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New medical rules for NPPL/PPL

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New medical rules for NPPL/PPL

Old 5th Sep 2016, 08:48
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New medical rules for NPPL/PPL

The latest CAA online form for Medical renewal states that cardiac surgery is an exclusion from the new scheme of self declaration. Mine was 20 years ago and have been happily operating with an NPPL (on GP signature) since 2002. It now seems I will need a LAPL from an AME to continue flying.Has anyone else got this problem?
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Old 5th Sep 2016, 10:11
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As I understand it a lot of people are. At Sywell the CAA presenter was left in no uncertainty over the issue and level of concern (actually near outrage) expressed by some people.

We were left with the impression that the outcome was unexpected and they 'would see what they could do'. As to what timescale that implies who knows but it certainly took the gloss off their 'all new and so much better ANO 2016' presentation.
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Old 5th Sep 2016, 11:20
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NPPL medicals

One problem seems to be the lack of a medical advisory dept at the CAA that we might be able to ask for advice. We can only approach an AME who's probably not exactly independent on the issue. I've got a few days before my existing 'medical' expires, so doesn't look good for Autumn flying.
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Old 5th Sep 2016, 12:28
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Art.163

The relevant sections of Art 163. Medical requirements for specified United Kingdom licences and National Private Pilot’s Licences are:

(3) The holder of a licence makes a medical declaration in accordance with this article if they—
(a) reasonably believe that they—
(i) meet the medical requirements for a Group 1 Licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency; and
(ii) are not subject to a disqualifying medical condition.
(6) For the purposes of this article, “disqualifying medical condition” means any physical or mental condition or illness, or any history of such a condition or illness, including—
(a) any alcohol or drug abuse, addiction or misuse;
(b) any neurological condition;
(c) any functional disability;
(d) any surgery or medical treatment;
(e) any collapse, fainting or loss of consciousness;
(f) any history of (a) to (e); or
(g) such other medical conditions as the CAA may specify,
that might impair the safe operation of normal flight controls or render the licence holder unfit at any time to perform any function for which the licence is granted.
A LAPL medical certificate seems a lot simpler, particularly now that the recent amendment to Part-MED states:

MED.B.005 General medical requirements

Applicants for a medical certificate shall be free from any:

(a) abnormality, congenital or acquired;
(b) active, latent, acute or chronic disease or disability;
(c) wound, injury or sequelae from operation;
(d) effect or side effect of any prescribed or non-prescribed therapeutic, diagnostic or preventive medication taken; that would entail a degree of functional incapacity which is likely to interfere with the safe exercise of the privileges of the applicable licence(s) or could render the applicant likely to become suddenly unable to exercise the privileges of the licence(s) safely.
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Old 5th Sep 2016, 13:19
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Lodem,

I also operate with a Med. Dec. but fortunately without any complications at the moment. However, when I read the new regulation as it applies to you I cannot see the problem:

For the purposes of this article, “disqualifying medical condition” means any physical or mental condition or illness, or any history of such a condition or illness, including—any surgery or medical treatment that might impair the safe operation of normal flight controls or render the licence holder unfit at any time to perform any function for which the licence is granted.

If you have been safely operating the controls for 20 years since your operation, and signed off by your GP, it cannot be described as a disqualifying condition under this regulation..
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Old 5th Sep 2016, 14:16
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NPPL medicals

This is the guidance for the new form:
If you have, or have a history of one or more of the following conditions, this medical self-declaration form must not be used:

Being prescribed medication for any psychiatric illness
Bipolar disorder, psychosis or a diagnosis of personality disorder
Drug abuse or alcohol misuse or addiction (or conviction for drink/drug driving)
Being prescribed medication or treatment for angina or heart failure
Cardiac surgical procedures including cardiac device implantation
Recurrent fainting or collapse (syncope)
Unexplained loss of consciousness
Insulin treatment
Chronic lung disease with shortness of breath on exertion
Any neurological condition requiring medication
Seizures or epilepsy
Significant functional physical disability likely to impair safe operation of normal flight controls
If you have or have had one of these conditions you should make an appointment with an AME-certificated by the UK CAA to apply for a LAPL Medical Certificate. [/I][/I]
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Old 5th Sep 2016, 15:10
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There does indeed seem to be a significant difference between Art.163(6) and the list shown at https://www.caa.co.uk/General-Aviati...rivate-pilots/

