How long for PPL Processing

[revilo_rehsif]

Its been two weeks since i sent all my personal affects, off to the CAA. I am just wondering how long it took others to receive their PPLs . I have been told 2-3 weeks, is this realistic?

Many Thanks:ok:

[Whirlygig]

...er 6 weeks in Autumn 2003 - and they forgot to send me the pretty grey wallet!!

Cheers

Whirls

[revilo_rehsif]

http://www.pprune.org/go.php?go=/pub/fun/caajoke.html

I cant understand why they take so long, for example provided that you have all the right stuff, a passport can be renewed in six hours

[Squadgy]

This page:

CAA FCLD (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?categoryid=137)

shows the received dates of applications presently being processed.

[Laundryman]

Have they changed the colour of the wallet now mine is a muddy browny orange colour and I only got it last year?

Oh and I won't hear of anyone implying that the CAA is a money grabbing organisation, I got something free last week. Change of address "No charge" yippee <:0-))

[Whirlygig]

Sorry Laundryman, perhaps your's need a wash?! :p ;)

I'm a helicopter; I think they're different colours!

Cheers

Whirls

[0-8]

I called up the CAA about a week ago and they said it was taking them 10-14 working days on average.


This page:

CAA FCLD

shows the received dates of applications presently being processed.


This really made me laugh. I followed the link and it hadn't been updated since September 5th! :rolleyes:

It doesn't exactly fill you with hope does it?

[TheOddOne]

I think this is absolutely appalling!

When Mrs Odd One and I got our licences back in the early eighties, we went up to Kingsway as the office opened, gave them the stuff, went off for a wander around London for a few hours & picked them up again after lunch. With a bit of energy, we could have nipped back to Denham in time for a flight the same day (if we hadn't had a celebratory bottle of wine at lunch)

I even managed to get mine done over the counter when I moved up to a blue one (back to yukky brown again, now).

Now it takes 3 weeks. That seems completely unaceptable to me. What is there to do? Tot up the hours in your log book? I can't believe they check up with the examiner to see if you really did your papers properly or that you actually visited the airfields on your qualifying x-country.

I know many people can't get there in person, but surely the post could turn it around in 72 hours...

Cheers,
The Odd One

[Studefather]

Renewal of old (very) CAA PPL to NPPL in August this year took just under 4 weeks from posting out to receiving back. Not bad considering it was presumably vetted by one organisation before being submitted to CAA for issue.

[hingey]

I was very annoyed with my license application. I was told via email that if I turned up in the morning they would do it there and then and give it back a little later. Catching the stupid o'clock bus to Gatwick wasn't a pleasing experience, but I did it so I could have my license in hand at the earliest possible moment. But when I arrived and handed over the paper and money they said it would get back to me in 10 working days! I questioned this referring, to the email they sent me, to which the man replied

"Well, as you can see we're very busy at the moment so it'll be more like 12 or 13 working days"

Looking over the counter, less than half of them appeared to be working. In fact most were standing around the water cooler. Yeah, real busy... the fact that "working days" excludes weekends meant I had to wait about a month for it to arrive. A day (and bus fare) wasted, and the fact they told me a blatant lie, I was not a happy boy.

h

[c-bert]

Mine came through on Friday having taken 4 weeks almost to the day. Odd then that my cheque was banked 2 days after I sent off all the paperwork and I recieved their receipt 2 days after that......

[kookabat]

Yer laffin!!!

They're not doing checks to make sure you're not a terrorist... here in Aussieland it took me eight weeks to get my licence - took four phone calls and two emails to hurry them along - THEN they issued me the wrong licence anyway (student licence instead of PPL... doh!).

Mind you, even that's not much - mate of mine was waiting no less than four MONTHS for his. So of course he needed to go and get current again...

We reckon they found something on the security check :rolleyes: .

[terryJones]

Well, lets face it, there is no way on gods earth the Cancel Amateur Aviation can warrent the cost of a PPL issue. When I had mine in 1989 it was well over a hundred pounds then, so if they did offer a 'By Return'service they would be charging even more than a solicitor per hour. By taking weeks and weeks it seems as if somethking is actually done for the money.
By the way, does it still look as if it is printed on recycled brown paper?
I did hear a rumour that there was in fact only ONE individual that could wield the rubber stamp. and he used to do PPL's between other tasks.

[BEagle]

Enough of this silly whingeing!

There are 2 main reasons why licence issue is slow:

1. CAA staffing levels have been cut back to the bone, thanks to that mad old bat with the handbag who was PM a decade or so ago.

2. There are still an absurd number of PPL applications which contain some error or another. Logbook certified incorrectly, medical certificate not included, no ID.... This, to my mind, is the fault of the FE who conducted the PPL Skill Test. He/she demands a fee for this service, he/she should check EVERYTHING connected with the application.

The CAA's Head of Licensing is acutely aware of his department's performance with regard to licence issue and is doing everything he can to speed the process up. So please be patient, he's only trying to help you!