Irv Lee - Higherplane Aviation Training ltd
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Higherplane Aviation Training ltd
Licence/Ratings/Medical Combos for PPLs and NPPLs
WARNING - The items below are being updated due to the UK leaving EASA, and should be treated with caution at the moment until fully updated. |
| Before reading below, you need to know the answer to: "what is a Part21 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 subject to 'Part 21 regulations' or not. (Part21 aircraft were called 'EASA aircraft' pre-2021. 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 'Part21 Aircraft' and 'non-Part21 Aircraft'first! No wonder so many UK grass-roots pilots are confused. If you definitely know whether you fly a Part21 aircraft on non-Part21 aircraft, you can skip further down the page beyond the explanation with the light grey background, to the answers you came here for. |
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If you are aged 50+, a Class 2 medical automatically becomes a LAPL level medical for another 12 months, see the dates lists on your medical to check. This is not ICAO compliant but is usable in G reg aircraft in UK Airspace (see below) and you can reinstate full Class 2 privileges whenever you want simply by getting a new class 2 medical. If using a LAPL level medical with PPL-SEP, you still revalidate the SEP as normal before expiry date, you are not using LAPL validity rules, you do not have a LAPL licence, you are merely restricting your flying to be similar to a LAPL pilot in various ways (eg: your number of passengers).
References to 'PMD' below are Personal Medical Declarations aka Self-Declare Medicals. There are two sorts, 2000kg limit and 5700 limit. The latter has far wider privileges (but UK airspace only).
You do not need a valid medical to undergo a skills test or proficiency check, BUT you cannot fly p1 afterwards even if you pass, until you get a valid medical for whatever it is you wish to do. (This is in the Flight Exmainers Handbook that tests/checks are possible without a medical providing the candidate is warned not to fly P1 until a relevant medical is obtained)
Warning for 2021 for ALL medicals:
A new system has been introduced to obtain either PMD or 'proper' medical certificates, but it is having horrendous teething problems. See CAP1902, www.caa.co.uk/cap1902 - you have to register to use this, and registrations are taking weeks. You cannot book a formal medical or make a PMD without first registering at the CAA portal, and once registered then make the PMD or pay to start the process for a formal medical examination with an AME. It takes a long time to register to use it, and it is very unstable in operation judging by the comments on social media.
The bit of good news is that for a UK FCL licence, the ability to use a PMD (self declare medical) in any suitable G-reg aircraft in UK airspace is now permanent due to a law change on 28/1/2021. For pilots wishing to fly aircraft up to 5700kg, there is a list of medical exclusions when you apply, and it has much wider scope in UK airspace than the lower limit PMD of 2000kg. If you wish to only fly G-reg aircraft up to 2000kg in the UK using a CAA issued licence, two exemptions allow it with very few medical exclusions, one for UK national licences, the other for UK FCL licences. See exemptions ORS4 1542 and 1543 respectively in index list http://www.caa.co.uk/ors4 - best to read them as they do contain conditions and they have an expiry date (April 2023).
| Licence | Rating |
Medical |
Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPPL or UK CAA (non-FCL) PPL | SSEA | PMD, or a LAPL or Class 2 or 1 Medical | Valid UK airspace only unless permitted by foreign authority(*) for flying single engine aircraft fitting the 'SSEA' limitations (eg: max 2000kg, max 4 on board, etc). From June 2021, an SSEA rating is once again valid in suitable G registered aircraft in UK Airspace whether they are Part 21 aircraft or not. ( Part 21 aicraft are what were 'EASA aircraft' or EASA permit aircraft). NB: Having an ICAO level medical gives no extra privileges over holding a PMD medical declaration. |
| UK CAA (non-FCL) PPL | SEP | PMD or LAPL medical (ie: Not class 2) | Old PPLs with SEP ratings are now valid in both non Part 21 aircraft and Part 21 aircraft, but if flying the latter, it needs to be an aircraft that could be flown by a LAPL(A) pilot. With this level of medical, the combination is valid in non-Part21 aircraft as if it is a UK CAA PPL (Non FCL) with SSEA rating (see above) but with the following additions: SEP Aircraft up to 5700kg allowed UNLESS the medical restricts to lower MAUM (eg: pilot has a LAPL medical or the max 2000kg PMD). UK Airspace only unless permitted by foreign authority (*). |
| UK CAA (non-FCL) PPL | SEP | Class 1 or 2 medical |
ICAO compliant licence combination valid in G registration non-Part 21 aircraft.
