Can I fly an airplane in the UK with an FAA PPL?
 

Title kind of says it all, but to expand.

I am British, I have an FAA PPL (my only flying licence), I am domiciled overseas.

My question is simple - assuming I can find someone to rent me an airplane - can I legally do so in the UK.

I ask as I have been reading all sorts of odd things about JAR, EASA and some kind of down on US registered planes, certain ratings and such - Googling the subject seems to give lots of irate articles about the issue from, mainly, 2005 to 2010 then quiet.

Does anyone have a direct answer to my questiion.

Thanks in advance.:sad:

:ugh:

As the rules presently stand; Assuming that the April 2017 deadline is extended to April 2019 (which I have no real source confirming either way) [http://www.peter2000.co.uk/aviation/easa/] - if you can find an N-reg plane in the UK, you should be able to rent it completely legally with an FAA certificate.

If April 2017 deadline goes ahead, then as of April 2017, it will depend where the N-reg is based, if it is in the UK, you will need both EASA licence AND FAA certificate to fly the aeroplane in UK airspace. Funnily enough however, if the aeroplane is based in the UK, but you rent it from another EU country (ie: France), technically you only require the FAA certificate providing that you don't fly in UK airspace. Oddly enough - but irrespective of the question, an N-reg based in the UK can be flown in UK airspace, with a UK issued EASA licence.

(ps: anyone who has more information may contradict me, but I did spend considerable time looking at purchasing an N-reg in early Jan)

If only we could form some sort of international club, which could agree that "an aeroplane is an aeroplane" and "a pilot is a pilot". We could give it a name with some initials, which seems to be the way things are done in the aviation world - how about "ICAO" for starters?

Could the FAA licenced pilot fly a G reg aircraft in the UK? Or in th US?
A complete and utter shambolic dogs breakfast.

Could we form a new state of registry which would actually adhere to ICAO, with our own registration prefix. Adhere to maintenance schedule as set out per the manufacturer, and have a sensible "minor modification" system, along with adhering to STCs set out in FAAland... Make it a worldwide thing (as ICAO aimed to do).

Without all the bureaucracy and money wasted on paperwork...

(And no I don't mean something sensible like the "permit to fly" I mean something that is accepted worldwide)

Anyway, silly ideas aside, some country specific differences are good to have, for instance in NZ the low flying (due wx) and the terrain awareness (to avoid mountains). It's also quite useful to have local differences training.

Can't argue with that - in the southern UK "dressed to survive" means you've got a woolly jumper, a mobile phone and a credit card. In other parts of the world you need serious winter gear, a fish hook and a gun - it's worth being trained as necessary in the differences!

It certainly used to be the case that a US qualified pilot had PPL privileges VFR in the UK and could legally rent a G-reg . Did that change when I wasn't paying attention?

I really hope the deadline gets pushed back again, I'm just to old, impatient and really can't be arsed starting over training and taking exams for a PPL & IR issued by a EU agency to replace the FAA one I struggled to get in the first place. And I also dread the nonsense I would have to comply with if that little shytebag in Edinburgh gets her way and throws us to the mercy of the Brussels bureaucrats for licensing.

Best let sleeping dogs lie, it's working fine the way it is.

Didn't EASA poke its nose into that and demand a FAA pilot get an EASA licence to fly EASA aircraft, or N aircraft in Europe. Or did that get put on the back burner, I seem to remember something?

CrashOne,

I read somewhere that the UK and the USA had reciprocal agreements with regards to this which overruled EASA nonsense...!

If only people stopped thinking only about lining their own pockets and thought a little about joining hands - it would make us all so much happier! (And maybe a little more sane too)

This is one of the reasons I voted for BREXIT .........

Just imagine if we had to go through similar absurd CAAs and/or EASA hurdles when renting a car in a foreign country... Sit and pass local "road-law" and other written exams, local medical/eye exam, language proficiency (in order to read the local road signs), etc. Different car type-ratings for a VW Passat, Vauxhall Astra or Fiat Punto. Notwithstanding that in some countries they normally drive on the wrong side of the road.

