Licences and medicals

[P5151]

I was considering converting my UK PPL A to an Easa licence, so visited my local flying school today for a signature on a form to prove I speak English.

However, I was told that my UK PPLA (an international licence) has been downgraded to an NPPL, which means I can self certify my medical an have it endorsed by my GP. Apparently can fly Easa types until 2018, not that I want to, but can no longer fly abroad? The CAA website however only says I can fly Anex 2 no mention of priviligages to 2018.

Now what I need to know is whether the CAA has on paper downgraded my licence from an International licence to a National one, something they have no legal right to do as the licence is a lifetime one.

The issue is of course that pilots may not know of this change and could be flying abroad on their PPLA which may or may not be legal.

So what is the osition wth the PPLA?

[Gerry Holland]

This could run and run!
Last year I changed my PPL A to LAPL after many years and latterly making the medical for PPL A legal by having NPPL Medical. I think....
Anyway I have ended up with LAPL and an NPPL and have opted for the LAPL Medical which last year was with an AME. The fly in the ointment was the English Proficiency. My old PPL A had not been touched for many years other than medicals and so it seems I had Grade 4 proficiency. The LAPL needed Grade 6. It wont be granted until you have it signed off.
I had the CFI at a Aviation School sign off Grade 6 whilst doing some additional flight training and eventually now have LAPL. Limitations are reduced from the PPL A but I think I can fly in Europe including Annex 1 and 2 Aircraft. I thankfully fly Annex 2 most of the time. If I sound confused then please be assured I was and possibly still am.

LIcensing seems to be the hardest part of enjoying flying!

[P5151]

Hi

Well I searched for medical requirements for UK PPLA last night and kept getting steered back to NPPL.

From what I was told yesterday I don't think an LAPL can fly abroad but like you may be confused/misinformed. Without doubt EASA are trying to force us all down their route so they can make more money off us. I have no interest in flying EASA types so in one respect am happy that i could use the NPPL route which means I can self certify and get signed off by a GP for up to 5 years.

However, what I am not happy about is that my ICAO International PPL is apparently now being regarded as a NPPL which does not as I understand it allow flight abroad. That was/is a lifetime licence and no one has the right to remove what it allows me to do.

Please someone who actually understands all this explain what is going on and where we stand. One of our members could fly abroad in good faith based on a UK PPLA have an accident only to find he is then being taken to court for flying without the proper licence, and that his insurance refuses to pay out!
If someone is killed he could even face manslaughter charges!!

[P5151]

Hi Again,

Well, it seems I was misinformed by the flight school. I have just spent a happy 2 hours going through CAP 804 and Part A schedule & of the ANO 2009.

'The holder of a UK PPL (A) may exercise the privileges of the licence to fly non EASA aeroplanes registered in the UK that come within the privileges of the licence and the valid ratings included in the licence.......and fly EASA aeroplanes registered in the UK until 8.4.2018 with privileges restricted to to those of the LAPL (A).

Holders shall have a Part Med Class 1 or class 2 medical certificate.

Back to where I was considering getting an EASA licence so I only have to do a medical every two years!

Hope this sorts out the confusion I, the flight school and EASA have been causing.

[John Dean]

As I understand it, with a LAPL licence and a LAPL medical you can fly EASA aircraft and Annex 2 aircraft anywhere in Europe.

With a poo brown CAA licence and a Medical Declaration you can fly Annex 2 aircraft (and EASA aircraft until 2018) only in the United Kingdom but including the Isle of Man and, I think, the Channel Islands. With this combination you are restricted to NPPL privileges.

When it comes to revalidation by experience this link has much useful information.

[Brian Hope]

Hi John, you can also fly in Ireland with an NPPL, or UKPPL/Medical Declaration.
Rgds, Brian

[C Rule]

It will be very interesting to see what happens post EU referendum if we vote OUT.
I never thought I would support bring back powers to the CAA!

[P5151]

Hi

Yes. lAPL includes Europe. What confused the flight school was the fact that you can convert the Uk PPLA to either a NPPL or Easa PPLA.

If you go to an NPPL you get self declaration every 5 years to 65, but loose an international licence, if you go EASA PPL it's full international but medicals every year, LAPL Europe only unless other countries agree to accept it and medicals biannually.

Trust the Europeans to make a mess of everything you can guess where my vote will go in the referendum!

[John Dean]

What confused the flight school was the fact that you can convert the Uk PPLA to either a NPPL or Easa PPLA.

Not sure about that.

Again, as I understand it, you can convert your poo brown CAA licence to an EASA PPL and at the same time hold an NPPL. What you can't do is hold an EASA PPL and a LAPL as they are both EASA licences and you are only able to hold one EASA licence.

[Nick Allen]

While it is in some ways a pity that the rest of Europe couldn't be persuaded to adopt the NPPL (not for want of trying, I believe), which seems a good system for leisure flying, it seems to me that the LAPL is a pretty good compromise alternative -- reduced medical requirements (both in terms of stringency and cost) and valid across Europe; plus a night-flying option should you be so inclined.

I write as someone who used to have a PPL plus Class 2 medical, lost his medical, got back in the air with an NPPL, and have just applied for a LAPL so that I can explore our fine continent. (Getting a Class 2 medical is probably no longer an option for me.)

[P5151]

Hi John,

Actually I was not convinced about what the Flight school was telling me about the PPL(A) possible being used as an NPPL, but the bit on licences in the latest mag seems to suggest that this is correct.

Can you comment?

I know it is still an full ICAO licence with a class 2, but the thing on licences also seems to suggest you can self certify on it.

[John Dean]

Hi Steve,

Yes, with the CAA PPL you can use a self certification medical but you are restricted to NPPL privileges.

However, I believe that when your SEP rating Certificate of Revalidation expires you have to obtain an SSEA rating on your licence. http://www.nationalprivatepilotslicence ... S4_865.pdf

[Chris Martyr]

....But hopefully after Apr'16 , us CAA lifetime PPL holders will possibly be able to retain our previous privileges and only be subject to a GP issued medical declaration.
I'm not holding my breath here, but live in eternal hope.

[howell]

Is there an indication that by April 2016 the Class 2 Medical for a PPL A will be abolished and we continue to fly on self declaration or DVLA driving license conditions.

[Chris Martyr]

Hi Christopher,
The only real 'indication' I have seen is from what I deduced from the wording of the consultation questionnaire that appeared last Summer .
The wording of it seemed fairly unambiguous and I don't think that I was trying to read something into it that wasn't there.
If you're feeling particularly masochistic, then take a look at the GA section of CAA's great new website [ ]
CAA Consultation, GAC-115. Medical Standards Consultation was completed in Oct'15 and it looks like the follow-on from that is CAA Consultation, GAC-115A . UK/PPL Medical Requirements Implementation which is due for completion in Apr'16.
I certainly don't know anymore than anyone else, although I look forward to something positive coming out of this. Brian did also make a fleeting reference to this in Feb'16 LA mag .
Anyway,,,we'll soon know . I hope .