Mentoring the Private Pilot flying in the UK, EASA/NPPL Testing, Renewals & Validations, PPL Masterclasses, Radio Training & Testing, South African Vacation & Licensing advice, Consultancy and much more besides . . . . .

Higherplane Aviation Training ltd
Licence/Ratings/Medical Combos for PPLs and NPPLs

Last Updated: mid Feb 2019 NB: All information given here is believed to be true and current but rules and official interpretations can change at any time out without warning and may not be reflected here for a long time. Pilots must only use the information here as a starting point for their own proper enquiries with the official authorities, and keep current on rules and regulations themselves through the official channels. No liability can be accepted for mistakes or out of date information here.

Advert: PPL Masterclasses now up and running again by popular demand. See tab on left side.
EASA licence or not, the pre flying tips are the same, and lots of EASA/National confusions are sorted out with a Pre Preflight Checklist, the ideal safety addition to your flight bag. It also solves a big problem for friends/relatives who never know what to get you as a present. Get them to click on the link or the tag on the left for details and purchase. Orders usually delivered in under 2 working days, often next day if timings work out.

Before reading below, you need to know the answer to: "what is an EASA aircraft and what isn't?". This sounds crazy, but to know the aircraft that you are allowed to fly with which rating and what medical depends on whether the maintenance regime of the aircraft is controlled by EASA or by the UK CAA. You have come to this page to learn about medicals but the complexity of explaining the current situation means that you need to know about 'EASA Aircraft' and 'non-EASA Aircraft'first! No wonder so many UK grass-roots pilots are confused. If you definitely know whether you fly an EASA aircraft on non-EASA aircraft, you can skip further down the page beyond the explanation with the light grey background, to the answers you came here for.

"EASA AIRCRAFT" An EASA aircraft is an aircraft that EASA controls through the maintenance regime. Almost all the certified aircraft will be EASA aircraft (Cessna 150-182, PA28, Cirrus, Beagle Pup, Grumman AA5, etc.... clearly, the 'usual' aircraft you find in non-microlight, non-glider, training schools). EASA also has a 'permit to fly' process separate from the UK Permit that we have known for years. Such an EASA Permit aircraft is ALSO an EASA aircraft. So in its documents, an EASA aircraft will either have an EASA ARC (Airworthiness Review Certicate) signed every year, or an annual EASA 'Permit to Fly' issued. As long as the aircraft is UK G registered or even as long as there is an aircraft of the type you are interested in on the UK G register, you don't have to go and dig out the aircraft's paperwork, as you can check a particular G registration online with the CAA's "G-INFO". If you don't have a particular registration, you can also search by aircraft type to see all the UK registered ones. When looking on G-INFO at the record for any particular registration, if the "CofA/Permit" there mentions "EASA" then it is an EASA aircraft, and you need to read the combinations of licences, ratings and medicals for EASA Aircraft. Being an EASA aircraft also means you will need an EASA licence to fly it after April 7th 2020 (was 2018, then 2019) as things stand now (BUT it may change again!). An EASA licence is an EASA LAPL, an EASA PPL, an EASA CPL, an EASA ATPL. Note: expired JAA licences can be renewed to be EASA equivalents.

"Non-EASA AIRCRAFT" (aka once known as 'Annex ii Aircraft", but now confusingly called Annex 1 from 2019 as they renumbered them!) So what about 'non-EASA aircraft' and you may have heard the name 'Annex ii' (pronounced Annex Two) aircraft, now called Annex 1! Well the two terms, "non-EASA" and what was "Annex ii" (now Annex 1) and now are interchangeable, I use 'non-EASA', the rules are too complicated as they are without using terms like Annex ii or 1, and they changed the latter anyway.
Aircraft that are "non-EASA" include a few nationally certified aircraft, for example, the CAA nationally certified Piper PA22. All aircraft with a UK Permit to Fly (eg: RV series, Kitfox, Bulldog, etc), microlights, etc. are all non-EASA aircraft. There are a small number of permit aircraft that are on an 'EASA Permit to Fly' -see paragraphs above. If you are flying an aircraft in the UK which is registered outside the EASA states, see the entry below regarding foreign licences.

