Class 1.........JAA

[CY333]

Hi all,
i am a bit confused around this matter as various people gave me different answers.
If you have a Class 1 from Spain for example which is a JAA member or any other JAA State, would you have any trouble doing your GS and CPL in the UK?
And if you can, would you lisence be a CAA?
Thanks in advance for your help.

[TelBoy]

You would have trouble. The medical and written subjects and CPL must all be from the same national authority such as the UK CAA.

[IRISHPILOT]

this is half correct. For licence issue, the state of medical issue must match the state of licence issue. So if you did your initial medical class 1 in Spain, all you do is to do a renewal when the time comes up for licence issue in the UK. - As this is a long time to go with GS and CPL training to fit in, you would be up for renewal anyway.

After licence issue, you will be able to do your medical wherever you want in JAA land.

Most CAAs handle it this way, some are more lax, but not the UK CAA with a Spanish medical.

[mita]

Hi irishpilot , so ,are you saying that a JAA class 1 medical issued in Spain is not valid in UK? i´m asking because i´m about to start a distant learning GC from an UK school but i´m planning on doing my medical here in spain first.

[IRISHPILOT]

of course it is valid. But for licence issue you need the medical issued by the same authority as the licence you are applying for, so, as you have almost a year to go between your initial medical and licence issue, you merely need a UK renewal when the time comes.

If a Spanish medical was not valid, how would Iberia, etc fly in UK airspace? same goes for an FAA medical and United or Delta - of course they are valid in the UK. - Just not for UK licence issue.

Anyway, after licence issue, you will be able to renew in any JAR country, but when the time comes to unfreeze your ATPL, you will have to get a UK renewal before again.

hope this explains it. IP

[RMarvin86]

Can somebody tell me if Spain is applying the FCL-3 entirely especially for the visual requirements or did they set up other or stricter limits than the JAR ? Did anyone have difficulties obtaining a 1st class in spain after being issued with a UK 1 st class medical? Thanks!

[Lord Flashart]

Be very very careful indeed. I was unable to convert a JAA medical to a UK class 1 due to problems I will not go into on a public forum due to a possible court case. This is despite there being a clear procedure laid down in the regulations by which medicals must be convertible between JAA states. The result is that I am financially ruined and without a flying career.

The short answer is if you don't wish to risk being without a medical I would advise getting a medical in the country you wish to do your exams and CPL flight test in.

[CY333]

I know that some countries have agreements on this subject but of what I found out today is like you are saying, that if you get an initial in a JAA country, it should not be an issue of getting your renewal in another JAA.