25 years ago I became a pointless civvie and had to apply to the CAA for my ticket to fly. I got quite a nice booklet, bond in a proper cover and writing so big at a time when I had eyes like a ****-houserat.
Civvie flying has been forced through 2 evolutions of regs, JAR then EASA, none of it was the CAAs fault, but now as my eyes have me resembling a Japanese sniper simply reading a Restuarant menu, my ticket to fly has writing so small I need the Hubble telescope to read it. (And yes, like a dork, I did chop up my first EASA licence thinking that was the correct procedure to get it into the plastic folder it came with).
The plaggy folder resembles my 007 Licence to Kill identity card from my Special Agent Equipment toy Christmas present when I was 7 years old. Boy I loved the replica Berretta with the screw on Silincer. Many, many enemies of the State were unsuspecting and silently dispatched with that "Piece"
I cannot see how my new EASA licence will ever convince a Johhny Foriegner CAA FOI that I am a real pilot. I recently applied for an overseas validation and to avoid the shame of handing over my "James Bond" toy licence I unfolded the pages, ironed them and placed them into nice A4 sleeves.
However, through all the changes I have always had a great Service from our CAA so to keep the momentum going lets hear some more support for an organisation that in my view, is underfunded and in the main, run by underpaid staff doing what at times, must seem a thankless task.
Lets here some more support for the CAA!