UK PPLs)

Ibra, that must have been added between April and June. One might be forgiven for believing it contradicted the policy in CAP1911 (UK-EU transition: Aviation safety. January 2021) which, admittedly, refers to licences rather than certificates.

Impact on Approved Training Organisations

Where the UK CAA is to be the State of Licence issue, it will continue to accept training for the
grant or variation of a UK Part-FCL licence from training organisations approved or declared
within an EASA Member State or approved directly by EASA for up to two years from 31
December 2020.

London, United Kingdom

Any EASA U.K. licences are reprinted as U.K. Part-FCL licences the next time you have a reprint by CAA for any reason – looks identical but with EASA terminology removed

The future will be convergence of U.K. National and U.K. Part FCL licencing to one U.K. licence and system I think, CAA are doing this as a big work stream at the moment

Posts are personal views only.
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

OK that would make excellent sense.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

“The UK National licence I understand is strictly for Annex 1 aircraft?”
There is the UK NPPL which is not an ICAO specification licence.
And there is a UK National PPL which is ICAO specification.
Issued along with me EASA PPL when I converted to it.
At my annual GP medical a nurse usually asks:“Do you ever feel confused?”. :-)

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

All UK EASA licences were auto-converted to UK Part-FCL Licences on 1st January 2021. No choice in the matter. It was all part of the Withdrawl Act where the UK has effectively placed into UK Law all the EU regulations that we were trying to avoid. Perhaps this is Boris’s idea of taking back control.

Pilots operating outside the UK are required to download and carry a validation document CAP2086 to show that the EASA references are no longer valid.

The CAA would love to combine all the licences that offer the same privileges, but because of the half baked way this has been done, they have made it very difficult to achieve.

Presumably, the Withdrawl Act was put into being by the DfT under Grant Shapps (Laughing Boy) the man who diesn’t like the CAA and who seeks to engraciate himself with the aviation community, no doubt in a vain attempt to gain some political advantage.

For nearly 60 years pilot licences were defined in law (Schedule 8) and the means of acheiving them was delegated to the regulator, the CAA since 1974. This system worked well and was envied by many countries around the World. The EU had to micromanage the regulation through EU law because it was the only way to get a multitude of States to comply, but there was no reason for the UK to continue this inefficient and restrictive practice. Nobody had the gumption to look over their shoulders to see how it had been done so well for so long and now we have the current mess sponsored by Confused.Com.

Perhaps Mr Shapps should be asked to explain the actions of his department and explain what he is going to do to rectify the situation and comply with Boris’s pledge.

Last Edited by Tumbleweed at 23 Oct 13:22

If they plan to merge the two UK PPLs, they could also merge them with the NPPL and the LAPL (now that the UK issued “EASA” LAPL is also not recognised by Brussels is it worth no more than the NPPL) and the microlight license, and a lawn mower license, and they could allow the resulting PPL to be used with the PMD, with the condition that for flying outside the UK you need a Class 2 medical.

Then we would have a system which would be the envy of the flying world. It would be even better than the US Sports Pilot License because you cannot get the SPL if you failed a Class 3, whereas you can go to the UK PMD route precisely after failing a Class 2 and there is nothing the CAA can do to stop you.

AIUI as of June 2021 the PMD can be used with both UK PPLs and the NPPL, for certified aircraft. Thread here.

If you have an IR also they will probably also require a Class 2 + CV + NQ (unless it is a day-only IR) although there is zero evidence that a Class 2 has any safety benefit whatsoever.

FWIW I do not carry my UK papers. They are in a thick wallet which doesn’t lie flat unless under a pile of books for a few months. I carry only the FAA ones (the plastic credit card, and the medical) and everybody who ever wanted to see my “pilot license” was completely happy with the plastic card only. The UK papers with all their entries and annotations (especially previous IR passes) are irreplaceable without massive hassle (e.g. a freelance examiner cannot renew or reval an IR unless an IR is shown on the license, otherwise it has to go through an FTO, unless one has a valid other ICAO IR).

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Today I had my “Hour with an Instructor” to continue my SEP by experience, having flown 27 hours since 30/11/2019.
I have 2 PPLs, having paid the CAA when I converted to an EASA license to retain a UK one.
Unfortunately in 2019 only my EASA license was signed by the Instructor. (Signature illegible.)
My once-EASA license has been revalidated by experience. I was told my UK license has been invalid since 30/11/2019, and can only be revalidated by examination.
Same person, same hours flying. Almost same privelages. Maybe now exactly the same privelages?

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom
27 Posts
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