Starting PPL in Scotland with Looming Brexit

[Caledonia91]

Hi all,

I used to lurk on these forums when I was a teenager (having wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid), but only now am I in the position to finally start my PPL in central Scotland.

However, I'm really concerned about the potential impact of Brexit, particularly if there is 'no deal'. From my understanding, the UK will be out of the EASA by the end of 2019 assuming there is a short 'grace period' that will prevent licenses being invalid and aircraft grounded.

If there is a hard Brexit, who is going to issue my license and will any of my hours of training under the EASA regime be invalid? I've asked this question (via email) to a few flight schools and nobody seems to really know...

Thanks in advance!

[DB6]

While I don't have a definitive answer to your question, one has to ask does it matter? Training in the UK will get you a UK license, in whatever guise. Unless your ambition is to follow the commercial route it is of no consequence. One of the worst things to ever happen to GA in the UK was JAR/EASA, just go for it and don't worry about Brexit.

[BackPacker]

Agree with DB6. It's the UK CAA who will be issuing your license in any case, regardless of whether that's an EASA or UK National license. But whatever it is, it will be valid for flight worldwide on G-reg aircraft. The only issue - hardly relevant in your case at the moment - is whether your license, without further paperwork, is also going to be valid on aircraft registered in other EU states (PH-, F-, D-, OO- and so forth).

If Scotland decides to have another referendum, leaves the UK and joins the EU as a new member state, then the situation is totally different however. If the UK indeed has left EASA by then, you would then have to convert your UK CAA National PPL to an EASA PPL issued by the Scottish CAA. But if that ever happens, it's going to be years in the future.

[RomeoTango89]

Agree both with the above so not much to add there.

If however you're wanting a shout to decide on a flying school please feel free to drop me a message. I'm well versed with both main schools in the central belt!

[Whopity]

The UK issues licences in accordance with ICAO Annex 1 and will continue to do so. It is a recomendation of ICAO Annex 1 that all ICAO States recognise PPLs issued by other ICAO States.
EASA is not a member of ICAO and is not eligible to be one yet one of its objectives set out in EU Regulation 2018/1139 Chapter 1, Article 1
(g) assist Member States, in the fields covered by this Regulation, in exercising their rights and fulfilling their obligations under the Chicago Convention, by ensuring a common interpretation and a uniform and timely implementation of its provisions, as appropriate;

[BackPacker]

Whopity, you are of course right, but does EASA, or do individual EASA member states, recognise PPLs issued by other (non-EASA) ICAO states *without further paperwork*? AFAIK this recognition/validation is far from trivial.

[airpolice]

Agree both with the above so not much to add there.

If however you're wanting a shout to decide on a flying school please feel free to drop me a message. I'm well versed with both main schools in the central belt!

Both? Which of the three are you leaving out?

[Whopity]

but does EASA, or do individual EASA member states, recognise PPLs issued by other (non-EASA) ICAO states *without further paperwork*? THe UK were the best in this respect as we accepted all ICAO licences without question however many member states require a validation. EASA has a poor record for complying with ICAO recomendations let alone assisting its members to do so! ICAO would have done well to ignore them as they are not in the club!

[BillieBob]

What Backpacker said. You will not need any kind of validation to fly a UK-registered aircraft in Europe (or anywhere else in the world) with a UK issued pilot licence. Validation only becomes an issue if you wish to fly a non UK-registered aircraft outside the UK with a UK national licence.

[RomeoTango89]

Both? Which of the three are you leaving out?

I was referring to the biggie in Perth and the biggie in Dundee.

[Forfoxake]

I was referring to the biggie in Perth and the biggie in Dundee.

IMHO, not the usual definition of the 'central belt'!