170'

I recently found a requirement from the UK CAA that they require a class one medical certificate from the state of licence issue.

eg: A French pilot flying in the UK commercially, must return to France for a medical renewal and can't simply take one in the UK.


My licence is not based in the UK but I have had the last 5 medicals (yearly-flying 2 crew) performed by a UK AME who has the best knowledge about my health status in terms of continuity etc. I'd like to stay with him but the CAA have other ideas!

Anyone else encountered this and can a waiver be requested? It's seems an onerous burden if you're working in JAA/EASA state A and need to go to issuing state B for a renewal just to return to A for work?

helicopter Pilots can often work in multiple countries; and so the idea of changing 'home base' to the country your currently in seems a pointless exercise...Notwithstanding the paperwork burden if you change licence base every time you work somewhere else. Seems to defeat the whole purpose of common licensing and medical standards within the EU?

Thanks for any constructive comments or info?

212man

This contradicts Part MED and the guidance from the CAA themselves, see page 4 here: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2330/Webre...kguide__v2.pdf

The issue may be to do with the fact that the AME uses a PC Program to record the data - and print the certificates - and it only recognises the UK (GBR now) as the state of licence issue. We have a German JAR FCL licence holder who had a problem with our UK AME because of this and it was resolved through using blank certificates hand written, I believe.

170'

Thanks 212...I'll try to reach someone on the phone Monday as I'm never sure I'm interpreting things the way the authority might. But it appears as contradiction as you point out.
Best regards...170'

Peter PanPan

Hi '170, Happy New Year!

I've held a JAR licence issued by Portugal for a few years now as you know and got my medical renewal in two other countries: UK and Sweden. It was perfectly fine with my issuing Authority, the Medical examiner simply reports back to his Authority who in turn reports back to your issuing authority. There are indeed discrepancies between countries when it comes to conducting medicals, despite the common standards, but in my experience there have been no objections so far in renewing medicals across Europe. Not sure if this will be affected by EASA. Safe flights!

170'

Hi PPP

Happy New Year...Yes it appears only the UK-CAA are asking this, but as you know, they tend to get what they want
email on it's way...

Finnrotor.com

That's correct. They changed the policy in the spring last year. I renewed mine in May and had to go back to my home country to do it. For the issuing authority it would've been completely fine to get a UK medical but UK CAA asked to get the medical from the same country that has issued the license.

170'

Thanks Finnrotor...UK out of step again ;-)

TeeS

I am no expert on this but I would suggest you speak to a tame UK AME. Under EASA, it has nothing to do with the UK CAA who does your medical if your licence is administered by another competent authority. If the UK AME has a facility to report to your authority I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem.

Cheers

TeeS

Finnrotor.com

True. But as I'm working with a foreign (EASA) licence for a UK based company with a UK CAA issued AOC, I (and my employer) have to play by their rules. It is a bit weird as I would've thought it would be better for UK CAA to have some sort of record of me in their files. Last spring when we found this out I called to my licencing authority and they were quite surprised too...

But actually I don't mind. I get to visit home once a year on company expense and I can add some holiday to that trip.

170': If you'll get any decent answer from CAA and a reason behind this policy I'd be interested to hear it.