As 2011 is approaching does anybody agree that a photo style licence is overdue?
My very fist CAA licence (1974) contained a photograph, so did the replacement in 1979 however; by 1989 the photo had been dropped. Photo licences were accepted for entry into the UK in lieu of a passport however; when the Home Office ceased to accept this as an entry document, the photo was no longer included in the licence.
The GA apron at Liverpool has had a recent visit from the Department of Transport and they have demanded that all staff are issued with security passes and all pilots visiting there shared or owned aircraft carrie there pilots licences as id, All the money that Peeles have to spend on new gates, fences, intercom systems, etc...
I just had my passport renewed with those new fangled biometric photos which included all sorts of positioning and lighting requirements.... as I look like one of the living dead in it I have to disagree with chris-h
The question about adding a photo to the pilot's licence was asked in the consultaton on EASA flight crew licencing. In their response document, EASA said that they wouldn't consider it.
I went to the Imperial War Museum in London today and saw amongst other things a pilot's certificate from the First World War period, issued by the Royal Aero Club which included a photo.
I think it's silly that they don't have photos, my South African foreign pilot validation has one...why can't EASA?
As a professional mariner, my Certificate of Competency (License), looks identical to a passport with all the limitations printed inside, and a photo page. Easy to keep in a pocket when its the same size as the passport, and something to be proud of. It looks very British. Then I have the big chunky pilots license with only 3 out of the 10 sleeves used. A photo card or something similar to my CoC would be much preferred.
If you have an old style paper Driving Licence and you upgrade to the new photocard, you can avoid having to go through the photo process by having your Passport photo used.
You can do it all online.
You simply tell the DVLA your Passport number and they use that photo, joined up Government thinking, what a refreshing idea!
the German pilot's licence had a photo up until JAR-FCL came along. I think it should continue to have one. It's always fun to look at how someone looked like way-back-when... unless the photo has to be updated alond with each renewal