UK to Leave EASA
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Kopavogur
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great news. Back to the good old days. Very high standards, centrally well administered. I have held all of the glorious UK licences. PPl, CPL, SCPL, ATPL. (Actually, I recall the latter being called the Air Line Transport Licence (ALTP, rather than ATPL or worse, Americanised ATP ). All centrally administered. If you wanted to fly UK registered aircraft you need a UK licence. What's difficult about that ? Same applied in the USA. Want to fly USA Registered aircraft (?).........get a FAA licence. Want to fly a European Registered aircraft, get a licence issued by the individual European Country's Regulatory Authority. Of course there was recognition. UK licence was world wide admired and obtaining the foreign licence was often the easy matter of obtaining a "validation". Some countries asked for local Air Law paper only. I flew on validations to my Uk gold standard from three seperate European Licensing Authorities and two Middle East. FAA insisted on full writtens but they were REALLY easy multi choice. Of course, and rightly so , Top Class UK CAA did not reciprocate. Quite rightly did not recognise other easy licences and you would need to pass all the difficult writtens.
I see nothing wrong in all of the foregoing and it maintained a very high standard, world recognised Professional qualification process.
We hear a lot of tripe about airspace restriction. UK never stopped other licenced carriers operating in UK airspace. USA & Europe never stopped UK registered aircraft flying in their airspace. Airspace regulation and licence regulation are seperate issues .
And, note to UK CAA (oh love it !) Can we go back to nine fully written exams, not this dumbed down multi choice trash ? For Meteorogy, for example, can we go back to the tough theory (part one) and the really tough practical(pat two) where we had to decode stations, plot a course, plot the isobars & fronts with pressure susytems , decode the actuals and write forecast for destination & alternates (get Buys Ballot all wrong & you would wind up all over the chart. !)
Note to foreign licence Regulators : As the new UK Licences will be the gold standards, we will expect foreign validations by just having to do your local Air Law exam ( not even that required by the Belgians in 1991) and just to be sure, this is for Licencing to fly registered aircraft of THAT country. Nothing, nothing, to do with the confusion of flying in foreign airspace
Finally, of course the new UK LIcence will at last be recognised as University degree acadamic standard, so, can I be first to get my Degree in Civil Aviation. You know, something like "UK CAA Honours, -Hamble " ; then I could put "UKCAA-Ham Hon" behind my name. Ta.
I see nothing wrong in all of the foregoing and it maintained a very high standard, world recognised Professional qualification process.
We hear a lot of tripe about airspace restriction. UK never stopped other licenced carriers operating in UK airspace. USA & Europe never stopped UK registered aircraft flying in their airspace. Airspace regulation and licence regulation are seperate issues .
And, note to UK CAA (oh love it !) Can we go back to nine fully written exams, not this dumbed down multi choice trash ? For Meteorogy, for example, can we go back to the tough theory (part one) and the really tough practical(pat two) where we had to decode stations, plot a course, plot the isobars & fronts with pressure susytems , decode the actuals and write forecast for destination & alternates (get Buys Ballot all wrong & you would wind up all over the chart. !)
Note to foreign licence Regulators : As the new UK Licences will be the gold standards, we will expect foreign validations by just having to do your local Air Law exam ( not even that required by the Belgians in 1991) and just to be sure, this is for Licencing to fly registered aircraft of THAT country. Nothing, nothing, to do with the confusion of flying in foreign airspace
Finally, of course the new UK LIcence will at last be recognised as University degree acadamic standard, so, can I be first to get my Degree in Civil Aviation. You know, something like "UK CAA Honours, -Hamble " ; then I could put "UKCAA-Ham Hon" behind my name. Ta.
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I’m not too sure how I feel about this with regards to the future, I see both sides of the argument.
I am currently studying for AustroControl ATPL Exams at BGS. I am an English pilot with an (EASA) Irish PPL & Class 1 medical and will probably be finishing my training (MEIR/CPL & APS MCC) after the transition period with EASA ends. Now, my predicament is that I had a UK class 2 medical 2 years before I started my training and the CAA refused to lift a restriction on my medical. Instead of fighting my corner, I transferred my records to the IAA who lifted my restriction and I then gained a Class 1 over in Dublin in November 2019. Now I’m pretty nervous that if I have to try and covert my licenses back to the UK (because of brexit) after my training for employment purposes then the CAA will put a restriction on my records again. Do the CAA keep a record of your records even though you go through the SOLI transfer process?
