Constructive advice regarding options required please..
Replies are a bit thin on the ground in flight forum so thought I would post this here for anyone who may have been down this route.
Ok so here's the sketch..
I am after some constructive advice regarding whether it is worth going down the FAA/Canadian route (due to the problems I am facing with the beauracracy of the UK CAA/JAA).
Due to the typical beuracratic nature of the JAR's I am currently facing a dispute with the CAA in terms of obtaining a class 1 initial due to an extremely minor peripheral vision defect.
I took it upon myself to inform the CAA about this defect and I have never been denied an initial class 1. I have however been for eye assesments at LGW and seen the Ophtalmologist who put in a positive report. But still nothing became of this and I am still 'fighting' with the CAA. I did however write 2 letters for every one letter that the CAA sent me with a view to saying that I am within the current regulations. However, as you expect the CAA seem to disagree, even though it clearly states in the JAR's that I am eligible for an initial class 1.
My case has been described by one doctor as 'it appears that the CAA are being unfair to you' and by another Opthalmologist as 'a borderline candidate which the CAA don't know how to deal with because it is a bit of a 'grey' area'.
I have initiated the secondary review procedure and I expect the CAA are also going to be al about this.
I have an FAA Class 1 medical certificate with the requirement of taking a Medical Flight Test and I will be going for an initial Transport Canada Class 1 in the next couple of weeks.
No doubt the argument about 'training in the country in which you wish to reside' remains but at this point I am really thinking of any way that I can go all the way to CPL/ATPL and achieve this. It may be a while before the CAA realise that I am right and it may take some time for other doctors that I have utilised to help in my case deal with this.
By then I would have lost more years fighting with the CAA and before I know it I will hit the big 30 (not that its bad!) and still without a UK initial class 1 and back to square one again - assessing my options!
So I was just after some constructive advice as to the best way to progress forward with the FAA or Canadian route? Obviously this will (if I remain in the UK) require a conversion to JAA at the end - with what may be still no medical if the CAA remain about it?
What options are available? Living in the UK and having to train in Canada/U.S.A does make it slightly harder logistically. Any ways aroung this?
I only get 30 days vacation a year and currently do not have a PPL as my class 2 was also suspended by the white coat people. I do not envisage 30 days training even for PPL in U.S.A/Canada to be enough.
I do not expect anyone to wave a magic wand and am simply trying to stay optimistic and after some constructive advice by people who have maybe gone the FAA/TC/CASA/NZ route and managed to go JAA after.
Cheers
S