The ANO is the law. However, 'any surgery or medical treatment' cannot really mean 'any' surgery or medical treatment for anything since birth. Having your tonsils out, an ingrowing toe nail removed or certain minor surgical procedures in accordance with religious practice? Somehow I very much doubt it means that; as pulse1 suggests, surely it means
any surgery or medical treatment that might impair the safe operation of normal flight controls or render the licence holder unfit at any time to perform any function for which the licence is granted.
At least the CAA's list is rather more logical - but is it actually the law??

Was this change really worth the bother? There must be more than a few NPPL holders feeling rather dischuffed about it all...


Last edited by BEagle; 5th Sep 2016 at 15:22.
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Old 7th Sep 2016, 22:33
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I too have a similar problem, currently a NPPL holder using a DVLA based Medical Declaration, soon to expire.
Having looked at the new form srg1210, I will have to see an AME for a LAPL certificate due to heart surgery 15 years ago.
Having looked at the LAPL med160 form, the list of "lifetime" conditions is extensive and seems far beyond DVLA requirements.
My concern, (apart for refusal to grant a certificate), is that the AME may require medical tests and possibly referrals to specialists, which could be very costly!
Is the CAA trying to "ground" older pilots? I thought the principal of the new "self Certification" was to reduce bureaucracy and encourage GA!
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Old 8th Sep 2016, 08:11
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As with all new licensing regulations the Authority haven't thought it through properly and these things only come to light when the "public" try to interpret the new rules....deja vu!
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Old 9th Sep 2016, 16:34
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A muddle

I too am operating on a NPPL with a GP declaration due to stenting for angina in 2007, no problems since although on the standard pills. I currently mainly fly non EASA but keep current on an EASA type which I'm allowed to on the NPPL. Seems to me that in any event when my NPPL declaration becomes non valid on 8 April 2018 I will be prohibited from flying EASA types unless I can revalidate my old PPL by getting in effect a Class 2 medical, which the CAA quack refused to give me for my PPL at the time even though I got a Class 1 back for ATC purposes. In any event I'll have to see an AME to be able to do a self declaration before April 2018.

So for current NPPL holders the new system is much worse than the old. Thanks CAA for nothing. Yet another cock up in not thinking everything through, or perhaps last gasp revenge by the CAAs medics?
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Old 9th Sep 2016, 17:02
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So for current NPPL holders the new system is much worse than the old.
At 77 years of age it is certainly better for me as long as none of the exclusion items apply to me. In fact, I am delighted with the new system as I want to change my doctor and I didn't feel that it was sensible while I needed his signature every year.

However, I have just noticed that one of the items on the LAPL exclusion list seems to apply to me in that I suffer from a "chronic disease" which, except for the first 3 months, never prevented me from having a CAA Class 2 medical.

I only changed to a NPPL quite recently for convenience and cost.
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Old 9th Sep 2016, 17:16
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I am in the same situation. Heart surgery 20 years ago and have been flying on a Group 1 GP declaration since. Now depending on which of 3 different CAA pieces of paper I choose to believe, I can a) fly my aeroplane, or b) not fly my aeroplane until I have an LAPL medical involving spending £500+ on an exercise ECG and a cardiologists report.
There is different wording between the Declaration form, the Guidance notes on the CAA website and the ANO Section 163.
It's a mess
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Old 9th Sep 2016, 22:17
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The new self declaration without GP countersignture, is in principle a good thing, but for the likes of us who have had cardiac surgery and subsequent medication, it is potentially restrictive, and at odds with the DVLA Group 1 medical requirement.
At least with the previous declaration, your GP with knowledge of your history could use his or her common sense, as I would suggest that pilots with a condition that is monitored and appropriately medicated, are arguably less likely to suffer incapacitation than an undiagnosed one.
Being forced now to go for LAPL certificate, with possible cost implications, will cause many to think twice, myself included, before heading off to the nearest AME.
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Old 10th Sep 2016, 08:30
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NPPL medical

