ACT NOW! – CAA advises urgent action on licence applications
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is urging EU-licensed pilots, engineers and aviation businesses operating in the UK to gain dual UK licences as quickly as possible, fearing that some may leave it too late to make an end of year deadline. Currently, the UK CAA is permitting EU licensed pilots to operate UK-registered aircraft (meanwhile the EU has decided not to reciprocate by recognising UK licences). However, this permission...
What a Performance! – The CAA exam with a 95% failure rate
Following the introduction of a new Question Bank (QB), between January and April 2021 the UK ATPL theoretical knowledge exam ‘Flight Performance and Planning – Performance (A)’ dropped from a previous 88% average pass rate to just 5%, marking a new low for the subject and indicating that all is not well with the current UK exam system for commercial pilot cadets. Prior to Brexit, the UK CAA had ‘acquired’ ATPL exam database...
EASA grants first type certification for electric trainer
During June, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency announced the certification of an electric airplane, the Pipistrel Velis Electro, the first type certification worldwide of a fully electric aircraft, which the Agency claims is an important milestone in the quest for environmentally sustainable aviation. “This is an exciting breakthrough,” said EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky. “This is the first electric aircraft EASA has...
Microlight aircraft flight hours to count towards EASA PPL recency and revalidation
European representative body Europe Air Sports (EAS) has claimed a victory after finally convincing the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to permit hours flown in fixed-wing microlights to count towards the recency and revalidation of an EASA PPL or LAPL. Ever since the advent of EASA (2003), the Agency has refused to recognise hours spent flying fixed-wing microlights being included in the minimum currency requirement for...
CAA issues new advice for GA pilots & flying schools
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...