CAA Press release - Licensing
4 April 2018 CAA announce new licencing exemption
• GA pilots
can fly ‘EASA aircraft’ on National licences after 8 April 2018
• Medical
Declarations can be used with an EASA Licence on conversion
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is introducing an
exemption to allow UK General Aviation pilots to continue to fly ‘EASA’ light
aircraft under existing National pilot licensing and medical certificate
arrangements, during the delay to the publication of the EASA amendment to the
Aircrew Regulation which would have restricted National licence holders to
‘Annex II’ aircraft.
EASA has advised
Member States that they can issue a temporary exemption to allow existing
National pilot licence and medical arrangements to continue after 8 April 2018,
(this will not affect the conversion terms as published in CAP804, Part I,
Section 4, Part P). This allows pilots
to continue to fly EASA aircraft as they do now. This latest change is expected to be included
in the delayed Aircrew Regulation amendment and details are being finalised by
EASA.
As a temporary
arrangement from 8 April 2018 until 7 June 2018, the CAA will issue an
exemption which will enable GA pilots holding appropriate UK National pilot
licences and medical certificates (not currently medical declarations) to fly
certain EASA GA aircraft with Light Aircraft Pilot’s Licence (LAPL) privileges
(see below) in the UK but without holding an EASA pilot licence.
This mostly affects
fixed wing pilots as an EASA helicopter type rating can only be added to a
Part-FCL pilot licence and not a UK National licence.
Pilots are reminded
that the continued use of UK National pilot licences under this new exemption
is restricted to LAPL privileges only.
If a pilot wishes to fly an EASA aircraft with PPL privileges then they
will need to hold a valid Part-FCL PPL.
Pilots towing or flying aerobatics within LAPL privileges may continue
to do so.
This is a temporary
arrangement until 7 June 2018 and the CAA will receive further details from
EASA to see if this can be extended. The
CAA will update its website and publications once further details are
available.
As a reminder to pilots, LAPL privileges are restricted to:
·
for aeroplanes: to act as Pilot in Command (PIC)
on single-engine piston aeroplanes-land or Touring Motor Gliders (TMGs) with a
maximum certificated take-off mass of 2 000 kg or less, carrying a maximum of 3
passengers, such that there are never more than 4 persons on board of the
aircraft.
·
for helicopters: to act as PIC on single-engine
helicopters with a maximum certificated take-off mass of 2 000 kg or less,
carrying a maximum of 3 passengers, such that there are never more than 4
persons on board.
The CAA will publish the UK exemption on its website as an
official record and pilots are strongly recommended to read them here.
GA pilots already holding Part-FCL PPL and LAPL pilot
licences are reminded of the new exemption arrangements allowing them to
operate certain EASA aeroplanes, helicopters and TMGs up to LAPL privileges in
the UK with a Medical Declaration.
Details are here. This exemption
will be updated shortly with agreement from the Department for Transport to
also allow UK National licence conversions to EASA equivalents using a medical
declaration: allow flights within the Crown Dependencies (with their
permission); and Medical Declarations to be used with EASA PPL and LAPL pilot
licences issued before 8 April 2018.