UK national licence, and conversions of it

You cannot have aeroplanes and helicopters on one LAPL. You will require a LAPL Aeroplane and a LAPL Helicopter just like your National licences. Why not stick with EASA PPLs?

Ah, thanks for clarifying that, Tumbleweed. I am 61 and the LAPL medical is less stringent, is only required every two years and can be performed by my GP. The LAPL appears to have no restrictions which would affect my flying, so I cannot see the benefit. I did once dream of getting an IR but I really can't see that happening.

Bob

The only thing to be aware of with the LAPL is the recency requirement and with two licences:

FCL.140.H LAPL(H) — Recency requirements (a) Holders of an LAPL(H) shall only exercise the privileges of their licence on a specific type when they have completed on helicopters of that type in the last 12 months: (1) at least 6 hours of flight time as PIC, including 6 take-offs, approaches and landings; and (2) refresher training of at least 1 hour total flight time with an instructor.

FCL.140.A LAPL(A) — Recency requirements (a) Holders of an LAPL(A) shall only exercise the privileges of their licence when they have completed, in the last 24 months, as pilots of aeroplanes or TMG: (1) at least 12 hours of flight time as PIC, including 12 take-offs and landings; and (2) refresher training of at least 1 hour of total flight time with an instructor.

And you have to meet that requirement everytime you fly!

Thanks for taking the time to answer, Tumbleweed.

I guess my only alternative to an LAPL is for me to swap my CAA licenses for EASA ones. Do you happen to know the recency requirements for EASA licenses?

Bob

UK CAA – upgrade your national PPL ASAP

here

There is also an argument that if you have a JAR-FCL PPL (which will become an EASA PPL automatically upon its expiry) with the IMC Rating on it, you should upgrade it also, to protect the IMCR privilege.

What I don’t understand is where the license expiry date is on my JAR PPL. All the dates I see in there are the handwritten ones, from instructors on revalidations etc. The license itself (4 pages) has a date of 3/2/2012 printed in the bottom right. I know JAR licenses had to be renewed every 5 years with a cheque for something like £50. I let my JAR PPL lapse (had the FAA CPL/IR) and then renewed it with an examiner on 20/5/2009 which suggests the cheque was sent off then, which gives me till 20/5/2014. Does that make sense?

There is also an argument that if you have a JAR-FCL PPL (which will become an EASA PPL automatically upon its expiry) with the IMC Rating on it, you should upgrade it also, to protect the IMCR privilege

Why is that? The JAR licence automatically renews with the IMCR as an IRR. I haven’t heard anything to the contrary?

Any JAR-FCL licences automatically became EASA licences in Sept 2012. The licence including any ratings on it needs to be reissued by the expiry date which is written on Page 3 in Section IX under:

Validity:
This licence is to be replaced not later than xx/xx/xxx

Any IMC privileges remain up to the expiry date and will reappear on the replacement EASA licence as an IR Restricted. The whole process is seemless.

Many thanks, Tumbleweed. Mine says Feb 2016.

Will I send off a cheque with it again, or will the CAA just send me a replacement?

I revalidated the PPL together with my IR reval in December, so that is good till Dec 2015. Presumably the examiner doing that one will spot the PPL expiry and fill out the correct form?

I do maintain the IMCR – in case there is some highly unexpected development like a mutual acceptance of FAA papers in which case I will drop the JAA IR which is just a waste of £150/year. Also, looking into the hopefully far future, the IMCR will always be usable with lower medical requirements than the IR.

vmc-on-top – no; I don’t understand it either

Another, more concise, UK CAA link is here.