How many helicopter pilots in the UK?

[Aucky]

I came across these stats (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=175&pagetype=90&pageid=11764) showing how many helicopter pilots issued/renewed, or revalidated licences UK in each year for periods dating back to 2000. The figures look pretty low, can they be correct? I'm assuming that the fact that, for example, the number of CPL(H) licence issues is more than double the total licence renewal/reval's in 2009-2010 means that renewals and revalidation's are for lapsed/expired licences only and that annual LPC's won't be counted here as they're not a licence renewal? Do we have any idea how many licensed pilots there are in total? I guess arguably we could multiply it by 5 on average given it's a 5 year license and a fifth of pilots would need renew/reval their licence each year.

It only accounts for issues/renewals/reval's done in the UK through our CAA, but is there any other source for these sort of stats?

[krypton_john]

Probably more mil pilots than civvie? Bizarre.

[md 600 driver]

yes but these are caa licences what about all the pilots with other country and easa licences and not forgetting the FAA pilots

[Aucky]

yes but these are caa licences what about all the pilots with other country and easa licences and not forgetting the FAA pilots

My understanding is that these are any licence including JAA/EASA licence issued/reval in the UK, through the CAA. It would be very hard to gauge the number of pilots flying on a foreign licence in the UK as there is no requirement to tell anyone as long as it's current and legal, is there? Do many people fly in the UK solely on an FAA licence who wouldn't have a CAA issued licence also?

[ShyTorque]

Following recent rule changes regarding the pending introduction of EASA regs, there might now be even fewer ATPLH holders in UK.

Some long time ATPLH holders have been "knocked back"to a CPLH on renewal due to the JAR/EASA "multi-crew" requirement.

[Sir Niall Dementia]

How many helicopter pilots in UK? If your'e unemployed too many, if you work here not enough.:E

SND

[stringfellow]

So, am i right then in thinking there are only 262 jar ppl (H) holders in the uk?? Must be more..... surely????

[nellycopter]

Got to be more,
I know of seven that live within ten miles of me, and five of them have a Heli in the garden shed.....

Maybe it would be better to count the uk registered Heli,s on the register then assume at the very least there is one pilot per machine...... Which is I suppose being very very conservative ....

Nelly

[md 600 driver]

NELLY
if you counted the g reg helicopters that would do you no good because you dont have to have a CAA licence to fly one it could be any of the EASA countrys or FAA infact any ICAO licence regongnised by the caa

you must be more than 10 miles from me as you didnt include me ""

steve

[nellycopter]

Hi Steve,
Yes donny...... I think it's a bit more than ten mile to York,
I think I mean more like five miles around me.....

Thanks for the offer by the way of the HLS....


Nelly

[Hughes500]

These are licences issued or revalidated. NOT the number. dont forget that some caa licences are for life, JAA for 5 years some caa for 5 years.
What you really need to see is the total number of licences not those issued by each year. More accurate to add 5 years worth up, that would get all JAA and CAA 5 year licences then guess at the for life licences !

[nellycopter]

So if we count Aucky in as a Heli pilot, we are now at the count of seven uk pilots, which was the origional question !
If its that hard to calculate let's get a counting thread going.....

If you are number eight, nine, ten, eleven.........
If you are current and fly in the uk.....Stand up and be counted.....

[jhiles]

Statistics - Licence By Age and Sex - between 2000 / 2008 | Pilots | Personal Licences and Training (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=175&pagetype=90&pageid=11765)

Only goes up to 2008 but suggests there were around 3800 CAA/JAA helicopter licence holders back then.

[Aucky]

This is a bit more like it.... Well in 2008. (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/UK%20CAA%20Flight%20Crew%20Licnece%20Age%20Profile%20as%20at %201%20January%202008v2.pdf)

[helicrazi]

Anyone know where to get more up to date numbers?

I'd like to know how many commercial helicopter pilots in UK

I heard a rumour only 3 cplh issued last year

[helicrazi]

I've just found the 2016 figures, 950 EASA ATPL H pilots... I'm amazed

[Kelly Hopper]

1983 I was No. 481.

I think 480 have died since?

I am number one!!!!! At last!

[SFIM]

There are quite a few now (including me) who due to the Brexit nonsense have transferred the licence to another EASA country but remain a UK resident, so in the future the UK figures will not be so reliable any more

[Hilico]

The UK figures for PPL(H) should increase by 0.5 if you include me.