I don't believe that any speculation on who is who will be useful for the discussion but (there is always one....) I also don't think that lately there has been any CIA cadet posting in this forum. Why do some people behave like cameleons???
Someone said before:
The current unsponsored MPL students are special batches of ICAO-approved students.
"Special batches of ICAO-approved students"? Does this mean that ICAO has changed the rules and, if so, where are they officially publicised?
Since the philipino airlines will not accept the self sponsored cadets, the MPLrs will have to have their licences validated/converted by other countries authorities. Will they??
If not, unemployment is certain!!!
This is what the ICAO FAQ website says about licences conversion/validation:
ICAO | FLS | FAQs
Aviation activities requiring a licence
ICAO has developed international licensing Standards for the following aviation activities:
Flight crew licences:
a. Licences and Ratings for Pilots (Annex 1, Chapter 2):
o Private pilot (aeroplane and helicopter);
o Commercial pilot (aeroplane and helicopter);
o Airline transport pilot (aeroplane and helicopter);
o Glider pilot; and
o Free balloon pilot.
Annex 1 also provides for a series of ratings (class, type, instrument and instructor) that complement the flight crew licences.
International licensing Standards for the following additional aviation activities will become applicable on 23 November 2006:
Licences and Ratings for Pilots (Annex 1, Chapter 2):
o Multi-crew pilot licence (aeroplane);
o Private, commercial and airline transport pilot licence for airship; and
o Powered-lift pilot licence.
------------------
International recognition of flight crew licences
The Convention on International Civil Aviation, often called the Chicago Convention, provides for worldwide recognition of flight crew licences issued by any member State of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) provided that:
a. the licence meets or exceeds the ICAO licensing Standards of Annex 1 – Personnel Licensing to the Convention on International Civil Aviation;
and
b. the licence is used on an aircraft which is registered in the State which has issued or validated the licence.
If the licence is to be used on an aircraft which is not registered in the issuing State, the licence holder must obtain avalidationof the licence from the State of Registry or alternatively obtain a new licence issued by the State of Registry.
ICAO licence or international licence
ICAO does not issue any licences. Licences issued by ICAO Contracting States on the basis of Standards and Recommended Practices of Annex 1 – Personnel Licensing, are habitually called ICAO licences. This has led many to believe that there is a specific ICAO or international licence. The fact is that there is not one single international licence issued by ICAO or any other organization. States issue their own licences based on national regulations in conformity with Annex 1 specifications and validate licences issued by other Contracting States on the basis of bilateral or multilateral agreements or the fulfilment of nationally legislated requirements.
For more information, please refer to Annex 1, Chapter 1, paragraph 1.2.2.
Use of flight crew licences on foreign-registered aircraft
Any pilot who wishes to fly on an aircraft registered in a State other than the one that has issued the licence, needs to obtain an authorization from the State of Registry. This authorization is generally given by the State of Registry through a validation or a conversion of the foreign licence. In general, the validation process is used for short-term authorization while the conversion process is used for longer-term authorization.
Validation of a foreign licence
When a State validates a foreign licence, it recognizes it as valid for use on aircraft on its own registry. The Convention on International Civil Aviation and its Annex 1 do not contain specific requirements for the validation of licences beyond establishing the principle and the fact that the validity of a validation, cannot be extended beyond the validity of the supporting licence. As a result, conditions under which validation is granted vary from State to State. It depends on the level of privileges required and on the origin of the licence. It is generally easy to obtain a validation for VFR private flights, but more stringent rules may exist for professional licences. The applicant may be required
to get additional training and/or to take new exams.
Conversion of a foreign licence
As an alternative to validate a foreign licence, a State may issue a licence that is based on the foreign licence held by the applicant. In doing so, the Licensing Authority accepts the fact that holding a foreign licence is an acceptable way to demonstrate compliance with its own national licensing regulation.The conditions for the conversion are generally similar to that of a validation.
How to obtain a validation or a conversion?
The decision to validate or convert a foreign licence is left to the discretion of each Licensing Authority.ICAO is unfortunately not in a position to provide information on the details of the validation and conversion policy and procedures established by each of its Contracting States. The most reliable source of information is the Licensing Authority of the State in which the licence is to be validated or converted, and at times Consulates and Embassies may be helpful.
For more information on validation of a foreign licence, please refer to Annex 1, Chapter 1, paragraph 1.2.2.
As said in the ICAO site, and despite the licence recognition, it is totally up to each country's civil aviation authorities to accept a foreign licence. And if they don't have the MPL on the statute book....
So, what say the old hands in the business about this?
Lets hear it!!!