utterly confused over ppl medicals
 

Hi everyone,

Currently, I'm close to solo-ing in a glider so need to get a BGA medical. However, it is my intention in the future to progress to a PPL (especially as you can apparently put gliding hours towards to the hour count). A such, I will look to do a PPL medical straight away to cover all bases.

I'm bewildered by the choice of PPL's these days though, especially as they all seem to have different medical standards. NPPL, UK PPL, EASA PPL, LAPL...

So, if In the future I wished to go on a jaunt over to the continent, possibly in a multi-engined kite, what licence would I be needing to work towards? And resultantly, what medical standards do I need to meet, where can I get the medical done, and how much is it likely to cost?


Thanks,

Matt

"Multi-engined kite"?

To fly multi engine you will require a EASA PPL with a class two medical with MEP class rating as minimum.

To fly internationally in a Single engine you also require the same license and medical but with a SEP class rating.

Forget the NPPL medical. Your choice (for the moment) is a LAPL medical from your GP or a PPL medical from an AME. Costs vary from very little for a LAPL medical to a couple of hundred for a PPL medical. You will need a PPL & PPL medical for a twin but you can always start out with a LAPL medical.

Find an AME

Pop up to Staverton, get a EASA class 2.
Lasts forever at your age.
Cost about the same as a good night out.

I may be out of date on this, but is it not the case that at the moment there are very few, if any, GPs able to offer LAPL medicals, since I understand that (unless your GP happens to also be an AME) he requires to have undertaken some aviation medicine training?

FBM, you are out of date. The aviation medical training requirement for GMPs (GPs in UK speak) was dropped from the early proposals from EASA, under pressure from certain representative organisations. The GP only needs to register once with the UK CAA, online, to inform them he is doing / going to do LAPL medicals. MED.D.035 (b) of sub part D of Annex IV of the Air Crew Regulation (EU 1178/2011) states that in order to issue LAPL medical certificates a GMP shall be fully qualified and licensed for the practice of medicine in accordance with national law. Sub section (c) states that GMPs acting as AMEs (for the LAPL) shall notify their activity to the competent authority.

I asked my GP about doing a LAPL medical. He used to do my NPPL one and also used to do gilder ones .

He said he is busy enough and can't be bothered to register with the CAA. Anyone know where else I can get a LAPL medical in Suffolk.... or is it possible for me to do his registration for him?

I know I can go to an AME, but then the charge will be about the same as a class II, so what's the point.

I'm sorry but I think you are all missing the point.

What this young man needs to do is invest in a Class One CAA medical. That way he will know for sure if he has any aviation related medical problems to affect his future.

I put two of my sons through a CAA Class One when they were 14 years old. One of them had an eyesight problem so we were able to point him in another direction before he got to the age of 18 and had his heart set on becoming a professional flyer.

The second one had a very minor heart glitch which the best experts in the land agreed that he might have a 10% need for a pacemaker when he is 65.

He is now in his third year as an airline captain.

It will cost this young man (or his parents) somehwere around £300 to have a Class One done by the CAA but he will then know exactly where he stands. As a once only exercise, it had to be good value and it could save you a fortune in the future.

Unless he wants to go commercial no need for a class one but it wouldn't do any harm.

Welcome to the UK Civil Aviation Authority. and go to the medical section for the fees for Class 1 and list of examinors for the class 2.

Thanks for that David. Delighted to hear that particular obstacle has been removed, even though alas, as might have been anticipated, registration for medicals with the CAA is typically going to be more than the average GP can be bothered with.

Mad Jock wrote:

"To fly internationally in a Single engine you also require the same license and medical but with a SEP class rating."

Actually, at the moment you can fly internationally - in some, but not all, countries, admittedly - with an NPPL. Even an NPPL microlights!

Even with EASA, I do not think this will change for Annexe 2 aircraft: like microlights and permit to fly aircraft.

Sorry I should have refined it more.

A full EASA PPL will allow you to convert your licnese outside europe and also in alot of countries just validate it for local use.

It will bullet proof you with the maximum possibilties for flying different types and places.

The other licenses will all be limited in different ways. You need to decide what your actually going to do. If you want the possibilty of flying in the US or other outside EU country you only have the full PPL as an option.

FBM, no probs. As regards GPs' "willingness to cooperate", like many things in life, it depends how well you know your GP, and secondly if one works on the maxim of "don't bring me problems bring me solutions" (quote from a past US President I think) then a pilot can help his GP by providing copies of paperwork suitably highlighted and help the GP with the (first occasion) online notification process.

And the GP paying the CAA the £800 fee for the privilege of being able to issue the Certificate. Table 43(b)

If you walk in the doc's room upright you've probably passed... :-)

Surely that applies only to those who wish to register as full AMEs and not to GPs issuing only LAPL certificates (not Class 2)
I can't see any possibility of a GP paying that sort of money to issue the odd LAPL every once in a while.

Thanks everyone, you've certainly given me a lot of information to mull over!

I think I will go for the full EASA PPL medical, if I can find a qualified doctor suitably near to me at a reasonable cost. As much as I would like to do a class 1- it is my intention to possibly aim to be a commercial pilot should my student aero engineering career fall off the rails - and I realise that the further along the road I get the more devastating failing a medical would be, I just dont currently have anything like the money that requires!

I will need the medical fairly urgently or the gliding club wont let me solo, so if I cannot find an EASA GP in time I will do the NPPL medical at my local GP to tide me over, then do the full PPL medical asap afterwards.

thanks,

Matt

I would advise doing the class 2 medical. A LAPL medical is limiting in that it would restrict your choice of training organisations to ATOs only. The majority of flight schools in the UK are currently just registered facilities and are not able to train for the LAPL. They all have to upgrade by 2015, but most will leave it until the last minute, in the hope that the CAA will realise the damage the additional cost and bureaucracy will do to small schools.

The CAA charge of £800 only applies to AMEs. Although in the legislation GPs are referred to as 'acting as AMEs' that does not translate into GPs paying those charges, AFAIK. If I am proved wrong then I shall be having a conversation at Gatwick....!