Pilot licensing in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Pilot licensing in the United Kingdom
is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) under the auspices of the Joint Aviation Authorities
and European Aviation Safety Agency
. Each member nation in the EU has responsibility for regulating their own pilot licensing. The principal reference for flight crew licensing in the UK is LASORS, which is published by the CAA on paper and online.
The licence held by a pilot confers privileges on the sort of flying they may carry out - broadly, whether or not they may receive remuneration for doing so - and are independent of any aircraft type, or class, ratings included in the holder's licence and other ratings required for flying under specified conditions.
British glider pilots do not require a CAA-granted licence. Regulation of gliding
is through the British Gliding Association
and its affiliated clubs. The UK NPPL has close links with the gliding community and a gliding licence can be converted.
The NPPL is administered by the National Pilots Licensing Group under supervision of the CAA. It is granted in two forms:
The NPPL is a sub-ICAO licence meaning the holder is limited to operating only UK-registered aircraft and it cannot be used outside of the UK without permission from the regulatory authority of any foreign jurisdiction whose airspace the holder intends to operate into. The holder when operating under the privileges of the NPPL is furthermore restricted to operations in accordance with the VFR
. The NPPL is more restricting in respect of additional aircraft ratings which may be added compared with a JAR-FCL PPL.
A Flying Instructor rating may be included, subject to requirements under JAR-FCL (Amendment 5) being satisfied, in a JAR-FCL PPL provided the applicant has successfully completed a number of additional examinations. Such a person giving instruction in flying training may not be remunerated.
Applicants for a Private Pilot Licence must be at least 17 years old, hold a valid JAR-FCL Class 2 Medical Certificate, and have met the specified practical and theoretical training requirements laid down in JAR-FCL. This presently includes 7 written theory examinations, completing at least 45 hours' flying training, including 10 hours' solo flying, 5 hours' solo 'cross-country' flying and at least one solo flight of not fewer than 150 nautical miles with full-stop landings at two or more different aerodromes other than the aerodrome of departure.
allows the holder to act as the pilot in command of an aircraft for valuable consideration in single pilot operations. It also permits the holder to act as a co-pilot of a multi-crew aircraft for which they are qualified: subject to their (i) holding a valid certificate of Multi-Crew Cooperation, (ii) having successfully completed an approved ATPL Theoretical Knowledge Course together with 14 ATPL theoretical examinations, (iii) having a valid Instrument Rating and Multi-Engine Class Rating.
Applicants for a Commercial Pilot Licence must be at least 18 years old, hold a valid JAR-FCL Class 1 Medical Certificate, have met the specified practical and theoretical training requirements laid down in JAR-FCL: including at least 200 hours' flying time (150 hours for applicants who have completed an approved course of aeroplanes) including 100 hours' flying experience acting as the pilot in command (abbreviated to 70 hours for applicants who have completed an approved course of aeroplanes), 20 hours' 'cross-country' flying experience with at least one solo flight of not fewer than 300 nautical miles with full-stop landings at two or more different aerodromes, 10 hours' instrument instruction of which no more than 5 may be instrument ground time and 5 hours of night instruction including 5 take-offs and landings if the privileges are to be exercised at night.
UK licences are issued for:
The abbreviations are combined with the licence level held, for example a Commercial Pilot Licence for Balloons and Airships can be written as CPL(BA).
, when a whole broad class of aircraft can be flown, or a Type rating
where the privileges are confined to a single type or group of very closely related types.
The very basic aircraft rating usually obtained by PPL(A) holders at their initial skills test is the Single Engine Piston Landplane (SEP-land) Class Rating. This allows flight of single-piston-engined, non-turbocharged, fixed-pitch propeller
, fixed tricycle gear
, non-pressurised land aeroplanes (with a few exceptions).
