UK CAA permits limited flight training in PtF aircraft
The UK CAA has enacted a General Permission to allow certain types of flight training on UK National Permit to Fly aircraft. Flight schools are now permitted to provide limited flight training in UK National Permit to Fly (PtF) aircraft as long as the individual under training already holds a pilot licence in the same aircraft category. Ab initio training is therefore not permitted under this General Permission, although can be...
The NATS blame game commences
The UK CAA says that it is launching an investigation into the system failure at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) that resulted in more than 1,500 flight cancellations at the end of August. Meanwhile, airlines are calling for compensation from the UK air traffic service provider after having lost a combined £100m due to cancelled flights and extra costs borne from the outage. The system failure at NATS was apparently caused by the...
Threatened Industrial Action Results in Increased Pay for CAA Staff
It seems that strike action at the UK Civil Aviation Authority has been averted for the time being after negotiations between trade union Prospect and the CAA board resulted in an increased pay offer from that previously proposed. Last month, FTN reported that staff members at the CAA were being balloted on industrial action over pay. The call for strike action was a first for the UK’s aviation regulator. The CAA had previously...
CAA electronic carbon monoxide trial findings
The UK CAA has completed a 12-month trial on the use of electronic carbon monoxide detectors in general aviation (GA) aircraft and has recently published its findings. The CAA reports that feedback gained from the 12-month trial, combined with a review of CAA mandatory occurrence reporting (MOR) data, suggests the risk of CO exposure remains a persistent background threat throughout the year and is somewhat elevated during cold...
UK CAA proposes 26% hike to ATC charges
UK air traffic control charges are set to rise to £2.08 per passenger, an average increase of about 43p or 26%. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has outlined its proposed new price controls for NATS (En-Route) plc (NERL), a subsidiary of NATS Holdings. NERL is the provider of most air traffic control services in the UK and the CAA regulates the prices it can charge airlines for the services it provides in UK airspace. The...