Can anyone offer their thoughts/advice? Has anyone been through this process before or can relate to it?
I am currently studying for AustroControl ATPL Exams at BGS. I am an English pilot with an (EASA) Irish PPL & Class 1 medical and will probably be finishing my training (MEIR/CPL & APS MCC) after the transition period with EASA ends. Now, my predicament is that I had a UK class 2 medical 2 years before I started my training and the CAA refused to lift a restriction on my medical. Instead of fighting my corner, I transferred my records to the IAA who lifted my restriction and I then gained a Class 1 over in Dublin in November 2019. Now I’m pretty nervous that if I have to try and covert my licenses back to the UK (because of brexit) after my training for employment purposes then the CAA will put a restriction on my records again. Do the CAA keep a record of your records even though you go through the SOLI transfer process?
Can anyone offer their thoughts/advice? Has anyone been through this process before or can relate to it?
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I started my training and the CAA refused to lift a restriction on my medical.
Well, well, well, that big wheel surely does go round!
I'm no fan of EASA and its pointless bureaucracy but then I wasn't a fan of the "old style" CAA either. You know, archaic exams, astronaut medicals, jobs for the boys, the "ex RAF navigators club" that kind of thing. Still many of those people are long gone now so this could/should be a golden opportunity. It will be interesting to see what we eventually end up with, after all of those with vested interests have exercised their influence and lobbying skills. Some people will fall through the cracks during transition and should/must be treated sympathetically. I agree it was interesting that Shapps was in Washington when he made the announcement. Maybe regulatory alignment will be heading westbound more in the future.
I'm no fan of EASA and its pointless bureaucracy but then I wasn't a fan of the "old style" CAA either. You know, archaic exams, astronaut medicals, jobs for the boys, the "ex RAF navigators club" that kind of thing. Still many of those people are long gone now so this could/should be a golden opportunity. It will be interesting to see what we eventually end up with, after all of those with vested interests have exercised their influence and lobbying skills. Some people will fall through the cracks during transition and should/must be treated sympathetically. I agree it was interesting that Shapps was in Washington when he made the announcement. Maybe regulatory alignment will be heading westbound more in the future.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Scam call centre owner in custody after BBC investigation
It doesn’t help when CAA staff are arrested for doing their job.
It doesn’t help when CAA staff are arrested for doing their job.
From my own experience of the steady deterioration of competence, knowledge and ability over the last 20 years in the CAA's Safety Regulation Group, I think the estimate of 5 years for the CAA to regain any resemblance to a leading aviation safety regulator, on a par with EASA and the FAA is wildly optimistic.
Bar a few exceptions, including some, I'm sure, that I don't know about, the last competent person left the building sometime before 2010, leaving behind the incompetent time-servers in their own little fiefdoms and silos, unemployable anywhere else. This is certainly true of Airworthiness and AME Training; I have not heard anything complimentary about a Surveyor in the last 10 years; the most typical comments are disbelief that anyone so poorly suited to the job could be employed to do it, usually with an anecdote about the latest stupid assertion from a Surveyor.
That's not to say that the pre-EASA CAA was good; it wasn't. But from that low point it has gone steadily downhill since the UK joined EASA, and I just don't see how they can recover to become a top rank independent Regulator in less than 10 years, ie the minimum time needed to recruit, train and develop through experience the expert staff it needs.
Mind you, if the UK loses much more of its design and manufacturing capability there won't be much to regulate and approve there; and if UK-registered airlines keep failing the same goes for Flight Ops and Airworthiness as well. There will always be a few airports to watch over, but perhaps not so many as before.
I'm no fan of EASA, but the thought of the present bunch of oxygen thieves in the CAA taking charge instead makes me very glad I'm out of it later this year to spend more time with my boat.