It would be easy to assume there is an AME agenda behind all this. Could one of them perhaps be persuaded to comment to dispel that terrible thought?
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Old 10th Sep 2016, 09:17
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Thanks "lodems" for starting this thread, it certainly seems there are many of us who are going to be discriminated against with these new regulations.
The words "had or have had" is a real "catch all" phrase, so maybe you are right, that AME's who might otherwise miss out on some income, helped in getting it put in!
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Old 10th Sep 2016, 11:08
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I understand that a lot of the drive for the current changes, at least for the NPPL pilots, is driven from the unforseen consequences of the move to the self certified, doctor counter signed medical that came in with the NPPL. The way GPs interpret the process has been inconsistent leading to the costs for NPPLs being very different, some being charged serious money and other being charged nothing. I have found it to be very good, personally, as my GP is a sensible and reasonable man who was prepared to read the notes and see what was going on. I know people whose GPs started from the point of view that it was a "flying medical" and didn't feel qualified to put their signature to the form without actually doing a comprehensive medical and charged accordingly. One poor pilot I know was blessed with a GP that thought that flying an aircraft was a job for a highly qualified professional pilot, chaps in their 60s should not be going flying for fun. The other problem is that you are supposed see your own GP, if you have one that doesn't cooperate you are a bit stuffed. Since the self certified medical came about the world has moved on. The blame culture has taken a grip and GPs are now obligued to carry huge insurance in case somebody, whose form they have signed, comes back to sue them for any incident that might have happened. When I went to get my form signed this year the GP was OK about it but he charged me £25, the first time he has charged. He explained that it costs him £2500 pa for the insurance he is required to have before he is allowed to sign medical forms for flying, driving and shot gun licences. He doesn't think that the practice will be signing any of these next year as they can't recoup the cost of the insurance premiums.

I personnally think it is all OTT. At the end of the day, or more likely the start of the day, it is up to the pilot to ensure that he is fit to take the controls of an aircraft. You have to be fit for every flight, not just on the day the medical form is signed.

Rans6............
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Old 11th Sep 2016, 08:04
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Personally speaking I have not had a problem with paying £20 and £50 to my GP for a signature, particularly if a few medical examinations were made, it's still less than a heating engineer charges for signing off a gas appliance, and my licence is invalid without it.
I assume Doctors/Practices must, in any event, have liability insurance for signing HGV and PCV medicals.
Of course, "fit to fly" is our responsibility, but all the GP was being asked to do, (with further consideration of medical history if necessary), was countersign to say that I met DVLA group 1 or 2 standards which are easy to check on their website under the "at a glance" pages.
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Old 11th Sep 2016, 12:34
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NPPL medicals

I have asked the CAA to say what the official line on grounding is for those whose GP certification has expired since the new Guidance and have not yet obtained a LAPL. Await with (un)bated breath.
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Old 11th Sep 2016, 17:09
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As of now, I am grounded, so I hope the CAA does give some guidance.
I expect to stay grounded until I know if I can meet LAPL requirements and that it will not be too expensive.
The LAA have asked for members to let them know if they have difficulties in getting the LAPL certificate, but I am not a member.....yet!
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Old 12th Sep 2016, 10:02
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I think that all the AMEs who listened to the CAA introduction to the proposed changes at the AME Meeting in April understood that they had not been fully deliberated.
Previously a pilot's own GP with access to the medical records was required to countersign the Medical Declaration to provide some defence against fraudulent concealment of disqualifying medical history. In addition a split was made between those pilots flying solo who only needed to meet the DVLA Group 1 standard and those carrying passengers who were required to meet the higher HGV Group 2 standard. Now the CAA has decided that no split is required and that the onus is on the pilot to declare any disqualifying condition with no GP involvement required.

However instead of linking the declaration to a published standard, the declaration takes a broad brush approach to disqualifying conditions which may be recent or in the distant past. This means that a condition such as a cardiac stent which is acceptable under DVLA Group 1, does not satisfy the declaration requirements and now requires expensive specialist tests and reports in order to satisfy LAPL requirements. AMC2 MED.B.095 d(4)
The answer is that the declaration needs more specific text regarding disqualifying conditions and their timescales and in addition to allow greater discretion to AMEs to issue LAPL certificates with or without an OPL to those pilots who are unable to complete the declaration.
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