SEP class rating holders may optionally extend the privileges of this rating to cover complex features by taking formal differences training from a suitably qualified instructor. There are five categories of difference: tailwheel aircraft, retractable undercarriage, variable-pitch propeller, turbocharged engine and cabin pressurisation. There is no formal test for any difference training; the training is signed off as satifactorily completed in the pilot's logbook by the instructor conducting the training.
Other class ratings include Multi Engine Piston (MEP) landplane, Single and Multi engined piston Seaplane
, and Touring Motor Gliders. To add these to their licence a pilot has to undergo a course of training and pass an additional skills test. Differences training is also required for certain complex features within these class ratings.
Aircraft ratings are type-specific for turbine (turboprop & jet) aircraft and for a few other very complex types. To obtain one of these a pilot must undergo specific training and pass a skills test.
It is also possible to obtain permission from the CAA to fly an aircraft not covered by any type or class rating.
The Night Qualification
may be included in a JAR-FCL pilot licence. The qualification is, subject to the relevant conditions made under JAR-FCL being satisfied, included in the holder's licence without a Skill Test being required. Additionally, subject to conditions laid down in UK legislation (which presently includes JAR-FCL, Amendment 5) governing requirements for the holder's recent flying experience, there is no requirement made which requires retesting of the holder of a Night Qualification.
The Night Qualification privileges are to, subject to regulations enforced in and by jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom, operate in Visual Meteorological Conditions at night. (UK Air Navigation Order 2009, Schedule 7 refers.) 'Night' for the purpose of this section is defined under the UK Air Navigation Order 2009 Art. 255(1) as:
The Night Rating is distinct from the Night Qualification in as much as the former is a rating included in a UK national licence and the latter in a JAR-FCL licence.
Flight Instructor and Examiner ratings extend the holder's privileges to act, respectively, as an instructor and to act as an examiner for proficiency checks and, or, skill tests. These ratings both exist in a variety of forms whose domains, or ranges of privileges, are for specified aircraft operations.
(VMC) at all times. The exact definition of VMC varies in the different classes of airspace, but they prescribe a certain inflight visibility and distance to be kept away from cloud, and may require the pilot to remain in sight of the surface.
The Instrument Rating
can be added onto a JAA licence. This allows flight in Instrument meteorological conditions
in all classes of airspace, provided the aircraft is capable of the conditions encountered. In particular, an IR is required to act as a pilot on a scheduled flight.
The training for the Instrument Rating is very stringent and costly. Because of this, the UK CAA also issues the IMC Rating, which is a limited form of instrument rating which is a lot simpler to obtain. It allows flight in instrument meteorological conditions
but only in certain classes of airspace and with restrictions on conditions for take-off and landing. This is a national rating, meaning it is not ordinarily recognised outside of the UK.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) under the auspices of the Joint Aviation Authorities
Joint Aviation Authorities
The Joint Aviation Authorities, or JAA, was an associated body of the ECAC representing the civil aviation regulatory authorities of a number of European States who had agreed to co-operate in developing and implementing common safety regulatory standards and procedures...
and European Aviation Safety Agency
European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Aviation Safety Agency is an agency of the European Union with offices in Cologne, Germany, which has been given regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety. It was created on 15 July 2002, and it reached full functionality in 2008, taking over functions...
. Each member nation in the EU has responsibility for regulating their own pilot licensing. The principal reference for flight crew licensing in the UK is LASORS, which is published by the CAA on paper and online.
Levels of licence
The UK currently grants several levels of licence:- UK National Private Pilot LicenceNational Private Pilot LicenceThe National Private Pilot Licence is issued by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. Holders are entitled to fly UK registered single engined aircraft or microlights and self-powered gliders within UK airspace. Aircraft pilots may carry up to 3 passengers and fly using VFR Visual Flight...
(NPPL) - JAR-FCL Private Pilot Licence (PPL)
- JAR-FCL Commercial Pilot LicenceCommercial Pilot LicenceA Commercial Pilot License or, in the United States, a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is a qualification that permits the holder to act as the Pilot In Command of a single pilot aircraft, or as co-pilot of a multi-pilot aircraft and be paid for his/her work.The basic requirements to obtain the...
