ICAO ppl to EASA equivalent

[jxk]

I've read the CAA's FAQs and it has an ICAO to JAA conversion route. It suggests looking at LASORS C1 for this process; which I've done. I've also looked at the March 2011 CAA document on Licensing. BUT I'm still confused so my question is, will it be possible to go to the EASA ppl equivalent directly or will I have to convert to JAA first?
I have PPL A & B, IMC, Night, Radio and current class 2 medical.

[robin]

Why pay twice to move via JAR-PPL to EASA PPL when you can wait until April 2012 and do it once

[jxk]

Why pay twice to move via JAR-PPL to EASA PPL when you can wait until April 2012 and do it once

Robin - that's the question I am asking myself. BUT is it established that there will be a migration directly from ICAO to EASA with grandfather rights? Because I can't find it written anywhere. AND will it be a 'for life' license?

[S-Works]

The UK CAA have been making it clear for quite some time that if you want to transition to an EASA licence from a UK ICAO licence you need to get a JAA one first.

Burying your heads in the sand and expecting to transition directly will do nothing on other than give you something to moan about on forums about how unfair life is.

If you get a JAA licence now you do it as a paperwork only excercise. That licence will then automatically become an EASA licence next year and on renewal will then become valid for life.

Trying to go direct from ICAO to easier is going to involve some as yet defined path which is likely to include training and testing.

[Whopity]

The UK CAA have been making it clear for quite some time that if you want to transition to an EASA licence from a UK ICAO licence you need to get a JAA one first.

So an organisation that claims to be overworked is generating twice as much work as it needs to achieve the same thing. As the UK CAA is larger than any other European Authority, I wonder how the others will manage the transition! Possibly be adopting a more simplistic approach. Seems to me the CAA is intent on making work for itself at the customers expense.

Trying to go direct from ICAO to easier is going to involve some as yet defined path which is likely to include training and testing.

There is always that risk, but it sounds more like blackmail!
My advice is to sit on your hands, do it once, pay once and have a licence that is valid for life.

[robin]

The UK CAA have been making it clear for quite some time that if you want to transition to an EASA licence from a UK ICAO licence you need to get a JAA one first.

Burying your heads in the sand and expecting to transition directly will do nothing on other than give you something to moan about on forums about how unfair life is.

If you get a JAA licence now you do it as a paperwork only excercise. That licence will then automatically become an EASA licence next year and on renewal will then become valid for life.

Trying to go direct from ICAO to easier is going to involve some as yet defined path which is likely to include training and testing.

As I understand it, we can't apply for the new licence until April 2012.

The CAA can't handle 15000 applications dropping on their desks, so have advised us to go to the JAR-PPL first so that we can continue operating under an ICAO-compliant licence until they can get around to issuing the new ones.

We can continue to use our UK-PPLs as long as we don't want to fly an EASA-type aircraft as it will become a National licence.

However, if we do choose to apply for the JAR-PPL this year, how will the CAA be able to handle 15000 licence applications in 11 months? They are looking for a 3-year transition period and more staff to do the issue of the EASA-PPL.

[Whopity]

We can continue to use our UK-PPLs as long as we don't want to fly an EASA-type aircraft as it will become a National licence.

According to the table on page 6 of their latest letter you will be able to use it until 2014

[BillieBob]

Returning to the original question.

Assuming that by 'ICAO' licence (ICAO don't issue licences) you really mean a UK national licence, the rules for conversion to a Part-FCL licence are at Annex II to the Implementing Regulation. This legislation has, of course, not yet been presented to the EU Parliament and so it is possible that it may be amended before finally being accepted (or rejected). According to the current draft, a national PPL issued by an EU member state may be converted to the Part-FCL equivalent by demonstrating adequate knowledge of the relevant parts of Part-OPS and Part-FCL, language proficiency in accordance with FCL.055 and use of radio navigation aids (presumably by means of some kind of proficiency check).

There are no requirements for the transfer of night or class ratings - if your national licence includes night and MEP privileges, these will be automatically transferred to the Part-FCL licence.

The FRTOL is a requirement of the UK Wireless Telegraphy Act and, therefore, unaffected by EASA. It is assumed that the UK CAA will continue to issue this licence on behalf of OFCOM.

There is, at present, no equivalent to the IMC rating under Part-FCL although work is going on behind the scenes in an attempt to obtain some sort of credt for existing holders. Whether this work will be successful and what, if any, credit will result remains to be seen.

The UK CAA is naturally keen for all national licence holders to convert to a JAA licence prior to the coming into force of the new legislation as this is, for them, the easiest option. Whilst it is possible to convert direct from a national licence to the Part-FCL equivalent, it will probably be less hassle to do so via a JAA licence.

[jxk]

BillieBob et al...

Apologies:

I referred to my licence as being ICAO, I admit that this is probably not strictly true. However, on the cover it does say United Kingdom Private Pilot's Licence (Aeroplanes) - 'Issued in accordance with ICAO standards'. I kind of get confused with the National License and the NPPL, which I see as a true National licence.

I know this is a bit of a pipe dream but wouldn't be nice if every country issued licences with the same caveat rather than trying to reinvent the wheel as per EASA.

So, it looks as if the final outcome is still at the discussion stage and it's a bit of a gamble whether the direct route to EASA is worth taking or whether to hedge one's bets and apply for a JAA licence in the meanwhile.

[Whopity]

I know this is a bit of a pipe dream but wouldn't be nice if every country issued licences with the same caveat

That was the purpose of ICAO Standards which we managed to follow quite nicely from 1944 until 1999! 55 years of common sense then Eurocrap!