RTN11.... Thank you for taking the time to reply. When I said things are in flux, by that I mean the constant tinkering of regulations. by way of example someone can qualify and train on a UK aicraft in the 1980 for a UK PPL, yet under EASA rules the person as from April 2018 they can no longer flying the aircraft they trained on, they are simply confined to permit to fly. The simple solution was for the CAA to do a straight swap, without charge, but allow the person to retain their UK PPL. I say that because I inststed that I kept my UK PPL on gaining a CPL, the CAA were not happy about this.
Taking the issue of 'flux' over the last thirty years there have been numerous changes iby the Uk CAA in terms of flying training including MCC and CRM, alot which was not really thought out. To add to this after brexit will we revert to CAA licences. A case in point was that there was no exemption in respect of MCC for RAF crew as the CAA and JAA considered it single crew. The introduction of CRM was a utter shambles, gue to the FOIs.
Going back to the UK ATPL, if it is valid for life, why does it have a valid to date, when it is re-issued, likewise the UK PPL is the same.
Going on to converting the UK ATPL to an EASA ATPL, from memory the UK ATPL up to until around 2000, required 1500 hours PIC, but I think that the requirement of the UK ATPL became 1500 to include 500 multicrew. So under EASA can an UK ATPL be swapped for a EASA ATPL.
The ATC issue, upon entering class a airspace, was previously raised on pprune (private flying), while I accept that ATC can not ask if you hold a IR, so you could get a clearance, I am not sure if they can give a discrestionary clearance in the knowledge they know you do not have an IR.