Revision as of 00:04, 9 March 2019

The European Commission Regulation (EU) No. 1178/2011 (the "Aircrew Regulation") is binding and directly applicable in all EASA Member States since 8 April 2012.

The regulation includes several annexes, of which Part-FCL (Flight Crew Licensing, Annex I) and Part-MED (Medical Certification, Annex IV) are the most important ones for pilots.^[1] In order to act as a pilot-in-command of an "EASA aircraft" as specified in the Regulation, it is a regulated requirement to hold a pilot license according to Part-FCL, in principle. However, due to the burdensome requirements for organizations - such as gliding clubs - for training towards such a pilot licence (non-commercial), Part-DTO (Annex VIII) was introduced by Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/1119^[2] of 31 July 2018 to promote more flexibility within General Aviation.

Nonetheless, each Member State was given by legislation (by the Commission Regulation itself) the possibility, through a derogation, to not apply among others:

• Annexes I to IV until 8 April 2013
• provisions of Annex I related to powered-lift aircraft and airships until 8 April 2015
• provisions of Annex I related to sailplanes and balloons until 8 April 2018 / 8 April 2020 (extended by Regulation (EU) 2018/1119^[2])

For glider pilots, the last itemized possible derogation is probably the most relevant one; indeed, the United Kingdom is making use of this possibility: The UK CAA has filed such an exemption for pilots of sailplanes and balloons from Part-FCL licensing requirements in the United Kingdom - while gliding clubs (or the British Gliding Association in the UK) use the time to set themselves up as DTOs to offer EASA-compliant training courses towards the LAPL(S) license or the SPL license.^[3]

Hence, currently, there is still no requirement to hold a (Part-FCL compliant) pilot license while flying a sailplane in the UK, yet. In fact, there is no legal requirement in the UK, at all, to hold a license as a glider pilot for non-commercial operations.

Changes in EASA Sailplane Licensing: Part-SFCL (possibly from April 2020)

^[4]

LAPL(S)/SPL License (as of up until March 2020)

Medical

EASA Requirements

National Requirements

BGA Medical Requirements

For the first (and subsequent) solo flights - as well as for mutual flights, i.e. flights with another principally qualified pilot, the BGA accepts the following documents to show the necessary medical fitness (as of March 2019):

• EASA Part-MED Medical of LAPL standard (not ICAO-compliant)
• EASA Part-MED Medical of Class 1 or Class 2 standard (ICAO-compliant)
• third country ICAO-compliant medical certificate (subject to general recognition by UK CAA)

as well as (as of March 2019):

• driving licence issued by an EU nation (or UK crown-dependencies)
• valid BGA Medical Declaration to DVLA Group 2 standard endorsed by GP
• valid NPPL Medical endorsed by GP (restricted / unrestricted)
• UK CAA Pilot Medical Declaration
• if under the age of 25: self-declaration to DVLA Group 1 standard - held by the club
• if temporary resident in the UK only: non-EU medical certificate (not ICAO-compliant)
• (Air Cadet gliding medical certificate or NATO military aircrew employment standard)

Currently, the bold options are the most commonly used evidences accepted for gliding within BGA clubs. Below the age of 25, a self-declaration is simply sufficient. Above the age of 25, people usually hold a UK/EU driving license. Otherwise, the least uncomplicated option is to visit and ask their GP for the NPPL medical.

Qualified pilots who exercise their Part-FCL licence privileges necessarily have to hold a valid and relevant EASA Part-MED Medical for the privileges in question.

Footnotes