Easa question
 

Hi, quick question. I have a Jar ATPL, on which my single engine has expired. It's still in the five year timeframe, but I would need a flight test to renew. I heard a funny rumour that if this fantastic easa thing arrives in its currently planned guise, that I would need to do a full ppl course when the licence is gone five years. Is this the case? If it is, I would be better off going for a quick test before all this stuff arrives! And once you have the new easa licence, do you keep it for life?

EC Regulation 1178-2011 was published earlier this month - read all about it here...

EUR-Lex - Simple search

simple search on 1178/2011 title and text to find

Commission Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 of 3 November 2011 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to civil aviation aircrew pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 1 ) .

Seems that the best thing to do is pick a rumour you like the sound of and go with that one- everytime I ask CAA a question about the forthcoming changes in April they say they do not know themselves!

I intend to have everything valid that I want to keep by the time the swap over is apon us.

I proberly don't need to but its not worth the risk off having to jump through hoops afterwards.

Not to get too technical - under the JAA there were things called "Acceptable Means of Compliance" which basically told each country how they should interpret the rules laid down.
EASA isn't going to do this so the CAA are probably in the dark as much as the rest of us.
I rang FCL at the CAA (I know - brave me!) - and they recommended having everything you want to use after EASA comes in valid otherwise it could cause issues.
I have also heard that the date is now July 1st rather than in April just to give you a bit more time to think on the matter!

Yes, it is. The AMCs & GM to Part-FCL are due to be published in the next month or so and are unlikely to be significantly different from the draft published with the EASA Opinion.

You see - this shows just how fast everything is changing and how the whole EASA thing is such a mess!

I heard the "no AMC" issue only last week from one of the CAA's inspectors!! How things are changing in the blink of an eye. Thanks for that bit of info.

I think again confirms that having everything current is probably the best option - goal posts are a-changing

IMHO, MadJock's is the way to go. NEVER trust a smiling (or whatever) Eurocrat :yuk:

No, it just shows the utter incompetence of the UK CAA. Nothing has changed since the EASA Opinion on Part-FCL was submitted to the EC in August 2010 - there were AMCs then and the same AMCs will be there when the Regulation becomes law next April.