N918KT
Line Up and Wait
Quick question, but just wondering, would the UK CAA accept a valid US State Driver's License in order to fly under their PPL Driver's License Medical rules? Or does it have be a UK Driver's License?
UK PPL Drivers License Medical Question
- Thread starter N918KT
- Start date
Neil Rubin
Pre-takeoff checklist
You actually don't need a driver's license at all to fly under their new NPPL medical rules. But, you need to fill out a medical declaration form and have it countersigned by a UK General Practitioner, stating that you meet the medical standards for drivers set by the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency. The GP that signs it has to be "your" GP, i.e., the GP that you are registered with in the UK National Health Service.
Interestingly, you don't have to be British or even be living in the UK to register with a UK GP. As far as I can tell, you can go there as a tourist, register with a GP and complete the medical declaration, and then complete all of the requirements for the NPPL. But, the system really assumes that the GP countersigning the form is the one that you see on a regular basis and has all of your medical records, so it might be hard in practice to find a GP willing to countersign for a tourist.
Seems unlikely to be worth the trouble unless you have a reason to spend several months in the UK anyway.
Interestingly, you don't have to be British or even be living in the UK to register with a UK GP. As far as I can tell, you can go there as a tourist, register with a GP and complete the medical declaration, and then complete all of the requirements for the NPPL. But, the system really assumes that the GP countersigning the form is the one that you see on a regular basis and has all of your medical records, so it might be hard in practice to find a GP willing to countersign for a tourist.
Seems unlikely to be worth the trouble unless you have a reason to spend several months in the UK anyway.
N918KT
Line Up and Wait
Interesting, maybe we all should move to the UK! Haha!
Xscaliber
Pre-takeoff checklist
Hang on we've just voted to leave Europe to close our borders and stop people coming to the UK !
The "full" sign is firmly nailed to the door.....Haha
Neil Rubin
Pre-takeoff checklist
Some of what I said in my earlier post is incorrect, and I wanted to correct it.
The rules in the UK are rather complicated, as (1) the country has been in the slow process of switching over to a harmonized European system of pilot licensing, (2) that European system itself has been evolving, and (3) at least for the time being the UK has been maintaining multiple UK-only systems for licensing pilots of smaller aircraft and those rules have also been evolving. The fact that the UK is pulling out of the EU (but possibly not out of the European aviation agency EASA) certainly won't simplify things.
Anyway, assuming you are a new pilot (there are some additional privileges that pilots with the old "UK PPL"--which you can no longer get--will have, but let's ignore that complication), you can get a UK National PPL with Simple Single-Engine Aeroplane (SSEA) rating and night rating. That gives you the ability to fly airplanes up to 2000 kg (4400 pounds) certificated max take-off mass, maximum of 4 seats, single engine, day/night VFR.
That's pretty liberal and covers a wide range of aircraft. It is certainly much broader than the FAA Sport Pilot limitations (day-only, generally 600 kg weight, two seats, 120 knots, fixed gear and prop), but not as generous as the PBOR2 medical provisions (IFR allowed up to 18000 feet, six seats, multiple engines allowed, etc.).
As for the actual medical rules in the new UK system, they are dirt simple, if you have a relatively clean medical record. You never have to even visit a doctor (though you will need a color vision test to get the night rating). You just do a one-time on-line self declaration that you meet the medical requirements for an ordinary UK driver's license, and that's it. Once you reach age 70, you need to do the declaration again every 3 years. But, you could conceivably go 50+ years from when you are a teenager until you reach 70, without having to do a single thing to remain medically qualified. That's much simpler than the PBOR2 system of checklists, doctor exams and sign-offs, and online courses.
The catch, though, is that you can't use the one-time self-declaration system at all if you have any history of one of a list of conditions, including: medication for a psychiatric condition, bipolar disorder, psychosis, substance abuse, certain severe cardiac conditions, severe lung disease, epilepsy, neurological condition requiring medication, insulin treatment, etc. If you've ever had any of these conditions, you can't use the self declaration option. This is sort of similar to the PBOR2 system, with a few important differences. Lung disease and insulin treatment are on the UK disqualifying list, but not the PBOR2's. A simple myocardial infarction (heart attack) is on the PBOR2's disqualifying list, but not the UK's. For the cardiac conditions, in the PBOR2 system, you only need a one-time Special Issuance, and then you can start using the normal PBOR2 system again, but in the UK system you are stuck getting a medical certificate for the rest of your life. But, the most important difference, I think is in the treatment of psychiatric conditions. In the UK system, if you have ever in your life taken medical for a psychiatric condition, you cannot rely on self-declaration and you need to get a medical certificate from an AME.
That difference disqualifies a big chunk of the UK population, as something like 10% of the population there is currently on antidepressants. I suspect this is a reaction to the Germanwings crash, at least in part.
On balance, I think that the US system--after the PBOR2 changes--is a more liberal system. Even folks with history of cardiac surgery, insulin-dependent diabetes, or a history of significant mental illness can fly under the sport pilot rules without ever seeing a doctor. And for heavier aircraft, the PBOR2 rules offer substantially greater privileges (IFR, six seats, multi-engine)* and are available to those with a wider range of medical conditions without ever needing to deal with an AME or with the FAA medical bureaucracy. The downside to the PBOR2 rules is that everyone has to see a doctor at least once ever four years and to do the online course every two years. That's more to keep track of for the 100% healthy pilots, but it's probably not a bad idea for anybody.
