Oz PPL in the uk?

[Mark1234]

UK citizen, temporarily resident in Oz, In posession of an australian PPL. Coming back for a couple of weeks to visit folks etc. What's the likelyhood / feasibility of being able to do some flying while I'm there?

Cheers,
Mark.

[BackPacker]

With regards to the weather, that's anyones guess.

But I assume you're asking about the legal side of things. No problem at all. The ANO specifies that any ICAO license can be used up to PPL privileges in a G-reg, within the UK without further problems. Obviously as long as the Ozzie PPL is valid (medical, currency etc.).

So go to a flight school, show your papers, get a checkout flight and then hang around for the weather to clear.

Having said that, there are a few things in which the UK are a bit particular. You might want to read up on the following items:
- What a MATZ is and whether you do or do not need clearance to penetrate it.
- What the correct response is to "pass your message"
- What a LARS is and the recent developments with regards to Farnborough radar
- What levels the military does their low flying at, and are best avoided
- What the quandrantical flight levels are - UK does not conform to ICAO standards
- What the "overhead join" exactly is, and how it needs to be executed
- How to obtain NOTAMS, including the AIS freephone
- How to obtain weather from the met. office. You've got to register as a pilot to use their website; this might take some time to process.
- How to file flightplans via the new NATS system. Again, got to register. Or call/fax the "Parent ATSU" (read up on how that works) to submit one. BTW in the UK flightplans are not "closed" in the way the rest of the world does that, and a non-closure of a flightplan does not lead to a rescue operation. If you want to be found after a crash you've got to nominate a "responsible person", which can be an ATC facility.

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Edited to say that LASORS 2008, section A7, has all the details on validity of your Ozzie license in a G-reg.