(CPL) - JAR-FCL Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL)
The licence held by a pilot confers privileges on the sort of flying they may carry out - broadly, whether or not they may receive remuneration for doing so - and are independent of any aircraft type, or class, ratings included in the holder's licence and other ratings required for flying under specified conditions.
British glider pilots do not require a CAA-granted licence. Regulation of gliding
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
is through the British Gliding Association
British Gliding Association
The British Gliding Association is the governing body for gliding in the United Kingdom. Gliding in the United Kingdom operates through 85 gliding clubs which have 2,310 gliders and 9,462 full flying members , though a further 17,000 people have gliding air-experience flights each year.-History:A...
and its affiliated clubs. The UK NPPL has close links with the gliding community and a gliding licence can be converted.
NPPL
The UK National Private Pilot Licence is a restricted form of the PPL introduced in 2002 for recreational pilots. It has a less stringent medical requirement than the JAR-FCL PPL and a reduced flying syllabus.The NPPL is administered by the National Pilots Licensing Group under supervision of the CAA. It is granted in two forms:
- NPPL (SSEA/SLMG) for Simple Single Engined Aircraft and Self-Launching Motor Gliders
- NPPL (Microlight and Powered Parachute)
The NPPL is a sub-ICAO licence meaning the holder is limited to operating only UK-registered aircraft and it cannot be used outside of the UK without permission from the regulatory authority of any foreign jurisdiction whose airspace the holder intends to operate into. The holder when operating under the privileges of the NPPL is furthermore restricted to operations in accordance with the VFR
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
. The NPPL is more restricting in respect of additional aircraft ratings which may be added compared with a JAR-FCL PPL.
PPL
The Private Pilot Licence confers on the holder a privilege to act as the pilot in command of certain kinds of aircraft. The holder may not operate for valuable consideration, i.e. any form of reward, either financial or in kind. However, subject to national restrictions governing the soliciting of passengers to be carried on board an aircraft operated by a JAR-FCL PPL holder, and in addition to several other requirements, a JAR-FCL PPL holder may carry passengers who make a pro-rata remunerative contribution toward the direct cost of the aircraft operating costs (nb: the pilot's contribution must be no less than a pro-rata share.)A Flying Instructor rating may be included, subject to requirements under JAR-FCL (Amendment 5) being satisfied, in a JAR-FCL PPL provided the applicant has successfully completed a number of additional examinations. Such a person giving instruction in flying training may not be remunerated.
Applicants for a Private Pilot Licence must be at least 17 years old, hold a valid JAR-FCL Class 2 Medical Certificate, and have met the specified practical and theoretical training requirements laid down in JAR-FCL. This presently includes 7 written theory examinations, completing at least 45 hours' flying training, including 10 hours' solo flying, 5 hours' solo 'cross-country' flying and at least one solo flight of not fewer than 150 nautical miles with full-stop landings at two or more different aerodromes other than the aerodrome of departure.
CPL
The Commercial Pilot LicenceCommercial Pilot Licence
A Commercial Pilot License or, in the United States, a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is a qualification that permits the holder to act as the Pilot In Command of a single pilot aircraft, or as co-pilot of a multi-pilot aircraft and be paid for his/her work.The basic requirements to obtain the...
allows the holder to act as the pilot in command of an aircraft for valuable consideration in single pilot operations. It also permits the holder to act as a co-pilot of a multi-crew aircraft for which they are qualified: subject to their (i) holding a valid certificate of Multi-Crew Cooperation, (ii) having successfully completed an approved ATPL Theoretical Knowledge Course together with 14 ATPL theoretical examinations, (iii) having a valid Instrument Rating and Multi-Engine Class Rating.