If you want to read some of the nitty-gritty, take a look at the following:
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP 1397 APR16.pdf
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/765/article/163/made
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/765/schedule/8/part/1/chapter/3/made
* Folks with the old "UK PPL" (no longer available for new applicants), will actually have broader privileges under the new rules, including the ability to fly in IMC and in aircraft up to 5700 kg (12500 pounds). But, those privileges are all scheduled to go away in 2018, based upon changes in the EASA rules. A very odd quirk in the rules. Also, as currently planned, the UK National PPL (the license that you can still get) will lose privileges to fly most aircraft that in the U.S. would have standard airworthiness certificates (e.g., typical Cessnas, Pipers, Cirruses, etc.) and be limited to only microlights, vintage, and home-built aircraft after 2018. I doubt that is actually going to happen. But, who can be sure what will actually end up happening, particularly with the UK leaving the EU.
The rules in the UK are rather complicated, as (1) the country has been in the slow process of switching over to a harmonized European system of pilot licensing, (2) that European system itself has been evolving, and (3) at least for the time being the UK has been maintaining multiple UK-only systems for licensing pilots of smaller aircraft and those rules have also been evolving. The fact that the UK is pulling out of the EU (but possibly not out of the European aviation agency EASA) certainly won't simplify things.
Anyway, assuming you are a new pilot (there are some additional privileges that pilots with the old "UK PPL"--which you can no longer get--will have, but let's ignore that complication), you can get a UK National PPL with Simple Single-Engine Aeroplane (SSEA) rating and night rating. That gives you the ability to fly airplanes up to 2000 kg (4400 pounds) certificated max take-off mass, maximum of 4 seats, single engine, day/night VFR.
That's pretty liberal and covers a wide range of aircraft. It is certainly much broader than the FAA Sport Pilot limitations (day-only, generally 600 kg weight, two seats, 120 knots, fixed gear and prop), but not as generous as the PBOR2 medical provisions (IFR allowed up to 18000 feet, six seats, multiple engines allowed, etc.).
As for the actual medical rules in the new UK system, they are dirt simple, if you have a relatively clean medical record. You never have to even visit a doctor (though you will need a color vision test to get the night rating). You just do a one-time on-line self declaration that you meet the medical requirements for an ordinary UK driver's license, and that's it. Once you reach age 70, you need to do the declaration again every 3 years. But, you could conceivably go 50+ years from when you are a teenager until you reach 70, without having to do a single thing to remain medically qualified. That's much simpler than the PBOR2 system of checklists, doctor exams and sign-offs, and online courses.
The catch, though, is that you can't use the one-time self-declaration system at all if you have any history of one of a list of conditions, including: medication for a psychiatric condition, bipolar disorder, psychosis, substance abuse, certain severe cardiac conditions, severe lung disease, epilepsy, neurological condition requiring medication, insulin treatment, etc. If you've ever had any of these conditions, you can't use the self declaration option. This is sort of similar to the PBOR2 system, with a few important differences. Lung disease and insulin treatment are on the UK disqualifying list, but not the PBOR2's. A simple myocardial infarction (heart attack) is on the PBOR2's disqualifying list, but not the UK's. For the cardiac conditions, in the PBOR2 system, you only need a one-time Special Issuance, and then you can start using the normal PBOR2 system again, but in the UK system you are stuck getting a medical certificate for the rest of your life. But, the most important difference, I think is in the treatment of psychiatric conditions. In the UK system, if you have ever in your life taken medical for a psychiatric condition, you cannot rely on self-declaration and you need to get a medical certificate from an AME.
That difference disqualifies a big chunk of the UK population, as something like 10% of the population there is currently on antidepressants. I suspect this is a reaction to the Germanwings crash, at least in part.
On balance, I think that the US system--after the PBOR2 changes--is a more liberal system. Even folks with history of cardiac surgery, insulin-dependent diabetes, or a history of significant mental illness can fly under the sport pilot rules without ever seeing a doctor. And for heavier aircraft, the PBOR2 rules offer substantially greater privileges (IFR, six seats, multi-engine)* and are available to those with a wider range of medical conditions without ever needing to deal with an AME or with the FAA medical bureaucracy. The downside to the PBOR2 rules is that everyone has to see a doctor at least once ever four years and to do the online course every two years. That's more to keep track of for the 100% healthy pilots, but it's probably not a bad idea for anybody.
If you want to read some of the nitty-gritty, take a look at the following:
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP 1397 APR16.pdf
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/765/article/163/made
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2016/765/schedule/8/part/1/chapter/3/made
* Folks with the old "UK PPL" (no longer available for new applicants), will actually have broader privileges under the new rules, including the ability to fly in IMC and in aircraft up to 5700 kg (12500 pounds). But, those privileges are all scheduled to go away in 2018, based upon changes in the EASA rules. A very odd quirk in the rules. Also, as currently planned, the UK National PPL (the license that you can still get) will lose privileges to fly most aircraft that in the U.S. would have standard airworthiness certificates (e.g., typical Cessnas, Pipers, Cirruses, etc.) and be limited to only microlights, vintage, and home-built aircraft after 2018. I doubt that is actually going to happen. But, who can be sure what will actually end up happening, particularly with the UK leaving the EU.
N918KT
Line Up and Wait
Thanks for the informative response Neil! It is interesting to compare the medical standards for the Private Pilot Certificate or Sport Pilot Certificate in other countries vs. the U.S. We all have been told that the U.S. has the most lenient pilot medical standards in the world, but with Australia and the UK now implementing DL medicals for PPL, I am beginning to think Australia and the UK has more favorable pilot medical standards in some respects.