EV97A Permit Renewal

[cbfkoh]

I recently renewed my Permit to Fly for my Eurostar. When it came to writing the cheque I looked as usual in the LAA mag. I was quite surprised to find that it had increased from last year's £155 to £200. Investigating further I discovered that the goalposts had been moved. The weight limit for the increase to £200 previously at 500kgs is now at 450kgs. My Eurostar is an EV97A with a MTOW of 480kgs, so for that privilege I now pay £45 extra compared to the EV97 microlight, essentially identical apart from registration. I consider that discrimination !

[mikehallam]

I'm surprised you're surprised !

It's been well flagged in the monthly mag. and from the LAA article(s) explaining how the finances of the Company we own have to be balanced if we are to maintain our role as a leading UK self maintenance organisation.

Compared with annual fuel, insurance and hangarage costs it is after all relatively small contributor to ownership costs.

ATB,

mike hallam

[cbfkoh]

Possibly, re the costs, but I'd rather not do it on my own, ie spread the costs, rather than lean on a small number of members.

[mikehallam]

All costs are painful - --

Except I'm sure if you cared to study our own LAA a/cs they would show you more precisely how Permit fees are related to the overheads of the scheme.

AFIR for many years, before changes in distribution, our enthusiast but too 'poor' to own/run a plane LAA members actually cross subsidized the 'richer' flyers.
I think nowadays our Executive do their best to allocate costs fairly to the actual consumers of what is, largely for the pilot owners benefit, an engineering biassed organisation.

If that still looks loaded against your sort of a/c use, one may question the LAA about the formulae used, or alternatively (I'm told) save money & use the CAA direct for a Permit.

Regards,

mike hallam.

[Flying John]

You were lucky....

Try the recent permit route I have had to take to get the Gardan Horizon a PtF.

You pay £700 to EASA to agree the flight conditions which, apart from the change to Day VFR Only, were all written up in 1960 when the first ones were made, for them to pass that to CAA for their approval and then for the CAA to want £850 for their part in issuing a permit (reduced by 50% thanks to LAA) and then £350 to LAA to oversee the issue of the permit (money well spent Brian !).

So the cost of a PtF for an EV97A is a bargain in my view.

John