Applicants for a Commercial Pilot Licence must be at least 18 years old, hold a valid JAR-FCL Class 1 Medical Certificate, have met the specified practical and theoretical training requirements laid down in JAR-FCL: including at least 200 hours' flying time (150 hours for applicants who have completed an approved course of aeroplanes) including 100 hours' flying experience acting as the pilot in command (abbreviated to 70 hours for applicants who have completed an approved course of aeroplanes), 20 hours' 'cross-country' flying experience with at least one solo flight of not fewer than 300 nautical miles with full-stop landings at two or more different aerodromes, 10 hours' instrument instruction of which no more than 5 may be instrument ground time and 5 hours of night instruction including 5 take-offs and landings if the privileges are to be exercised at night.
ATPL
In addition to the privileges of the CPL, the holder of an Airline Transport Pilot Licence may act as the commander of a multi-crew aircraft under IFR. An applicant for an ATPL must be at least 21 years old, hold a valid class 1 medical certificate, a type rating for a multi crew aircraft and have completed the required theoretical and flight training and have at least 1500 hours of flight time. Where a simulator is permitted, no more than 100 hours (of which 25 may be in basic instrument training devices) may be credited towards the issue of the licence. Of the 1500 hours, the applicant is to have completed 250 hours as PIC of which 150 may be PICUS (Pilot In Command Under Supervision), 200 hours cross country of which 100 must be as PIC or PICUS, 75 hours instrument time of which not more than 30 may be Instrument Ground Time, 100 hours night flight as PIC or Co-Pilot and 500 hours in multi-pilot operations in aeroplanes with a maximum take-off weight of at least 5700 kg.Licence Currency
A JAA licence is valid for 5 years. Within this period, the licence will be re-issued if the applicant has had any rating renewed or a new rating added to the licence, when paragraph xii. of the licence is full, for any administrative reason or at the discretion of the JAA member state authority.Licensing by aircraft
JAR-FCL licences are issued for a particular category of aircraft:- Aeroplanes (A) - including motor-gliders, but not gliders
- Helicopters (H)
UK licences are issued for:
- Gyroplanes (G)
- Balloons and Airships (BA)
The abbreviations are combined with the licence level held, for example a Commercial Pilot Licence for Balloons and Airships can be written as CPL(BA).
Type and Class ratings
A licence will contain one or more ratings. These are sub-qualifications that specify in more detail the exact privileges that the licence conveys. One type of rating is an Aircraft rating. This specifies the type or types of aircraft which can be flown, and is either a Class ratingClass rating
A class rating is an allowance to fly a certain group of aircraft that require training common to all aircraft within the group. A Type rating is specified if a particular aircraft requires additional specialized training beyond the scope of initial license and aircraft class training. What...
, when a whole broad class of aircraft can be flown, or a Type rating
Type rating
A type rating is an allowance to fly a certain aircraft type that requires additional training beyond the scope of initial license and aircraft class training. What aircraft require a type rating is decided by the local aviation authority...
where the privileges are confined to a single type or group of very closely related types.
The very basic aircraft rating usually obtained by PPL(A) holders at their initial skills test is the Single Engine Piston Landplane (SEP-land) Class Rating. This allows flight of single-piston-engined, non-turbocharged, fixed-pitch propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
, fixed tricycle gear
Tricycle gear
Tricycle gear describes an aircraft undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a tricycle fashion. The tricycle arrangement has one wheel in the front, called the nose wheel, and two or more main wheels slightly aft of the center of gravity...
, non-pressurised land aeroplanes (with a few exceptions).
SEP class rating holders may optionally extend the privileges of this rating to cover complex features by taking formal differences training from a suitably qualified instructor. There are five categories of difference: tailwheel aircraft, retractable undercarriage, variable-pitch propeller, turbocharged engine and cabin pressurisation. There is no formal test for any difference training; the training is signed off as satifactorily completed in the pilot's logbook by the instructor conducting the training.
