Just about had a gutsfull
 

Of the CAA

I passed my Skills Test on the 7th July and have STILL not recieved my licence, they took my money 2 weeks ago on the 25th Aug so I thought it was imminent, booked a flight for today so I could take the wife flying in the hope my licence would show up durig last week but did it? did it hell.
Dont want to phone them up because Ive heard stories of them putting it back a couple more weeks for hassle factor.

Cheers CAA you certainly know how to take the gloss off a monumentous occasion pffft.

May as well not have bothered.

D.

It will be interesting to see what date they put on it for you to revailidate by.

Let me guess, the date of your skills test.? :ugh: I'd ask for a part refund of your fee.

"May as well not have bothered."
 

If that is your attitude now - then I guess you've wasted your money... how about cross-stitch as a hobby, bet it is cheaper, with less regulation, less hassle, etc.

If aviation was meant to be easy, God would have given us all more money and less bureaucracy.

Stop whinging. Yes, I've picked on you but I am p*d off at all the whinging on this forum.


Stik
a non whining pilot

Stik, the guy has a right to a whinge, he's waited 2 months for his license which cost him £146 and he still hasn't got it.
And that is ridiculous. I sent my application off one and a half weeks ago so this scares me.

Obviously he doesn't think he shouldn't have bothered, he's just said that because he's justifiably annoyed.

It would be more understandable if it didn't cost so much but to charge £146 and to take that long is just stupid.

1. Send your application off by Recorded Delivery.

2. Check on the Royal Mail website to find when your application arrived at the Belgrano.

3. Pay the extra couple of quid for 'proof of delivery' which will tell you WHO signed for your application AND WHEN! The Royal Mail will provide you with a copy of that person's signature.

4. 10 working days after that date, ring the Belgrano and tell them that you have proof that your application was delivered 10 working days earlier. Ask them whether your licence will be forwarded in accordance with their charter; viz. IMMEDIATELY! If not, then demand to know when it will be - and forward your complaint to the DETR with a copy to your MP.

BEagle - I like your style.:ok:

Stik - that was a bit harsh - 2 months after passing your skills test and still having to fly on your instructors licence and be unable to carry pax is pretty anti-climatic for the newly qualified PPL. CAA should get their @rse into gear and get it sorted.

Mr. W

The dark ages?
 

I'm in Canada, and know nothing about the CAA .... as you know it Here the C.A.A. stands for Canadian Automotive Association :)

When I passed my CDN ppl, my "student" license was "immediately" (3 days :) ) stamped and served as my license until my "real" license was mailed to me.

Apparently that is not the way it works over "there" ??

Mike

This is unbelievable ineptitude on the part of your bureaucracy.

When I got my Australian PPL some years ago, I took all the paperwork to the regional office of [whatever our issuing authority was known as that week], paid the money over the counter and had the licence issued on the spot. The whole exercise took no more than 15 minutes.

The more I read about the bureaucratic hassles and political bull!!!! you British pilots have to endure, the more I admire your dedication to aviation.

And we thought things were bad here.... (well, they are getting worse)

Thanks for your support guys, thats all I was looking for really, sound off to the GA fraternity in the hope someone is in the same boat so I can get some reassurance :D

Beagle
I sent it recorded delivery :D, I may just do that :ok:


No need to be patronising is there? if your not happy with what you read dont invade the post.
And as stipulated by the CAA, lead times for licence issue is 19 days (working), 9 weeks is acceptable to you is it?
One hopes you set a higher standard before taking to the air old chap.

D.

The worst aspect is that he has lost recency, and will be picking up again just as the usually abismal UK weather arrives for the six month winter, when he might have had the chance to gain experience and confidence in good conditions instead.

It is a shame, and I would hope an isolated bit of bad luck.

I've found it well worth phoning the CAA, at frequent intervals! Sometimes it will get you to the TOP of the pile, if there's been a genuine mistake. Be polite, but you've waited too long, phone.

Stik,
That was uncalled for. He wasn't whining, he was complaining and wondering what to do, and quite justifiably after that long. What do you suggest he do otherwise? Sit there going: "Oh dear, I applied for my licence and haven't got it, but never mind, I'll smile regardless, there are people worse off than me and starving in Africa, and the sun's shining and the birds are singing and all's right with the world"? Or adopt a British stiff upper lip: "No licence, but that's OK chaps, I can take it". There are some things that SHOULD be complained about, and IMHO this - or any other obvious incompetence - is one of them!!!!!

"May as well not have bothered" is maybe a bit OTT, but come on, we all say things like that when we're pi**sed off. Waiting two months for the licence - which you are paying £150 for - is bl**dy poor. If it was me i'd be "whinging" too.

My instructer told me I would have to wait about 10 - 12 weeks for my licence and reminded me I could not fly without me having signed it, I didn't believe him of course and tried phoning the CAA and chasing it along but you know what, he was always right!;)

You can still fly school stuff so long as the instructor/CFI has authorised the flight and you don't take passengers. No need to get rusty.

At least you are not complaining how long it took after failing to send off the proper docs unlike another thread I read some time ago :rolleyes:

Also - if you learnt on a four seater you can still take your wife if she sits in the back and you have an instructor sitting with you, if you did not learn in a four seater you can still take your wife and instructor and use the opportunity to check out in something new and bigger.
Not saying you should not be P****ed of at the CAA, just suggesting ways of getting on with some flying whilst waiting for them to get their act together!
Good luck:ok:

Stiknruda guilty ?
 

I can only assume that Stiknruda is one of the guilty at the CAA.

The low standard of service that we get from CAA FCL is a discrace to british aviation and we should not have to put up with it , any other buissnes that had such a disregard for its customers would have gone bust long ago but in the CAA we have no choice.

Its time to own up stiknruda have you been working for the cash and aggro all this time !.

" how about cross-stitch as a hobby"


Sounds like Stik should be taking his own advice here!!!!

I think the poor Moth has a valid reason for feeling P****d off.
9 weeks is totaly not acceptable and they should get a grip!!!

When that brown thing finally drops through your letter box it will be all worth it.:ok:

Okay maybe a tad harsh - nope I don't work for the campaign against aviation and yes my cross stitch keeps me sane on days when I as a humble PFA type pilot can not fly.

Just finished a 1:72 scale Spitfire in cross stitch - it looks almost real:bored:

Stik

http://216.40.249.192/s/otn/laughing/yelrotflmao.gif