9 April 2010
Following the relevant amendments to the Air Navigation Order and the Rules of the Air Regulations by the Department for Transport, the CAA has announced that flying training at unlicensed aerodromes will be allowed from Wednesday 14 April 2010. It will now be possible for fixed-wing aircraft up to 2,730kg Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM) and helicopters and gyroplanes up to 3,175kg MTOM to be used for flight training at unlicensed airfields. The CAA announced the intended change earlier this year.
The responsibility for ensuring an airfield is suitable for training will rest with flying instructors and aerodrome operators. To assist them the CAA will be revising its document, CAP428 Safety Standards at Unlicensed Aerodromes, to include guidance on how to assess whether an airfield is suitable for training.
The decision follows a recommendation from the UK GA community, two public consultations, in 2006 and 2008, and an analysis of the safety record of flight training in the UK. This concluded that the requirement for an airfield to be licensed for the purpose of flying training with light aeroplanes and rotorcraft could be removed without a significant effect on safety.
The CAA had previously published a Letter of Intent, explaining the changes to the Air Navigation Order and the Rules of the Air. This elicited various questions from the flight training community and aerodrome managers, and the CAA has now published a supplementary letter explaining two additional measures to be taken in respect of the low flying provisions of the Rules of the Air.
Any flight training organisations or aerodromes seeking to take advantage of the changes should study the CAA’s Letter of Intent, which is available at www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1350&pagetype=90&pageid=11200 <a href=”http://www.caa.co.uk “>Click here for more</a>
