Hi,
It's been a few months since my last post but I thought it might be in the interest of other readers to hear of my 'quest' to get my PPL(A) in Poland with theory exams taken in the UK.
At the time when I completed my hours of flight school, the Polish ULC (Polish equivalent of the CAA) did not conduct PPL(A) theoretical examinatinos in English. This has since changed!!!
I requested the ULC to allow me to take the ground school exams in the UK and was granted permission.
I decided to do a full week course where I could take all exams in the space of 5 days. I was advised by many people to get in touch with 'Fly Derek' and I was glad that I did. I used his classes as a revision for the material I had already studied. I would recommend him to anyone!!!
(Here's another thread about him :
http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...nd-school.html)
While in the UK I took all the theory examinations with Derek as well as the R/T Radio Operator's license (upon advice from my local flight school instructors).
After passing all exams, I returned to Poland as submitted the request for my final Practical Flying Exam.
This is where some difficulties arose...
After a few weeks I was contacted by ULC and asked for the usual paperwork :
- Examination results from the theory exams taken in the UK.
- Original University Degree Certificate
- Radio Opertor's license (not just the exam result but the actual license issued by the CAA!)
- Certificate of completion of ground school by my local Warsaw flying school.
- Passport etc...
After about 4 more weeks I contacted ULC and asked how things were progressing. They informed me that they had sent an email to the CAA asking for confirmation of my examination results and had not yet recieved a reply.
I called the CAA myself and explained the situation. I was told that the CAA couldn't confirm examination results unless they had been taken at their examination center at Gatwick (my exams had been taken at an authorised school with Derek).
To cut a very long (2 month story) short, there were many many phone calls on my part to the CAA and ULC (since it often seemed that they didnt seem to be very interested in talking to eachother) - at one point I was calling the CAA every week.
Finally, the CAA sent an email to the ULC confirming my examination results.
After a couple of weeks I took my practical exam here in Warsaw and send the final paper-work to the ULC for issuance of my PPL(A).
After a couple of weeks I was called by them and told that I would have to take an English exam (even though I had already done this as part of the CAA UK Radio Operator's license). The nice lady at the ULC explained that this was a matter of standard procedure.
After taking my English exam I finally submitted all my paperwork and finally recieved my PPL(A).
At the end of the day, it was down to some VERY VERY nice people both at the CAA and the ULC who helped me get out of the crack that exists between the two systems and I am very grateful to them for all their personal care and attention.
