The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued new advice today for GA pilots, flying schools and clubs as many begin to make preparations to re-start operations after having been in lockdown for the last two months.
The advice has been published in CAA publications CAP1924 and CAP1925
CAP1924, which contains advice for flying schools and clubs, opens by stating: “We appreciate that GA pilots will want to return to the air safely as soon as possible. In view of the extended period on the ground, the CAA recommends a few sensible precautions and things to consider before doing so. However, you must only operate within the guidance around recreational flying activities as advised by Government.”
The document offers guidance on the following topics:
- General health, wellbeing & PPE
- Back to the clubhouse
- Before starting flight operations
- Instructor and staff meetings
- Flight programme
- Self-fly hire pilots
- Student pilots
- The training aircraft fleet (pre-flight check considerations; is the fuel in the aircraft tanks still usable?; are all the aircraft documents and equipment still valid and ‘in date’?)
- Aerodrome/airfield considerations
- Returning to the ‘norm’
CAP1925 provides advice for GA pilots returning to flying. The CAP states: “The purpose of this guidance is to help General Aviation (GA) private pilots return safely to normal operations following the easing of Government Covid 19 related restrictions on recreational flying, which has resulted in an extended period of ‘minimal or no GA flying’.”
The document offers guidance on the following topics:
- General health, wellbeing & PPE
- Pilot licence considerations
- Medical fitness
- Your aircraft (pre-flight check considerations; is the fuel in the aircraft tanks still usable?; are all the aircraft documents and equipment still valid and ‘in date’?)
- Flight Profiles & Flight Planning
- Weather checking
- Flight Profiles & Flight Planning
- Aerodrome/airfield considerations
The document also contains a link to European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) publication: Coronavirus Guide for Disinfection of General Aviation Aircraft