Bar a few exceptions, including some, I'm sure, that I don't know about, the last competent person left the building sometime before 2010, leaving behind the incompetent time-servers in their own little fiefdoms and silos, unemployable anywhere else. This is certainly true of Airworthiness and AME Training; I have not heard anything complimentary about a Surveyor in the last 10 years; the most typical comments are disbelief that anyone so poorly suited to the job could be employed to do it, usually with an anecdote about the latest stupid assertion from a Surveyor.
That's not to say that the pre-EASA CAA was good; it wasn't. But from that low point it has gone steadily downhill since the UK joined EASA, and I just don't see how they can recover to become a top rank independent Regulator in less than 10 years, ie the minimum time needed to recruit, train and develop through experience the expert staff it needs.
Mind you, if the UK loses much more of its design and manufacturing capability there won't be much to regulate and approve there; and if UK-registered airlines keep failing the same goes for Flight Ops and Airworthiness as well. There will always be a few airports to watch over, but perhaps not so many as before.
I'm no fan of EASA, but the thought of the present bunch of oxygen thieves in the CAA taking charge instead makes me very glad I'm out of it later this year to spend more time with my boat.
I can’t help feeling that the UK will try and do this on the cheap, as usual. No doubt, we will walk into the negotiations in good faith against economic blocks looking to deny any concessions for UK aviation simply to exert pressure in other areas. As mentioned above, the CAA is a shadow of its former self. I doubt there is the expertise to fill many of these senior roles within the U.K., unless airline management decide they fancy a few years at the regulator as a retirement job. Sadly, knowing the calibre and attitudes of some airline management, I can’t help but think we are jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
Anyone know who is telling the government this is a good idea?
I can see a lot of industry people saying it's a bad idea.
Is it just idealistic nonsense? It doesn't feel part of the negotiation, with a view to changing intention later, does it?
I can see a lot of industry people saying it's a bad idea.
Is it just idealistic nonsense? It doesn't feel part of the negotiation, with a view to changing intention later, does it?
Scam call centre owner in custody after BBC investigation
It doesn’t help when CAA staff are arrested for doing their job.
It doesn’t help when CAA staff are arrested for doing their job.
Re the EASA FTLs, they weren’t perfect by any means, but it’s worth bearing in mind that there were several EASA Member States that didn’t have any FTLs at all. So these crews were flying into the UK when grossly fatigued, and from a narrow UK perspective these were the crews who you might have met over Europe when their fatigue could have been your problem. Now, it’s slightly different.
You also have the comfort of knowing that when your UK licence takes you to an airport on the fringes of EASA land, said airport might have reached some auditable standards that are to your benefit.
Has Grant Shapps worked out how the UK CAA is going to get sufficient safety data to manage risk in the UK when it can only gaze fondly on its own navel or on the UK industry through the lens of a very small straw? Somehow, I think the political posturing will be more important than the realities of operating in a vacuum.
You also have the comfort of knowing that when your UK licence takes you to an airport on the fringes of EASA land, said airport might have reached some auditable standards that are to your benefit.
Has Grant Shapps worked out how the UK CAA is going to get sufficient safety data to manage risk in the UK when it can only gaze fondly on its own navel or on the UK industry through the lens of a very small straw? Somehow, I think the political posturing will be more important than the realities of operating in a vacuum.
It's not a bad idea... it is nuts.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Earth
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I fail to understand why this is such a surprise to anybody. Membership of EASA is contingent upon accepting the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union, something the government has ruled out from the beginning. One of the main Brexit points was to “take back control” and not being subject to the ECJ.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: in the barrel
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Prior to joining EASA it was not uncommon for pilots who wear spectacles to hold a class 1 medical certificate, as long as required vision
standards were met.
Perhaps you had an underlying vision problem
which precluded the issue of a class 1 ? Simply requiring glasses wouldn’t affect the granting of a class 1
standards were met.
Perhaps you had an underlying vision problem
which precluded the issue of a class 1 ? Simply requiring glasses wouldn’t affect the granting of a class 1
You can have a perfect eyesight and totally healthy eyes with your glasses, but if you exceed the nonsensical and arbitrary diopter prescription limits, you‘re out.
Happened to many of my pals, who had perfect eyes otherwise.
.
