UK Pilots visiting Australia, qualification equivalent ?

[Phil Perry]

Hi all,

 

One of our club pilots has a relative who lives in the Cairns area and he will be visiting there ( December 2015 ) and staying for around a month. Being the co-owner of an X'Air and a 450Kgs UK Foxbat also, he asked me if I knew if there was any way he could do at least some local flying as P1) using his UK qualification ( I doubt it ) he holds the UK NPPL, which is recognised in SOME of Europe, but not all of it. . . . and it is, from what I've gathered reading forum posts,. . .similar to your RPL.

 

I asked if he had written to CASA or RAA, but it appears the offer of accommodation was only received yesterday, so I said that I'd trying to obtain some info on his behalf.

 

I understand that with a full UK / JAR PPL it is possible to obtain a licence to fly in the U.S. very quickly, if pre arranged with the FAA, but no info about similar courtesies being available to visitors to Aus. Even if there were, I seriously doubt if this would extend to what amounts to a recreational licence with a self declaration medical certificate signed by a person's local GP, and with no actual examination required.

 

Any ideas Ladies & Gents ? ? ? I would appreciate any info you may have.

 

I've told him that if it doesn't work out, he could well bribe some local forumite to fly him around a bit ! ! !

 

( Where are you Ross. . . ! )

 

Thank you in anticipation of a storm of useful data. . . . . .

 

Phil

 

 

[Guest Crezzi]

If he has an NPPL(M) the closest equivalent is the RAAus Pilot Certificate (which is what he would need to be able to fly "microlights" here. He would have to join RAAus, find a local CFI and see what they would require (probably a check flight and a couple of exams).

 

If he has an NPPL(SSEA) that is similar to the CASA RPL and it would be a similar process at GA school (but with more paperwork)

 

Hope that helps

 

John

 

 

[Phil Perry]

If he has an NPPL(M) the closest equivalent is the RAAus Pilot Certificate (which is what he would need to be able to fly "microlights" here. He would have to join RAAus, find a local CFI and see what they would require (probably a check flight and a couple of exams).If he has an NPPL(SSEA) that is similar to the CASA RPL and it would be a similar process at GA school (but with more paperwork)

 

Hope that helps

 

John

That is a good point John,. . . . . I'm not sure if he uprated it to NPPL / SEP ( Single Engine Piston ) by the addition of 20 hrs G.A. time, plus all of the G.A. written papers and a GS Test as a few of our blokes did a couple of years ago,. . . . .don't really want to phone and ask now, as it's 2340 on a Sunday. . . . . .still, plenty of time as he isn't going until December, nothing like being well prepared ! ! ! He's even got time to uprate his licence if needed providing we get a good summer ( ? )

 

Licensing here can be a bit bewildering on occasion, . .if you remember some pics I posted a short while ago showing a 1944 Aeronca 7AC in "D - Day " colours and markings, the owner of that has an NPPL ( SSEA) ,. . . the odd thing about that is that it is somewhat more than 600 Kgs MAUW, but his medical is the same "self declaration" countersigned by his G.P., rather than the usual CAA Class 2 for G.A. PPL so I'll need to look into that a bit further too.

 

Thank you for your input Sir most useful.

 

Phil

 

 

[facthunter]

I'm a bit rusty on this, but an ICAO conforming LICENCE is often recognized with the passing of a local Air Legislation exam being the only extra requirement.

 

There is plenty of time before he arrives and a month here makes it worthwhile, so I would be making a few inquiries of the RAAus and expect to provide copy of certified log book summaries which would permit recognition of all aeronautical experience and radio licence issued, and perhaps medical status clarification

 

Make contact with the training organisation he chooses to do the flight check/ training and take advice as to the process they expect to occur. He will have to fly proficiently and demonstrate it in any case, as one does everywhere. I think something could be arranged if he gets organized. He has to be an RAAus paid up person to fly RAAus planes and have the Certificate issued. The medical declaration should be sufficient but if it doesn't stand scrutiny (ie there are UNDISCLOSED issues) there would be no insurance if something happened. Nev

 

 

[Phil Perry]

Thank you Nev,. . . . doesn't sound like a major problem, and as you say, worth it for a month vacation I would have thought.

 

I'm sure that my friend will be getting in touch with the relevant authorities as soon as possible, he is very organised ( unlike me. . .) and I've no doubt they will be able to put him in touch with training outfits in the area he is staying, he wasn't organised enough to remember the suburb / locality name in which his relative resides though ! My continual whinge at him when I am operating the airfield radio station is that he speaks rather quietly in a very pronounced Cockney accent,. . . . .I dunno about being born within earshot of the great bell of Bow, his Mum must have been living in the darn Bow belltower with that accent !

 

Phil

 

 

[Happyflyer]

RAAus is his only hope. CASA are so bogged down in the quagmire of Part 61 it take months to get through to them, not to mention the rigmarole involved in getting an ASIC.

 

 

[ben87r]

If he gets in contact with the North Queensland Aero Club they are now doing both RA/GA, maybe if he can get enough interest out of them they may help him figure it out.

 

 

[Camel]

https://www.raa.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Operations-Manual-Issue-71.pdf

 

See section 2.07. And section. 2.13.