UK CAA (honest it's good for once)
 

I had the pleasure of going to the CAA the other day. As a normal run of the mil pilot I was thinking the worst……… all day sitting there people saying have you got this bit of paper, or your number 25 come back tomorrow, or we need to check this, or reconfirmation of this. I Am soooo pleased to say I was wrong. A friend had said he was shocked by the service he had, and I was dubious.
We are all rotary pilots in this thread so generally dubious about everything, BUT and thats a big BUT I was pleasantly wrong.
I got there at about 0830 ( thinking bugger should not have had that breakfast and been here earlier ) I was met by a young lady who checked my paperwork ( about 16 pages worth so OK that headache has not gone)) less than ten min later taken in a cubicle and less than twenty min out with licence done!
Walking out thinking I had entered the twilight zone and that odd feeling that something is not right here. Thought I should post it as we all slag organisations off but never say well done you got it right!! Before anyone posts, no I don't work for the CAA and never will, and no I certainly don't agree with them on many fronts. But from one chuffed pilot who got a really great service I think some one in the CAA might read this and think those people on the front desk are worth it. Because they are.

They're just lulling you into a false sense of security...;)

You will get the correction in the post :p

Hallucinate often do you?;)

There are Human Beings that work there.....they are weeded out pretty quick however.:E

I went to get a new EASA licence due to adding a type about six months ago. A stunning young lady met me at the counter, checked everything and I was out with new licence in an hour.


I would have put up with anything that day for one of her smiles!


SND

You dirty old man , your old enough to be her Father !!!!!!!

Possibly even her grandfather! But a man must have dreams................


SND

I had a grand day at the CAA last August. I was first to arrive at 0630 to ensure the premier ticket. Had 4 lots of applications stowed away in my bag. When the FCL Dept opened up I was happy to hand them to the lovely lady assisting me. I had my day all planned out, up stairs for a breakfast, collect licenses and into Lundun I would go. 8 hours later........... There I was flat out on the couches of the FCL department still awaiting the licenses. One of them hadn't been signed off for level 5/6 English (whatever it is required). Due to that and the phoning/faxing that was happening, the said application went to the back of to queue. At least they were kind enough to supply me with coffee.

LZ

Was there 3 days ago.

Changing JAA to EASA, renewing ratings, FI and FE.

Arrived 1030, number 32, crossword at the ready for the long day ahead.

By 1200 all done, new EASA licence, ratings and FI. FE in the post.

As long as all paperwork is correct and completed it was fairly straight forward.

Mind you - 600 euros lighter.....

Two licences, one a type rating and the other a type rating and EASA conversion. In and out in an hour and to be fair, 15 mins of that was the kind lady trying to track down a pal who works in the CAA.

25 years ago I became a pointless civvie and had to apply to the CAA for my ticket to fly. I got quite a nice booklet, bond in a proper cover and writing so big at a time when I had eyes like a ****-houserat.

Civvie flying has been forced through 2 evolutions of regs, JAR then EASA, none of it was the CAAs fault, but now as my eyes have me resembling a Japanese sniper simply reading a Restuarant menu, my ticket to fly has writing so small I need the Hubble telescope to read it. (And yes, like a dork, I did chop up my first EASA licence thinking that was the correct procedure to get it into the plastic folder it came with).

The plaggy folder resembles my 007 Licence to Kill identity card from my Special Agent Equipment toy Christmas present when I was 7 years old. Boy I loved the replica Berretta with the screw on Silincer. Many, many enemies of the State were unsuspecting and silently dispatched with that "Piece"

I cannot see how my new EASA licence will ever convince a Johhny Foriegner CAA FOI that I am a real pilot. I recently applied for an overseas validation and to avoid the shame of handing over my "James Bond" toy licence I unfolded the pages, ironed them and placed them into nice A4 sleeves.

However, through all the changes I have always had a great Service from our CAA so to keep the momentum going lets hear some more support for an organisation that in my view, is underfunded and in the main, run by underpaid staff doing what at times, must seem a thankless task.

Lets here some more support for the CAA!

NURSE!! Double Bogeys doing it again!!!!


Good God DB; how on earth due you keep a Class 1 with such a strange mental attitude???


While I admit there are good bits (some great bits) to the CAA they do need to take a different approach to the industry, my FOI is a great bloke and really helpful, as are the rest of that department, but certain areas I deal with really make me think they are still in awe at Sir George Cayley's coachman.


But I know what you mean about the licences, my first one was in a hard folder with string holding it together and my photo in it. The new thing is such a disappointment, they might as well have issued something like the UK driving licence.


SND

SND - The Nurse gag made me larf!!!!

DB;


Mostly I just make nurses gag!!


SND

Underfunded???????? The CAA??? Surely not considering those charges.

Agreed the new licence is a bit of a laugh considering it's size and details. Why could we not just have a photo ID credit card sized job i do not understand. After all everything is online now anyway.

Anyway credit where there is credit due. :D:D:D

There are some top people working in the CAA that's for sure.


The IT could do with some dragging to the 21st century...

I guess its just me thats been waiting for 7 weeks for my TR to get added on my licence (5 days and counting since the expedite request) with no joy so far. I tried to ring today, and got the message that at least 9 people were in front of me in the queue - havent got 2 hours to kill whilst I wait to try to find out WTF!

Never been to the Begrano, when I did my stuff it was Holburn. Like the OP it was with some trepidation that I approached - I was on my lunch hour from Flight Safety Officers course and Ad Astra House. Ten, yes ten minutes later I was back on the street done and dusted!!

Those were the days...

Like the US FAA issues to Pilots?





http://www.abeam.be/images/US_FAA_pr...ot_license.jpg

There you go. Now that looks the biz if you ask me.

Except we would need Sir George Cayley or Alcock and Brown as the underlying pictures!