Due to the unprecedented nature of the Covid 19 pandemic there will be many of you who are unsure of where they stand in terms of licensing and training.
We recently attended a webinar which was hosted by a senior CAA examiner, this explained some of the exemptions which the CAA have made in order to ease the transition when it is safe to fly again. The exemptions which are relevant to students and licence holders are outlined below.
Theoretical Exams
The period of time required to pass all the examinations from the date of the first exam attempt has been extended from 18 months to 24 months. The period of time to complete the flight training after the last exam has been extended to 22nd Nov 2020.
SEP Ratings
If your SEP rating expires between 16th Mar – 31st Oct this can be extended to 22nd Nov. In order to extend this you will need to receive a briefing from an examiner or suitably qualified instructor. This briefing will take about an hour and will be a refresher on various aspects of flying. We are planning to deliver this online via Zoom.
Once this briefing is complete you will be sent a temporary airman certificate which you must keep with your licence.
It is worth noting that if your SEP is due to expire yet you have already met the requirements you can get a revelation as normal by just getting an examiner to sign your licence. If you can do this please do as it will give you 2 years instead of until the 22nd Nov.
LAPL
LAPL validity is slightly different to the SEP rating on a PPL. However the premise for extending is similar to that for SEP.
The usual period for LAPL is the rolling 24 month system, you must have done the 12 hours, flight with instructor etc in the 24 months preceding the date you want to fly on.
This rolling period can be extended to 22nd Nov again with a briefing as per SEP.
Other Ratings
The usual period to get a night rating has been extended from 6 months from the start of the course to 22nd Nov 2020.
If an IR or IR(R) expires between 16th Mar – 31st Oct this can be extended to 22nd Nov. The procedure is much the same as the SEP rating with the pilot requiring a briefing. However in this case the briefing can only be delivered by an Examiner with IR privileges.
Going Forward
We are currently working on the briefing for SEP extension and hope to have this live in the next week or so. Further details will be posted on the website.
If you are affected by any of the above please feel free to get in touch to discuss further, as always we are here to help!