aircraft. For internatonal use in permit aircraft, best check with the LAA for the current situation for the countries
you wish to visit, or BMAA for microlight use. Now valid in the UK in Part 21 aircraft providing the aircraft is one that a LAPL(A) pilot could use valid outside the UK in Part 21 too if foreign authority allows*. |
| UK FCL PPL or UK LAPL | SEP (rating or privilege) | PMD | For flying suitable G-reg aircraft (part 21 or not) with UK issued FCL licence but only in UK airspace (without specific permission*), this became a permanent possible combination for part 21 aircraft on 28/1/2021 due to a law change. This combination is also legal in non part 21 aircraft, if you want to know how, see Air Navigation Order Articles 162, 150 & 163. |
| 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 a UK FCL licence. |
| UK FCL PPL | SEP | Class 1 or 2 medical certificate | The normal combination for an ICAO PPL covering EASA and UK non-Part21 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-FCL national PPL in addition to cover certain non-FCL aircraft that are type rated so could not be included in an EASA licence. ( Differences training sign off in the log book is needed for usual complexities or to use it for microlights.) |
| UK FCL PPL | SEP | LAPL Medical | This combination of UK FCL PPL, SEP rating, and EASA LAPL medical is valid in the UK. (The combination was not valid before Nov 2019 due to way FCL was written, but this has been corrected by a late 2019 change to FCL.) If using a LAPL medical with a full UK FCL PPL-SEP, the pilot is restricted to LAPL-like privileges eg: max 2 metric tonnes, max 4 pob, VFR only, no instructing, UK Only as it is a non-ICAO medical, (unless granted permission from the other State), and anything else a LAPL is restricted over, BUT, the PPL and SEP rating does not actually become a LAPL, so the normal rules for revalidating SEP ratings apply, NOT the LAPL scheme of rolling validity. To return to full FCL PPL-SEP privileges (for example, to use an IR(R) rating or to instruct) just obtain a Class 2 UK medical (or Class 1). |
| UK FCL LAPL | SEP Privileges | LAPL Medical or PMD | Restricted to LAPL privileges and because it is non-ICAO, restricted to UK airspace unless foreign authority approves. It is possible that the Channel Islands will approve if the medical is LAPL level too (or better). Restrictions include: eg: max 2 metric tonnes, max 4 pob, VFR only. |
| FAA PPL | SEP | FAA Class 3 medical meeting ICAO Class 2 standards |
Only valid in suitable G registered non-Part21 aircraft in the UK without further declarations.
To fly Part21
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. A CAA form SRG2142 has also to be submitted nowadays, in order to let the UK CAA check that the licence has not been suspended or conditions attached in the home country. This adds time (and a little cost) to the validation process, so should be done as soon as possible. |
| 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-Part21 aircraft without further declarations. To fly suitable Part21 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 a Flight Examiner - see form for more details, but a conversion to an UK FCL licence must be made within a year, unless an extension granted. A CAA form SRG2142 has also to be submitted nowadays, in order to let the UK CAA check that the licence has not been suspended or conditions attached in the home country. This adds time (and a little cost) to the validation process, so should be done as soon as possible. |
Pre Preflight Checklist: NPPL or PPL, the pre flying tips are the same, and lots of confusions are sorted out with this personal 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 for details and ordering. Orders usually delivered in under 2 working days, often next day. |
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