13 June 2011
The CAA has started contacting all UK pilots with details of the EU legislation that will usher in a new Europe-wide flight crew licensing regime in April 2012. The move will see the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) become responsible for standardising pilot licensing across the EU. National authorities, such as the CAA, will still issue licences to pilots but in accordance with the new European rules.
Most pilots, private and commercial, will be affected by the switchover and will have to obtain new EASA licences in order to enable them to continue to fly aircraft that have EASA airworthiness certificates. However, some pilots, such as those flying microlights, ex-military and kit built aircraft, will be able to continue to use their existing licences. This is because EASA does not regulate these categories of aircraft.
JAR licences will automatically become EASA licences on 8 April 2012, but pilots will not receive a new physical licence until they submit their JAR licence for renewal. Holders of non-JAR, national, licences will have to apply for EASA licences within specified transitional periods; (by 8 April 2014 for any flight for commercial purposes). The new EASA licences will be valid for the owner’s lifetime.
Ray Elgy, Head of the CAA’s Licensing and Training Standards Department, said, “This will be the biggest licensing change in European aviation for over a decade. We are in the process of writing to all 55,000 licence holders in the UK to notify them that these changes are going to take place and where to find further information. We urge all pilots to regularly look at the detailed information on our website www.caa.co.uk/eupilotlicensing.”
The CAA will continue to engage with organisations and associations that represent pilots over the coming year to make sure the transition arrangements are widely known.
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