EASA NPPL equiv. when?

[Squeegee Longtail]

Does anyone know when there will be a decision on the EASA Europe wide NPPL equivalent? ...and on the IMC rating equivalent?
Guesstimates?

[baron_rouge]

Guesstimates?EASA has yet to publish the full proposal which is tied in to the ELA changes. The ELA changes are expected to be enshrined in law by the end of 2009. Thereafter, it's looking like 2011/12 before there will be a European Leisure Pilots Licence (ELPL).

[David Roberts]

EASA plans to publish the NPA on all EU licences on their website - including the Leisure Pilot's Licence (based on several EU NPPLs) and ICAO complaint PPLs, for each of the four main disciplines of aeroplanes, helicopters, balloons and gliders - in the first week of June. There is a briefing meeting in Cologne on 10-11 June, which is fully booked. Another session is planned for August.

The NPA consultation response period will last three months, following which EASA compiles the CRD (Comment Response Document), which is subject to a further round of public consultation. At the end of this EASA sends its Opinion on the final proposed rules to the European Commission. If all goes to plan then the rules should come into effect sometime in first half of 2009. Unless of course there are significant issues raised by member states through the Commission working group that reviews the Opinion, and this results in delays.

Once the rules are adopted by the Commission (note, the Parliament and Council of Ministers working group are not involved in this stage of the process, having already passed the Basic Regulation with the Essential Requirements for licences) then the National Aviation Authorities have to determine the grandfathering rules for existing national and JAA licences to be converted to EU licences. No doubt those NAAs with foresight will start planning the terms of conversion ahead of the Commission finalisation.

The revised Basic Regulation (216/2008) stipulates that all member states must comply (with the issue of new licences) by 8 April 2012. If the UK CAA is on the ball then I would guess that providing the Commission passes the rules before mid 2009 one can expect new licences from late 2009 / early 2010. Just my guess though.

[UV]

David Roberts...
Do you know whether this new licence will be treated as a "Sub ICAO" licenece, as the NPPL is, or will it be treated as a "proper" ICAO licence?

If it is treated as the latter would the USA then recognise it for use on N Reg aircraft outside the USA?

Or would this new licence have a restriction on it like the one on the UK NPPL which says "Only valid in G Reg aircraft" ?
UV

[David Roberts]

The (to be) proposed European Leisure Pilot's Licence - we had lobbied hard for it to be called Light Aircraft Pilot's Licence but the politicos overlooked by mistake (grrrr...) the final amendment - will be sub ICAO. For all categories of the ELPL, aeroplanes, gliders, helicopters, balloons, it will be sub ICAO in respect of the medical which is very close to the UK NPPL as regards the medical standards. For the glider ELPL that is the only element that is sub ICAO. I can't recall off hand for the ELPL(A) what other elements of the training are less than ICAO, but ELPL (A) is broadly based on the UK NPPL syllabus for aeroplanes.

The full EU PPL(A) will be the ICAO complaint licence and therefore it should be the one for flying N reg in the EU, I guess. Whether or not the ELPL (A) will be valid for flying N reg I don't know at present. Logically it should be for N reg up to 2mt MTOM (see below), but that would be a matter for the FAA primarily. There are regular meetings between EASA and FAA over regulatory matters and this may well be on the agenda for such meetings. Time will tell.

The ELPL (A) will be valid to fly an aeroplane which is within the scope of EASA airworthiness regulations (less than 2 mt MTOM, non-commercial operation, and other than Annex II aeroplanes outside the scope of EASA) within any EU member state.

All will be revealed next week (probably) in the NPA on the EASA website.

Hope that helps.

[UV]

David Roberts
Thanks I will send you a pm.
UV