Apropos the above views, here's a couple fresh worries, from those at the sharp end, posted on the BMAA forum.
Mike.
Keith Negal[BMAA] posted this:-
".........My interest is in under 450 kg
aircraft, specifically microlights. Things do not look good for
microlights inside EASA.
For example, if EASA's first pass at Part
M (continuing airworthiness) is anything to go by we microlight
pilots will be in the deep and smelly very quickly. All talk of a
Lite Part M has yet to be supported by anything tangible. Anyway,
EASA merely recommends, it is the Commission, the Council of
Ministers and the European Parliament that decide and you only have
to look at the insurance fiasco to see what can happen.
>
> The interesting thing is that our own CAA has demonstrated a
desire to reduce regulation beyond that we would have believed
possible 5 years ago. SSDR is simply not on the cards in the world
of EASA. Maybe MDM032 will come up with something better for Europe
but MDM032 is not about microlights. It is about those aircraft
that are not in Annex II. It is about the 450 kg to 1000 kg
categories. My stance (and I have never wavered in this from the
creation of EASA) is that if EASA comes up with something we like,
then we can easily volunteer to leave Annex II and join the EASA
fold."
Paul Dewhurst commented:-
"I met Jan Friedrich yesterday (Czech rep on
MDM032, and prime mover for it), and he is quite negative on
propects at the moment, he fears EASA doesnt have the stomach to
relinquish control to anywhere near the extent we would like, and
says it is looking like they are creating a monster, with complex
procedures, maintenance and licencing. [Mainly because of pressure
form the glider boys to go for 1000Kg rather than a lower limit]. He
thinks it is (sadly) dead right to keep microlights clear of the
regulation at present."
lets hope his fears can be overcome, and we get something useful for
us that can be picked up for microligting, bt at the moment it looks
shaky.
He is supposed to be here on Thursday,