NB: From August 25th 2016 there is a new online "self-declaration" medical process in the UK not requiring GP counter signature. Initial information given by the CAA was deemed too liberal by the legal department, and extra guidance was issued in October 2016, and an extra update in March 2017.

To sum up, for G registered aircraft:

Flying EASA Aircraft (either EASA certified or EASA permit) with EASA Licence?
Until a 2018 exemption, you needed an EASA medical certificate at LEAST on the same level as your LAPL or PPL, or a higher level of medical. (e.g. LAPL licence can have LAPL medical or higher, an EASA PPL can have Class 2 or higher - but an EASA PPL cannot have a LAPL medical until EASA rules changes go through, which have been in the pipeline for two years!)
An exemption issued in Spring 2018 and updated later announces a trial for UK Airspace to April 7th 2020 (unless cancelled or extended) for EASA PPLs and EASA LAPLs, which means they can use an online CAA Medical Self Declaration for flight in EASA aircraft with a MAUM up to 2 metric tonnes, providing these are for UK simple standard VFR GA private flights- there are some simple restrictions, (valid in, but not valid to or from the Channel Islands), see the ORS4 index and look for exemption 1283 or successor. All other cases, as long as you stay in UK airspace, and take no more than 4 on board, you can use the new self-declare medical with the licence. HOWEVER, the ability to use a non-EASA UK licence or a non-EASA UK rating with an EASA aircraft could expire at 23:59 on April 7th 2020 (was 2018, then 2019, and will perhaps be extended). (If you have a non-G registered aircraft, check with your national registration authority if they accept this.)

