The final consultation phase of the CAA’s substantial project to amend UK private pilot licensing and training has commenced today with the publication of AMC and GM documentation.
The Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and Guidance Material (GM) provide the detail of the proposed changes, which are being enacted to deliver a more simplified and cohesive training platform for private pilots following Brexit.
After having left the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the private pilot licensing and training landscape is currently a combination of legacy UK licences and retained EU law, which the CAA believes is overly complicated and has been working to simplify. Additionally, the Authority is proposing to introduce new elements into private pilot training, such as the use of moving map technology and the handling of partial engine power scenarios.
As reported previously, significant changes include amalgamating the UK National Private Pilot Licence (NPPL) and EASA Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) into a single updated NPPL, which will be split into Single Engine Piston (SEP), Touring Motor Glider (TMG) and Microlight (M) aircraft categories; a differences training route between the three categories; and a structured conversion route from NPPL(A) to PPL(A). Other changes include a reduction in hours requirement for the PPL(A) in order to align with ICAO standards; amendment to the revalidation of single engine class ratings; and clarification on the use of non-Part 21 (Permit) aircraft used for Part-FCL pilot training.
The proposed changes, covering fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, balloons and sailplanes are detailed in three documents, CAP3093, CAP3094 and CAP3095.
This final consultation stage will run for six weeks, ahead of a planned rollout of the amended licences and training programmes this October.
FTN will be providing a comprehensive report on the proposed changes in our April edition.
