Delays in issuing PPL from Caa

[AJWOOD78]

Hi all.

I wonder if anybody can shed any light or if they are also experiencing delays in getting the certificate from the CAA.

I completed and had signed off all sections of my ppl at the end of july and sent my collection of goodies over to the CAA by registered post on 30th July 2012. the CAA took a load of dosh out of my account on 12th August. It's now 22nd September and I haven't had anything back from them.

I am aware if the changeover to the EASA licensing and first ones were issued on 17th September 2012. I would have thought though that if they took my money they would have issued the licence pretty soon after that?

Any comments and thoughts (relevent) would be appreciated.

[xj8driver]

Why not give them a call? Easier than guessing..

[Ds3]

Seems unusual, they received my PPL application on 16/08 and I had my license back in almost exactly two weeks. Definitely give them a call.

[AJWOOD78]

Well, after getting a couple of people suggesting I contact the CAA, that's what I did last Monday. When you finally get through their strange and wonderful automated system and finally get to speak to a real person, the person at the other end of the phone is very polite, helpful and found my application. A minor detail was all that caused my application to sit in the pending tray, with no correspondence sent to me telling me it was in their pending tray. Annoying!
I was promised they would issue me a new EASA licence and I would have it no later than the end of last week. Still I await......
CAA appear to be struggling quite frankly. The automated messages say they are now working to a 25 working day turn around for licence applications. As they received my application on the first day of August, my application has now been in the system best part of 50 working days:ugh:
Suggestions gratefully received.:{

[Ds3]

I don't think there's a great deal you can do to be honest, other than possibly give them another call and plead for a little sympathy in light of the previous delays. You'll have to talk very nicely to them though! I understand your frustrations though, per my above post my license was actually issued very quickly, although it took my flight school over three weeks to collate the paperwork which was frustrating enough.

I figured they might be pretty busy once the EASA licenses come in to force with people holding off their applications, so I made the choice to send in my application prior to the deadline in the hope I'd hit a quiet period, which seems to have been the right choice as I was quoted 10 working days which as you state has now gone up to 25. I'll have to pay a few quid to change to an EASA at some point but for me that was worth it for the extra couple of months flying I've got in!

[Slopey]

Suggestions gratefully received.

Welcome to the Pilot Licencing Department! [:)]

By your own admission, you only got it out of the pending tray last Monday. So start the 25 day clock from there.

It's likely to be carnage with the transition to EASA licences, but it'll doubtless drop through the post eventually.

If you think this is expensive, timeconsuming and in-efficient, just wait until you get more immersed into aviation!!! :}

[A and C]

Call them.

Tell them that you want to speak to the head of FCL.

When they say that they cant connect you to him point out that you will make sure that their name is on the letter to your MP, Minister of transport Etc. (then tell them that if they give you the direct dial number for head of FCL you will not remember who they are!)

I did that and the (then) head of FLC started with the question of how I got is direct dial number! Once I had pointed out that as a public servant being more interested in how I got is number than my issues with his department whould not look very good when the recording of the phone call reached the desk of the minister for transport he became very helpfull.

25 days to turn around a simple bit of paperwork shows what a low grade operation FCL is, I for one think that it is high time a few people got fired to encourage the rest.....................starting at the top!

[dont overfil]

Mine took 2 months back in 1988. The problems aren't new.

D.O.

[IrishJason]

Excellent. Sent mine off today, maybe I'll have it for christmas :{ My brothers is 4 weeks sent today also

[jollyrog]

Once I had pointed out that as a public servant
I'm told that approach works wonders on Examiners too.

[A and C]

I did not take the assertive action with the CAA lightly but following them being late in sending me my CPL exam results by two weeks and after calling FCL on a number of occasions I felt that I had no other course of action.

It turns out dispite my clarifying my exact details they persisted in sending the exam results to the wrong address.

I can think of at least three other occasions when FCL has not provided the level of service that any reasonable person might expect given the level of fees involved, on one occasion they refused to issue my new JAR ATPL because my medical certificate was too new !.

After six weeks of waiting I finally had to get assertive on this one as well.

Oh and a few years back they sent me sone guys new licence, IMC rating & log book ! Form the address in the log book I got hold of the guy and it turns out he had been waiting about four weeks for his new IMC rating.

[jollyrog]

I don't doubt your genuine problems and the need to resolve, I just think that the worst way to make a point with any state body is to refer to the employees as public servants. It puts their backs up. Much better to just stick to the facts and the issues.

[All-The-Nines]

the worst way to make a point with any state body is to refer to the employees as public servants. It puts their backs up. Much better to just stick to the facts and the issues.

Agreed. Especially when they're not public servants...

From the CAA website:

"The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is a public corporation, was established by Parliament in 1972 as an independent specialist aviation regulator and provider of air traffic services.

The UK Government requires that the CAA’s costs are met entirely from its charges on those whom it regulates. Unlike many other countries, there is no direct Government funding of the CAA’s work."

[A and C]

When I have a reasonable issue with a company for not supplying the goods or services I have paid for I expect them to deal with the issue.......... I don't expect the boss of that company to respond with a question about how I got his direct phone line.

My pointing out that he is a public servant was in response to him clearly being very irritated that he had to deal with a member of the public and trying to side step the shortcomings of his department.

At this point I should say that in general I find the CAA personnel very helpfully, Unfortunatly this positive attitude seems to have bypassed FCL.

While All the nines is correct about the legal status of the CAA the fact that they are a monopoly dictates that they provide a reasonable level of service, on a number of occasions FLC have failed to do so by a wide margine and so should not be surprised when those who are the victims of this assert their right to get what they have paid for.

[AJWOOD78]

Thanks guys for all the different responses. Very interesting to see different view points on something that should be quite simple to process.
I took possession of my licence this morning and promptly booked the aeroplane for the next 3 weekends in a row!
Now the hour building starts and conversations with Bristol Ground School are to be had.
Whilst there was some frustration in the length of time it took to receive my licence it has not diminished my passion for flying and quite frankly I don't think anything ever will. Always have a positive mindset and never give up on your dreams what ever they may be!
Right off to buy sky demon for my iPad!:ok: