General Aviation Pilot Licensing & Training Simplification
Following the completion of CAP2335 – General Aviation (GA) Pilot Licensing & Training Simplification Phase 1 in Spring 2023 and the publication of Consultation Response Document CAP2532.
In Spring 2024, we published a suite of five consultation papers setting out the detailed direction for licenses and ratings across the GA aircraft categories:
These consultations set out proposed changes to rules following discussion and policy development with GA community members, and form the basis of proposals for changes to the ANO, relevant implementing regulations.
A collaborative approach was taken to ensure we fairly reflected views from the wider GA community. We established a working group of key GA community experts including GA associations as well as flying instructors and PPL students and we would like to thank for them for their continued support on this project.
The consultation ran for a period of 10 weeks and is now closed, and we are reviewing responses in detail.
Balloon and Sailplane Pilots Licences
Changes proposed during this consultation do not affect the continued implementation of UK Sailplane Flight Crew Licensing (Part-SFCL) regulations and Balloon Flight Crew Licensing (UK Part-BFCL) regulations. Depending on the flying privileges they intend to exercise, pilots should therefore plan to convert their old BGA certificates and ANO-based balloon licences to new Sailplane Pilot Licences (SPL) and Balloon Pilot Licences (BPL) respectively well in advance of the statutory conversion deadline of 30 September 2025. Failure to do so in good time before that deadline may result in a disruption of those privileges.
Next steps:
- We will review all responses to the Phase 2 consultation and commence work on the Comment Response Document.
- We will commence Phase 3 of this project, which will focus on recommending to the Department for Transport legislative changes in the form of Statutory Instruments starting in 2025, as informed by the responses provided in our Phase 2 consultation.
- We will also commence work on developing any relevant Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material further to the outcome of the consultation. This will require further consultation later this year.
Podcast
We speak with Laurence Baxter from our General Aviation Unit to learn more about this work: Help simplify private pilot licensing and training in the UK (podcast)
Phase 1: Investigate the scope for simplifying the licensing architecture
Looking at the high-level issues, including the implications for consolidating UK Air Navigation Order and retained EASA regulations, compliance with ICAO standards and recommended practices, and the distinction between general aviation and commercial flight training.
Phase 2: Licenses, ratings and certificates
Focus on licences, ratings and certificates across all the aircraft categories in scope. We will look at including privileges, training, exams, costs and cross-compatibility where this is relevant,. It will be necessary to further break this down to pilot and instructor components. This also gives us an opportunity re-examine the training syllabus and related guidance material to reflect any emerging safety thinking. This will culminate in a series of policy proposals from which we could develop rulemaking.
Phase 3: Rulemaking, transparency and simplicity
Once we have identified the policy proposals, we will use the most efficient rulemaking process to put those in place and communicate them to the GA community.
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