How did we, the pilot community, allow these bureaucrats to restrict general aviation in such a way? Didn't these countries sign the ICAO Chicago convention?

You can get caught out though. I slowed down to drive past some roadworks in Canada, then get pulled over and told off for not slowing down enough. Apparently I should have known that there is an automatic 30mph limit past roadworks that isn't signposted - never come across that anywhere else, and the rental company didn't give me a crib sheet of local "gotchas".

The terrorists are winning.
The empire builders are winning.
Apathy is winning.
None of them can agree on the colour of ****e.
They are all too big for the rest of us to do anything about it.
Wait until EASA decides that to fly in any European country you have to be able to speak, read and understand the local language to level six.
The UK is becoming a police state.
Speed limits are being reduced to 40mph, dogs must be micro chipped, an air gun licence required in Scotland.
How long before the Police cotton on to the fact that we can still fly from one end of the country to the other without them being able to pull us over for a sniff?

As an answer to the OP, from here:

If only PPRuNe had a like button. :ok:

Yeap this democracy thing just ain't working out for us, way too many know-it-all do gooders and busy bodies. We should give the 'benevolent dictator' option a try and see how we get on, something along the lines of Tito's Yugoslavia looks like it may have potential.

Anyone with a notion to become a politician, beaurocrat, industrialist or accountant should be sent to Gruinard island for a ten year course in urban survival. Wearing nothing and carrying the tools of their proposed trade. A sheaf of white paper, an empty book of rules, a boardroom table, an abacus.
This system should have been implemented years ago, just prior to the Anthrax experiment.
When I was working as a toolmaker we would routinely solve all of the worlds problems during our lunch hour, analysing every solution to within a thou" or five microns for the Europeans.

From this I am getting - no one knows.

I am going to assume I am looking at a UK (G) registered airplane.

A really simple question - can I or can I not fly it solo.

On the Brexit thing I have found out that makes no difference UK will still be EASA afterwards.

I can see now why airplanes in the UK now cost less than they do in the US - everyone is getting rid of them.

Yes, they do. Look at my post #15.

Only of the ECJ has no role in interpreting EASA regulations or resolving disputes around EASA, as "getting out from under the ECJ" is apparently a "red line" for our unelected prime minister.


So, if it's not the ECJ that sorts out legal issues with EASA, which courts do have jurisdiction?

I am obviously wrong but if EASA stands for European Ass Safety Administration and we are no longer European, then logic would dictate.......what exactly?

Simply; Yes, the UK ANO Art 150 allows the holder of an ICAO licence to fly UK Annex II aircraft indefinitely and the current EASA rule allows the holder of an ICAO licence to fly an EASA aircraft up to the 8th April 2017, subject to the decision of the NAA registering the aircraft. The UK CAA is now likely to extend this to April 2019.

It is the DfT, not the CAA, which has to invoke the necessary flexibility clause of the Basic Regulation to extend the Art. 12(4) derogation.

But whereas the EC and EASA are content for a 2 year extension to the derogation, which would permit FAA licence holders to fly EASA aircraft for private purposes without needing a Part-FCL licence, it seems that the DfT may decide to gold plate this and restrict the extension to 12 months....

As for those whingeing about remaining within EASA after the UK leaves the EU thanks to the dim-witted 'exit' voters who believed that blustering bag of wind Boris, just remember that any other option (such as moving legislation back to Gatwick and Westminster) would certainly increase your costs due to the need to re-employ staff no longer required since EASA took over...

Having instructed in both the USA and the UK I would certainly recommend that before you fly in the UK you make yourself familiar with the UK CAA chart and airspace which is very different to the FAA sectional chart. Also different are semi-circular rule, traffic pattern/circuit entry, VFR transponder squawk, information/ radio service instead of Unicom.

