Peter wrote:
That’s interesting because I know an EASA PPL holder, flying on the NPPL + medical declaration, who was able to get one (cheap too, at £35, compared with £150 for the NPPL) but since he needed a Class 2 medical for the initial application, he could not get it after all.
I suspect he had an UK PPL in the past and this was just a re-issue of a lost or surrendered license. The two guy’s I know wanted to compete the full PPL syllabus and then apply for a UK PPL.
AFAIK the UK PPL was refused purely on the lack of a Class 2 medical, but since it was not awarded we will never know if there might not have been more obstacles further down. The CAA has lost a lot of expertise in recent years…
I know a few people hanging onto their NPPL But I see no real reason they can’t move to a LAPL.
One guy I know with 3000 hours on microlight NPPL has let it lapse because he didn’t do the minimum hours on Microlights, and did them on his NPPL group a instead. On LAPL microlights and group A are treated as one (as they should be!)
I love the way my LAPL let’s me fly a turbine helicopter but not a turbine fixed wing! Why on earth not is beyond me. And I can fly at night but not IMC.
I honestly don’t understand why medical requirements for IFR flight are so much stricter than VFR night.
There must be a simpler way!
I know a few people hanging onto their NPPL But I see no real reason they can’t move to a LAPL.
AFAIK most NPPL holders cannot get the CAA Class 2 medical and are flying on the self declaration. Can this be grandfathered into a LAPL? I don’t think so.
LAPL licence requires a minimum LAPL medical.
Mike: Not precisely true. If you fly non EASA aircraft inside the U.K. You can self declare.
Ah yes.
Bloody EASA/LAPL/CAAPPL/NPPL/Class2 medical/LAPL medical/self declaration/Annex2/EASA aircraft/inside outsideUK/ before/after April 2018/ licence and medical combinations all drive me up the friggin wall!
On reflection, I thought that a self declaration could only be used to validate a U.K. Licence for use in the U.K. on either EASA or annex2 aircraft up to April next year, and thereafter annex2 only?
Looking up the LAPL medical requirements here
which says basically nothing useful…
Then we have the AMC
page 41 etc… it is hard to work out what the overall requirements are but there appear to be various concessions. It is still way above the DVLA Group 1 medical which is the only test for the NPPL self certificate if flying below 2000kg, and is basically the same as the Class 2, but on a quick read there are some things that are easier. Reading some other stuff on the CAA website it may be aligned with the DVLA Group 2 (heavy goods vehicles) unless you get caught by any of a very long list of conditions which then require an AME, but I can’t work it out.
Interestingly also, anyone declared unfit by an AME at any time in the past (even if declared fit later) cannot fly on the LAPL until seen by an AME.
I gained by LAPL nearly 4 years ago and had to see an AME from the start due to a pre-existing condition. However it was straightforward as I chose to use the CAA medical services at Gatwick. I understand this service is no longer available, a shame as it was 99 pounds all in! I’ve got just over a year left, after which I need to either get a LAPL med, or if i’m feeling adventurous a class 2. Just need to find an enthusiastic and reasonably priced AME to project manage it in cooperation with a cardiologist.
