Post Brexit EASA Licence Conversion

[Seabrook]

Hi All,
I am a UK PPL booked on a CPL/ME/IR course in Greece for this Novemeber. The school has aksed that I transfer my licence and medical records to the Hellenic CAA ( which I am happy to do). In January 2021 hopefully, I will be issued with a EASA CPL/ME/IR (Post Brexit), and I intend on returning to the UK to apply to UK airlines.

At this stage it is probably difficult to say but will I be able to convert my EASA licence back to a UK Issued CPL/ME/IR post brexit? Or will I be in a situation that I will have to do additional training or possibly re-sit ATPL exams? I have done my current ATPLs through Austro Control.

Many thanks.

[windypops]

If the UK remain part of EASA then you will be able to SOLI into them.

If the EU don’t allow the UK to be part of EASA then you will still be able to operate a G Reg aircraft with an EASA Licence Issued by a member country (Irish, Dutch etc). The UK CAA have confirmed this on their microsite.

The million dollar question is will you be able to fly an EU registered aircraft with a UK Licence post BREXIT transition - it’s looking like a “no” at this time.

A Uk Issued EASA FCL will become a UK National Licence if the EU don’t let the UK into EASA.

The EU gave their biggest signal last week that the UK will not be allowed to be an EASA Member!

[selfin]

"it’s looking like a 'no' at this time."

Actually it is presently a yes according to the UK Air Navigation Order 2016 as amended by the Aviation Safety (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. A non–UK-registered aircraft may be flown non-commercially in UK under a licence granted converted or validated under the UK Aircrew Regulation, or according to the terms of any future UK–US BASA–IPL, or—on the condition that the operator is not resident in UK and UK CAA does not give a direction to the contrary—a licence granted or rendered valid under the ANO such as a UK (national) licence, a UK overseas territories licence, or any ICAO Annex 1-compliant licence. All of that is in article 148 of the ANO.

"A Uk Issued EASA FCL will become a UK National Licence if the EU don’t let the UK into EASA."

The Part-FCL licensing system will persist under retained EU law. If UK leaves EASA we will simply speak about UK Part-FCL licences and UK non–Part-FCL, so-called national, licences. The terms for aircraft are simpler: EASA aircraft become Part-21 aircraft while annex I aircraft become non–Part-21 aircraft. That should be set out in schedule 1 to the Aviation Safety (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

[windypops]

"it’s looking like a 'no' at this time."

Actually it is presently a yes according to the UK Air Navigation Order 2016 as amended by the Aviation Safety (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. A non–UK-registered aircraft may be flown non-commercially in UK under a licence granted converted or validated under the UK Aircrew Regulation, or according to the terms of any future UK–US BASA–IPL, or—on the condition that the operator is not resident in UK and UK CAA does not give a direction to the contrary—a licence granted or rendered valid under the ANO such as a UK (national) licence, a UK overseas territories licence, or any ICAO Annex 1-compliant licence. All of that is in article 148 of the ANO.

"A Uk Issued EASA FCL will become a UK National Licence if the EU don’t let the UK into EASA."

The Part-FCL licensing system will persist under retained EU law. If UK leaves EASA we will simply speak about UK Part-FCL licences and UK non–Part-FCL, so-called national, licences. The terms for aircraft are simpler: EASA aircraft become Part-21 aircraft while annex I aircraft become non–Part-21 aircraft. That should be set out in schedule 1 to the Aviation Safety (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

I’m not sure I agree, I was referencing directly from the CAA’s website and I was also referencing commercial flying rather than “non-commercial”

This is a copy and paste from the CAA Brexit Microsite

“If UK participation in EASA ceases and there is no mutual recognition of safety certificates, UK-issued Part-FCL licences would not be valid to operate EU-registered aircraft.”

[Seabrook]

If the UK remain part of EASA then you will be able to SOLI into them.

If the EU don’t allow the UK to be part of EASA then you will still be able to operate a G Reg aircraft with an EASA Licence Issued by a member country (Irish, Dutch etc). The UK CAA have confirmed this on their microsite.
Thanks for your response but just to clarify, if the UK does leave EASA,.. will I be able to transfer my EASA licence over to get a UK issued one? Or is that too much of an unknown at this stage? It's just that quite a few airlines are asking for a UK issued CPL/ME/IR.

[selfin]

windypops, the microsite statement is in fact correct owing to the requirement for pilots flying non-annex I aircraft registered in and controlled by an EASA member state to hold a licence granted converted or validated under the EASA Aircrew Regulation, derogations and future BASA–IPLs notwithstanding. Article 3 of the regulation refers.

Seabrook, in your position I would proceed with obtaining the licence from an EASA state other than UK in the hope that UK CAA/DfT will be sensible about handling conversions in the future. When I last spoke with UK CAA in late 2018 I was told the intention was to create an easy pathway for former licence holders to re-acquire a UK licence. Whether that or similar measures for newcomers come to fruition is anybody's guess.