20 March 2018
The CAA has published an exemption which means holders of a EASA Light Aircraft Pilot’s Licence (LAPL) or an EASA Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) can self-declare their fitness to fly rather than have a Class 2 medical.
The exemption comes days before the 8 April deadline when anyone who wants to fly an EASA certified aircraft, such as common types like a Cessna 152 or Piper PA-28, has to hold an EASA Part-FCL licence.
The exemption says, “The objective of the exemption is to meet an operational need of limited duration to reduce the significant regulatory burden that will be placed on the UK General Aviation (GA) sector after 8 April 2018, by allowing an additional group of UK pilots to fly using pilot medical declarations rather than medical certificates in the UK.
“This will be achieved by allowing GA pilots with UK issued Part-FCL LAPL and PPL pilot licences to operate certain UK registered EASA GA aircraft whilst holding a pilot medical declaration under specified conditions and subject to certain excluded cases. The essential requirement of pilot medical fitness remains.”
FLYER has asked the CAA for some clarification on certain points, and we’ll update this article when we have those answers.
The exemption, ORS4 No 1254, can be downloaded here
17 comments
Does this enable NPPL SSEA to still fly EASA planes in the U.K.?
I really hope so David, I’m in the same position.
Does this also apply to students for a lapl
No, that’s a licensing issue, not medical. To fly an EASA aircraft, you’ll need an EASA PPL or LAPL.
How recent does the last medical have to be? I ask because I have been grounded over a year now for a few bits of chopping up to be done. The last surgeon cleared me as fine and I am hoping the oncologist will give me the All Clear. Otherwise I am reasonably fit and healthy, as I puff up the local hills on my bicycle but regain my puff fairly quickly. I am PPL with Night Rating flying club aircraft.
Whilst I welcome this simplification, once again, it’s absolutely insane and unfair to UK CAA PPL holders. To be able to fly my YAK 52 I have to hold a UK CAA PPL as the YAK 52 aircraft is not an EASA aircraft, it’s a Permit to Fly aircraft; however, I also need to hold an EASA PPL if I want to fly my club PA28. So, according to this, I can now self-certify myself to fly the club PA28, but for no fathomable reason, I need a doctor to certify me to be able to fly my YAK 52? Other pilots who fly other permit to fly aircraft, such as the Auster will be in the same position. It’s complete and utter nonsense! The CAA need to make it a level playing field; what medical reason makes you any less capable of flying a permit aircraft?
Why can’t you fly your YAK on your EASA licence? I think you will find you can.
Looks like the CAA have realised that a lot of pilots with self declaration would not convert to easa which does require a class 2 medical and a lot of cofa aircraft would stop flying in the UK.
Just need to know if France will be possible with easa ppl or lapl and a declaration. I may convert now.
Dom, I’m confused – I fly a PtF aircraft (RV-7) on the LAA reg, and can do so using my EASA PPL. Why can’t you fly the Yak on the EASA licence?
I have a self certificated medical for my NPPL. Do the new rules mean I can use this valid certificate when applying for my LAPL?
Will this change mean a pilot with a current GP signed NPPL medical will be able to get a LAPL, without having to go through yet another med exam with an AME?
The new extension excludes initial license applications. This seems to imply that you cannot get a lapl , for example, on a medical self declaration but you can still fly on a lapl if you already have one (which would have required a medical certificate) if the medical certificate validity runs out between 8 April 2018 and April 2019 and you then, for the remainder that year, self declare. I don’t think it will help those who want to extend the date for converting from NPPL to an EASA license.
I have a proper EASA PPL to fly a PA28. My EASA class 2 medical has just expired. My reading of OSR4 exemption E4665 is that I can continue to fly subject to LAPL limitations, until 8th April 2019, provided I complete a medical declaration. But the only form that I can find starts with 5 tick boxes, none of which is “EU PPL to fly EASA aircraft”. Do I use this form regardless?
Did you get an answer to this?
I need to do a self-declaration to use an EASA PPL to fly EASA aircraft under the current exemption valid until April 2020 but there seems no option for this.
i have trained for lapl for 4 years on a self certification medical after april 2018 i am unable to continue with my training although my self certificate ends in 2021 i seems i cannot fly easa aircraft unfortunately i do not qualify for a class 2 medical has anyone got any ideas on the way forward, i am almost ready for the skills test