Student from France

[bodemory]

Hello ppruners,

A friend of mine passed her BB (french brevet de base) in 2008. She is now living in the UK.

We were wondering if there could be a way for her to use the hours she logged in France towards a PPL(A) here in the UK.

I do not think the BB is currently recognised in the UK. The french DGAC however intends to converts it to a LAPL beyond 2015.

Can anyone shed some light about this?

Thanks!
Brice

[Level Attitude]

Someone more conversant with the ins and outs will, hopefully, give a better answer but:

As your friend has no EASA or UK recognized qualification she cannot use this (even if she has hundreds of hours) to gain an EASA or UK Licence.

However if her training for the BB was conducted by a JAA qualified Instructor then any training she received would count towards the issue of an LAPL or PPL. She would, of course, need to prove such training to whichever Flying School she went (Training Records, Signed up Log Book, etc) who would then only need to ensure all syllabus items had been covered, and the required course hours flown before considering putting her forward for test.

Should save some flying hours, depending how current she is. But she will also need to sit, and pass, the Theoretical Knowledge exams.

[blind pew]

Brice it's a bit of a minefield...I had the ppl flight training and test in France around six years ago for the initial issue of a ppl...theory was based on my UK ATPL...took a lot of comms and eventually all ...including my Frog medicals..accepted..as was my renewal until this year which is where it got complicated.
Two months ago I enquired whether the same club and ex airfrance examiner were still acceptable...as is the French class 2... Got various links (including a 888 page document) and a complicated answer back...and told that I need an english test.....jaa "testicles" IMHO...so have given up and am considering obtaining a French license.
But suggest a call to the CAA for your friend might be more productive...which is how I eventually sorted out my initial PPl issue.

[Whopity]

EASA rules allow the French, and any other State that has the mind to do it, to train for the Brevet de Basse en route to a LAPL.
Reg 1178; Article 4

7. A Member State may authorise a student pilot to exercise limited privileges without supervision before he/she meets all the requirements necessary for the issuance of an LAPL under the following conditions:
(a) the privileges shall be limited to its national territory or a part of it;
(b) the privileges shall be restricted to a limited geographical area and to single-engine piston aeroplanes with a maximum take-off mass not exceeding 2 000 kg, and shall not include the carriage of passengers;
(c) those authorisations shall be issued on the basis of an individual safety risk assessment carried out by an instructor following a concept safety risk assessment carried out by the Member State;
(d) the Member State shall submit periodical reports to the Commission and the Agency every 3 years.

My suggestion is that she go to a French school and complete the rest of the LAPL training; that will then be valid in the UK. Don't waste your time asking the CAA; that is not their function any more, they probably won't have a clue, and will simply produce more meaningless drivel.

[bodemory]

Many thanks for all excellent advices and feedback from your own experiences. I will thus advise her to finish her training in France, at least to the LAPL.

Thanks again,
Brice