Licence	Rating	Medical	Validity
NPPL	SSEA	New UK Self Declaration, or any EASA Medical	Valid as an NPPL (with NPPL restrictions such as 'pob', maum, VFR, etc) to April 7th, 2020 (may be extended, it was 2018, then 2019) in UK registered aircraft in the UK, then continues to be valid as an NPPL on non-EASA aircraft only. NB: Having an EASA medical gives no extra EASA privileges over holding a medical declaration - for example, having an EASA LAPL medical does not change the restriction for NPPL-SSEA of remaining in UK airspace without permission from the other state. Unless the exemption allowing this is extended (which is possible), to fly EASA certified or EASA permit aircraft from April 8th 2020 (was 2018, then 2019), you must apply for and hold a proper EASA licence, such as the LAPL or PPL with the equivalent medical (or higher)
Pre-JAA UK PPL	SSEA	New UK Self Declaration or any EASA medical	Valid in exactly the same way as the NPPL-SSEA combination above. All the validities and restrictions in the NPPL-SSEA combination above apply.
UK CAA PPL	SEP	New UK Self Declaration or EASA LAPL Medical	Valid with as if it is a UK pre-JAA PPL with SSEA rating (see above) but with the following additions: SEP Aircraft up to 5700kg allowed UNLESS the pilot has a new UK Self Declaration and is personally restricted by the list of medical conditions to only fly aircraft up to 2000kg MAUM. Holders of Night qualifications/ratings can use them in all relevant aircraft until April 7th 2020 (unless extended, it was originally 2018, then 2019), then after than can use them in suitable non-EASA aircraft. Holders of UK IMC ratings can use them in non-EASA aircraft. The main thing to remember is that after April 7th 2020 (was 2018, then 2019), an old PPL (ie: pre JAA) is not valid in EASA aircraft at all, whatever the medical, whatever the rating, UNLESS the exemption allowing it is extended, which may happen, as it keeps happening.
Pre-JAA UK PPL	SEP	/EASA Class 1 or 2	ICAO compliant licence combination valid in non-EASA aircraft. However, on EASA aircraft, it is only valid until April 7th 2020 (and may be extended, it was 2015, then stepped further and further each year!), and is now subject to reduced privileges which make it the same as the LAPL (single engine, max 4 on board, NO IMC, maum 2 metric tonnes, etc). Note, this means that as the LAPL cannot contain an instructor rating of any sort, nor an instrument qualification, you cannot use an instructor certificate/rating or an IMC rating inside a pre-JAR PPL in an EASA aircraft. The main thing to remember is that after April 7th 2020(was 2018, then 2019), an old UK PPL (ie: pre JAA) is not valid in EASA aircraft at all, whatever the medical, whatever the rating UNLESS the exemption is extended, which is quite possible as it always has been. A CRI/FI with only a UK pre-jaa PPL can no longer do any training with you in an EASA aircraft(not even the two yearly training flight), as it only has LAPL privileges, but can do so in a non-EASA aircraft.
EASA PPL or EASA LAPL	SEP	New UK Self Declaration	What was a trial for one year until April 7th 2019, BUT now extended an extra year to 2020, this combination is valid in UK Airspace, in G registered EASA aircraft up to 2 metric tonnes. There are conditions, (eg: not IMC, etc) - see the exemption 1283 on www.caa.co.uk/ors4 The combination of EASA PPL or LAPL with an online self declare medical is valid in G registered non-EASA aircraft in UK airspace. There are limitations, though, treat the same as the UK pre-JAA PPL conditions above) and certainly stay in UK airspace unless special permission sought.
JAA PPL	ANY	ANY	This cannot be valid as the expiry date of all 5 year JAA licences has now passed. However, a JAA licence can be resurrected (renewed) as an EASA licence, it is legally an EASA licence which cannot be used until renewed.
EASA PPL	SEP	EASA Class 1 or 2	The normal combination for an ICAO PPL covering EASA and UK non-EASA aircraft in the 'SEP' class, with no expiry date on the licence itself, only on the ratings within. On issue, it is possible to request a non-EASA national PPL in addition to cover certain non-EASA aircraft that are type rated so could not be included in an EASA licence. (Differences training sign off needed for usual complexities.)
EASA PPL	SEP	LAPL Medical	This combination of EASA PPL, SEP rating, and EASA LAPL medical is not valid. (EASA hopefully will make it valid sometime in 2018, it is in the pipeline). An EASA PPL needs an EASA class Two or One EASA medical - or there is an exemption with a self declare medical, see above. The idea that a LAPL medical can be used with an EASA PPL in EASA aircraft comes about as an EASA Class Two medical steps down to being a LAPL medical when the Class Two expires. It is hard to understand why the CAA's CAP1441 does not allow the combination in non-EASA aircraft, but it doesn't.
FAA PPL	SEP	FAA Class 3 medical meeting ICAO Class 2 standards	Only valid in suitable G registered non-EASA aircraft in the UK without further declarations. To fly EASA aircraft after April 8th 2017, a CAA form SRG2140 must be submitted after suitable endorsement by a UK Flight Examiner to say Air Law and ATC procedures are understood by the pilot. NB: There is great confusion as ICAO use the term class 2 as a standard for private flying, where as the FAA traditionally call their private pilot medical the FAA Class 3. The FAA Class 3 medical is accepted and recognised as an ICAO Class 2 standard medical unless marked otherwise, for example if it marked as confined to use in the USA.
Non-FAA Foreign Non-EASA ICAO PPL (e.g. S.A., NZ, Oz, etc)	SEP	Suitable Foreign Medical	Only valid in suitable G registered non-EASA aircraft without further declarations. To fly suitable EASA aircraft after April 8th 2017, it depends whether the licence is to be used fewer than 28 days per year or not. For fewer than 28 days, use CAA form SRG2141 which must be submitted after a suitable acclimatisation flight with a UK Flight Instructor, - see form for more details. For 28 flying days or more, use CAA form SRG2139 which must be submitted after a suitable rating flight check (test) with an EASA Flight Examiner - see form for more details, but a conversion to an EASA licence must be made within a year, unless an extension granted.

Discount code for Pooleys Online http://www.pooleys.com/:
use "irvlee" in the "promotional code" field during checkout for 5% discount

Click Here for Contact Details
Higherplane Aviation Training Limited
Registered England & Wales Company No. 04339387

Irv Lee – Higherplane Aviation Training ltd

Higherplane Aviation Training ltdLicence/Ratings/Medical Combos for PPLs and NPPLs

To sum up, for G registered aircraft:

Higherplane Aviation Training ltd
Licence/Ratings/Medical Combos for PPLs and NPPLs