UK leaving EASA - implications for Instructors
 

Generally interested to gain views, insight and any advice please on the implications for licensing and FI certificates upon the UK leaving EASA.

My current understanding is based on the following:

1. the UK will cease to be a member of EASA come 31st December 2020
2. there is very little likelihood of a further extension of the current transition period beyond this date
3. there is no mutual recognition agreement between the UK and EASA going forward
4. current EASA licences and certificates become UK licences and certificates
5. flying activities will be limited to UK-registered aircraft and training towards UK licences, rating and certificates ONLY
6. to continue to fly EASA aircraft and instruct towards an EASA licence, a transfer of licence, medical and certificate to another EASA member state is now necessary via a transfer of SOLI (State of Licence Issue)
7. UK-based ATOs cannot deliver EASA training after January 1st 2021 unless they have a base in EASA-land and apply to EASA to continue to deliver CPL training in the UK
8. IR training and skill tests need to be done in EASA-land

My employer ATO is currently in the process of applying to continue to deliver EASA training going forward, although I don’t know how this can be achieved without some form of EASA-based representation or agency.

What are other FIs doing? Particularly interested to hear views from those currently working at larger ATOs. Personally I’m hugely reluctant to surrender my UK licence, but if that’s what’s required to continue instructing for EASA licences (on the basis of demand from EU airlines), then so be it.

Many thanks.

HW

There is nothing to prevent you holding a UK Licence and an EASA Licence as well. Many of us do.

There is the fundamental flaw in your understanding. A base in EASA-land is not required - any training organisation in a third country may apply to EASA for approval as an ATO and there are currently 18 such organisations approved. The major reason that there are so few is probably the bloated bureaucracy of the assessment process and the unknown cost (EASA currently charge a flat rate of €247 per hour with no upper limit). Having been closely involved with one of the 18 aforementioned applications, I vowed never to go near the process again.

The UK government has made it very clear that its passports have always been and remain UK passports. The EU being embossed on the cover makes no difference to it. Who knows then why our passports had EU embossed onto them, however that may be a different discussion or perhaps not..

So what is an EASA licence: is it a UK licence but with EASA written on it or is it actually an EASA licence that the UK has only administered until now. Are ATOs/DTOs approved EASA training organisations or are they really approved UK organisations in compliance with EASA rules? EASA have always been keen on the semantics, such as aircraft being "EASA aircraft" when they are very obviously not to anybody outside of the EASA world.

I make the points simply because of the very genuine concerns as to whether there is going to be a "cliff edge" come January 1st. The UK CAA has said that those who have commenced training for EASA licences before January 1st will be able to continue. That statement begs the question: you cannot train for an EASA licence or rating outside of an EASA approved organisation and therefore who will issue the EASA licence or rating next year. Who will the examiners be after January 1st. Will the instructors and examiners remain EASA or is the term superficially imposed on the licences and certificates without meaning as with the passports.