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Hole
2nd Jan 2013, 13:04
I know the question of FAA PPL and EASA has been widely covered on this forum however i'm struggling to find an answer to this little niche.

I've recently come back from the USA after completing my FAA PPL (I'd done most of the training in the UK but went out to the USA to finish it).

I've gone down the FAA route mainly because of the bill that the CAA presented me to obtain a medical (6 expensive medical procedures) and then hinted that I would have to fly with a safety pilot. The FAA took opinions from my doctors and granted a medical.

I now have the FAA PPL and around 70 hours logged and am back home looking to do some flying both UK and Europe (mainly France).

It appears to me that the easiest way to do this is through obtaining a NPPL with a medical sign off from my GP.

Does this make sense? and if so is there a conversion process of the FAA PPL into the NPPL?

All I really want to do is go privately flying, no major ambitions to become an airline pilot and I'm finding it quite hard to work out if my FAA PPL license is worth anything in the UK.
If there is another way of me going flying without going through another check ride and more exams then I'd love to know about it.

172driver
2nd Jan 2013, 14:36
Although I'm not 100% sure how this now works with the conversion to EASA, in a G-reg you're good to fly on your FAA ticket. No need to convert. IIRC this was covered in another thread recently, can't remember which one, though.

Anyway, congrats to your license!

Prop swinger
2nd Jan 2013, 16:23
Unfortunately the CAA's blanket validation for VFR non-commercial flying on an ICAO licence will be restricted to Annexe II aircraft after April 2014. The NPPL will be similarly restricted.

However, if you can get an NPPL medical you can probably get an EASA LAPL medical. AIUI the requirements are very similar, the main difference being that the LAPL medical involves an actual medical examination & not just a doctor's endorsement. Ask on the medical forum or have a chat with your GP.

If you can get an LAPL medical then it would be worth applying for an NPPL so that you can convert it to an LAPL (before April 2015) which will allow you to fly SEP throughout EASA-land. Para 2.3 on p7 of this document (http://www.nationalprivatepilotslicence.co.uk/NPPL%20XC%20REV%2010.pdf) tells you how to get an NPPL SSEA on the back of your FAA licence.

You may be able to convert directly to an LAPL but you will have to ask the CAA. EASA & CAA documents all assume that an ICAO PPL holder wants to convert to an EASA PPL & holds a class 2 medical.

Hole
2nd Jan 2013, 17:55
Great, thanks for the responses and the congrats on the license.

From looking at the document i will hold on until i hit the the 100 hour mark and then convert over before April next year.

Can anyone let me know where the regulation is listed on the right to fly on my FAA ticket?

This is more for personal information so i can look things up rather than posting questions on something that i could find out for myself.

Thanks in advance

Prop swinger
3rd Jan 2013, 20:12
CAP804 (http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=5000) is the CAA's guide to flight crew licencing regulations, section 3 of Part Q (p518) applies to you. It quotes Article 62 of the ANO, aka CAP393 (http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=226), see p70.