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Post COVID Permit Processes

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 5:57 pm
by Steve Slater
LAA Engineering have received a number of emails from concerned members as to what the procedures are during the Covid-19 situation and once the ‘all clear’ has been given.

Hopefully, the following information will answer the questions that other members may also have.

The good news is that LAA Engineering continue to revalidate Permits to Fly, just as we have always done, for owners who have managed to get their annual inspections and flight tests done before the Government restrictions were announced. There is no reason why the Permit to Fly revalidation situation should change as, even though the office has been closed, the LAA staff are all operating from home. The post is still collected every morning by LAA staff direct from the local Royal Mail sorting office, as it normally is. If the Royal Mail postal system closes for some reason, we will then look into alternative methods of receiving Permit to Fly revalidation applications.

Please post your FWR-1 Permit to Fly revalidation application to LAA Engineering as normal. Payment should ideally be made via the LAA Online Shop - Engineering Fees or by bank transfer (account details are on the FWR-1).

LAA Engineering does not have a mechanism in place to extend the Permit to Fly Certificate of Validity. All Certificates of Validity are updated online on the CAA system and it physically will not allow them to be issued for more than 12 months.

LAA Engineering is not intending to investigate the possibility of issuing extensions to the Permit to Fly Certificate of Validity. To date, we have had a number of internal discussions, but have not been able to identify any safety case to justify putting such a request to the CAA. On the contrary, it could be argued that there is a strong case for a more thorough than normal inspection when the ‘all clear’ is given.

This year the requirement is more pronounced as due to the poor early year weather and airfield conditions, many aircraft have not flown for several months. It is imperative that to maintain safety standards, aircraft are thoroughly inspected after this current enforced lay-up and extending the Certificate of Validity will do nothing to help this.

Once the Covid 19 situation has been and gone, there will undoubtedly be a number of aircraft awaiting their Permits to Fly to be revalidated.

It may be that more aircraft than normal will have expired Permits to Fly when the ‘all clear’ is given. The standard procedures for revalidating the Permit to Fly and carrying out the associated check flight remain in place:

Permit to Fly still valid:
The aircraft is inspected and the check flight flown. The FWR-1 Permit to Fly revalidation application completed and submitted to LAA Engineering within one month of the date of the inspector's signature in 'Section 3: Declaration by Inspector'. Payment made preferably by the LAA Online Shop - Engineering Fees or by bank transfer (account details are on the FWR-1). LAA will revalidate the Permit to Fly if all is in order.

Permit to Fly expired but for less than 12 months:
The aircraft is inspected. Inspector issues a ‘Permit Flight Release Certificate’ (Section 4 of the FWR-1 application) authorising flight for the purpose of conducting the check flight. The check flight is flown, FWR-1 completed and submitted to LAA Engineering. Payment made preferably by the LAA Online Shop - Engineering Fees or by bank transfer (account details are on the FWR-1). LAA will revalidate the Permit to Fly if all is in order.

Permit to Fly expired for more than 12 months:
In this situation, procedurally there is no added complication to the standard Permit to Fly revalidation procedure except from an added input by LAA Engineering and this is normally dealt with by return.

The aircraft is inspected. FWR-1 is then completed by the inspector up to and including 'Section 3: Declaration by Inspector'. The FWR-1 submitted to LAA Engineering with copies of any worksheets detailing any work carried out - for long lay-ups. A CAA requirement is that the worksheets show inspections for rodent, insect and/or bird infestation, no stale fuel in the tanks, no degradation of rubber components, fabric, etc. No fee is payable at this stage.

LAA Engineering issue a PFRC and check flight schedule (basically the same as in the FWR-1). A check flight is then carried out and submitted to LAA Engineering along with normal Permit to Fly revalidation fee. Payment made preferably by the LAA Online Shop - Engineering Fees or by bank transfer (account details are on the FWR-1). LAA revalidate the Permit to Fly if all is in order.

Inspection
If for some reason your ‘normal’ inspector is not available to carry out the Permit to Fly revalidation inspection, other inspectors can be found via the Find an Inspector section of the LAA website. While our current advice to Inspectors is to obey the Government advice to minimise non-essential travel and activity, we are confident that the majority of inspectors wish to resume their work as soon as advice allows.

Through 2019, LAA Engineering revalidated nearly 2,900 Permits to Fly. In the busy months between May and September, there can be anything up to 40 Permits to Fly revalidated in a single day. We are confident that once flying resumes and there is a predicted rapid rise in the number of applications, by focussing our resources we can maintain our customary service. As much resource as necessary will be put into processing Permit to Fly revalidation applications, as and when the time comes.

Any further updates concerning LAA administered aircraft will be promulgated on the LAA website News page as well as being emailed to members. Please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] if you have any further queries.

Re: Post COVID Permit Processes

Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:48 pm
by Leesr
" FWR-1 Permit to Fly revalidation application "

Please call it the Blue Form. That's what FWR Fixed Wing Renewal owners know it as.

:D
Take care,
Rob