It is not that difficult but if you just launch off you might find out the differences the hard way. Plus there are lots of small instructor differences. When I learnt to fly in the UK in a Cessna 150 I was taught not to lower the the flaps in a turn. The American circuits are tighter and FAA instructors have no restrictions on lowering flaps in a turn.

Excellent time to test out whether you need that staff at all...

GF

Seems that there are some views here - key one seems to be the extending of the 8th April 2017 date by a further two years - has that happened - there is only a couple of weeks to go?

With my non-flying hat on - the ECJ will continue to have jurisdiction over those areas where the appropriate body has contracted jurisdiction - so still got EASA, still got ECJ - this can change but I would think it will be far down the list of priorities come 28th March.

I have flown in the UK previously albeit not for more than fifteen years - now with the advent of GPS and those lovely magenta lines I do not anticipate too many problems and do expect to have a few hours of ground to reinforce my reading.:sad:

Sent an email to CAA validations on this subject last week. Will post if/when I get a response.

Could be a long wait!

The derogations that allow flying a G-REG aircraft on a non-EASA licence in the UK are published by the CAA. The most recent I can find is ORS4 1171 dated 3rd May 2016. See link below.
ORS4 No.1171: Amended use of Derogations Notified to the European Commission by the United Kingdom under Article 12 of the Aircrew Regulation effective 8 April 2016

The relevant part expires on 8th April '17 unless they extend it with a new derogation.

The list of ORS4 docs is at:
List of Official Record Series 4 - Miscellaneous

To be fair, validations usually respond reasonably quickly... unlike approvals support! But having said that, I've probably just jinxed it!

I have just received an email from AOPA which says..Surely that should read without an EASA licence? Or am I missing another piece of regulation?

I think that this is the right way around, they are talking about a US registered aircraft flown by a UK (EASA) license holder. But the thread was about flying a G-reg aircraft on a FAA license so that question is still open.

If you hold an FAA license then there is nothing stopping you from operating a US registered aircraft, as long as it is for private flights only. (usual caveats apply though)

Flying an N reg in the UK using a UK license is something that the FAA accept under FAR Part 61 (61.3). That, as far as I know, has not been subject to any other UK regulation.

I know this thread is about using an FAA license in the UK but I think AOPA have their derogations muddled.

Jhieminga is right the query is on flying a G reg airplane with an FAA PPL.

N reg airplanes I'll fly wherever I like;)

Seems that the thing to be extended from April 2017 to April 2019 was/is in respect of a G licence holder flying an N registered airplane.

Believe me this is all very complicated and confusing - possibly the answer to what I am asking is so ridiculously obvious that it is inhibiting the answer?

Hello All

Latest info related to this wheeze

https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalap...detail&id=7828

Seems I am good until this time next year and then a test on air law 'n stuff.

Need to get a European medical too it seems.

Good luck to all you UK guys when the US retaliates, reforms FAR 61.75 and makes you all need a US medical and a knowledge test too:)

Seems from their guidance that something is supposed to happen before the 15th April this year, can't work out what.

Or just an FAA Class 2? A Class 2 medical is the same as Class 3 (PPL) except it includes an eye test, and it says "Class 2" on the piece of paper. And it expires after one year, though it remains valid as a Class 3 for as long as the equivalent Class 3 would. So just ask your AME to make it Class 2 instead of Class 3.

Last time I flew solo in the UK, you just needed to posess an FAA license and medical. Looks like they have decided to make it a lot more bureaucratic, with an explicit validation. France did the same thing a few years ago too. You used to be able to show up at the FSDO-equivalent (DGAC) with your licence and medical and they would give you a piece of paper which was essentially a French PPL. Now it takes weeks. France doesn't ask for a Class 2 but does ask for a medical issued within the last 12 months.

All very confusing however you read it.

Does anyone know about ICAO licenses other than the FAA ones... I'm living in the UK with a Brazilian PPL (ICAO) willing to fly in a flying group in order to build some hours for the EASA CPL...