Other class ratings include Multi Engine Piston (MEP) landplane, Single and Multi engined piston Seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
, and Touring Motor Gliders. To add these to their licence a pilot has to undergo a course of training and pass an additional skills test. Differences training is also required for certain complex features within these class ratings.
Aircraft ratings are type-specific for turbine (turboprop & jet) aircraft and for a few other very complex types. To obtain one of these a pilot must undergo specific training and pass a skills test.
It is also possible to obtain permission from the CAA to fly an aircraft not covered by any type or class rating.
Other ratings and qualifications
Additional ratings and qualifications may be included in a licence to extend the pilot's operating privileges.The Night Qualification
Night flight in the UK
Along with many countries, the UK does not allow civilian aircraft to fly at night under Visual Flight Rules. However, unlike many countries with a similar night VFR ban it does not require pilots to be Instrument Rated to fly at night.-The Night Qualification:...
may be included in a JAR-FCL pilot licence. The qualification is, subject to the relevant conditions made under JAR-FCL being satisfied, included in the holder's licence without a Skill Test being required. Additionally, subject to conditions laid down in UK legislation (which presently includes JAR-FCL, Amendment 5) governing requirements for the holder's recent flying experience, there is no requirement made which requires retesting of the holder of a Night Qualification.
The Night Qualification privileges are to, subject to regulations enforced in and by jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom, operate in Visual Meteorological Conditions at night. (UK Air Navigation Order 2009, Schedule 7 refers.) 'Night' for the purpose of this section is defined under the UK Air Navigation Order 2009 Art. 255(1) as:
- "'Night' means the time from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise (both times inclusive), sunset and sunrise being determined at surface level"
The Night Rating is distinct from the Night Qualification in as much as the former is a rating included in a UK national licence and the latter in a JAR-FCL licence.
Flight Instructor and Examiner ratings extend the holder's privileges to act, respectively, as an instructor and to act as an examiner for proficiency checks and, or, skill tests. These ratings both exist in a variety of forms whose domains, or ranges of privileges, are for specified aircraft operations.
Instrument qualifications in the UK
Unless a pilot holds a current instrument qualification they must remain in visual meteorological conditionsVisual meteorological conditions
In aviation, visual meteorological conditions is an aviation flight category in which visual flight rules flight is permitted—that is, conditions in which pilots have sufficient visibility to fly the aircraft maintaining visual separation from terrain and other aircraft. They are the opposite of...
(VMC) at all times. The exact definition of VMC varies in the different classes of airspace, but they prescribe a certain inflight visibility and distance to be kept away from cloud, and may require the pilot to remain in sight of the surface.
The Instrument Rating
Instrument rating
Instrument rating refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order to fly under IFR . It requires additional training and instruction beyond what is required for a Private Pilot certificate or Commercial Pilot certificate, including rules and procedures specific to instrument flying,...
can be added onto a JAA licence. This allows flight in Instrument meteorological conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions is an aviation flight category that describes weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to instruments, and therefore under Instrument Flight Rules , rather than by outside visual references under Visual Flight Rules . Typically, this...
in all classes of airspace, provided the aircraft is capable of the conditions encountered. In particular, an IR is required to act as a pilot on a scheduled flight.
The training for the Instrument Rating is very stringent and costly. Because of this, the UK CAA also issues the IMC Rating, which is a limited form of instrument rating which is a lot simpler to obtain. It allows flight in instrument meteorological conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions
Instrument meteorological conditions is an aviation flight category that describes weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to instruments, and therefore under Instrument Flight Rules , rather than by outside visual references under Visual Flight Rules . Typically, this...
but only in certain classes of airspace and with restrictions on conditions for take-off and landing. This is a national rating, meaning it is not ordinarily recognised outside of the UK.
See also
- United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
- Pilot certification in the United StatesPilot certification in the United StatesPilot certification in the United States is required for an individual to act as a pilot of an aircraft. It is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration , a branch of the Department of Transportation...