Aerospace

GA pilot medical self-declaration exemption extended

Posted 7 April 2020

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that the current exemption that allows General Aviation (GA) pilots to self-declare their medical fitness, that was due to expire on Wednesday 8th April 2020, has been extended to remain in place until 8th November 2020.

Above: CAA offices at Gatwick.
Copyright CAA

To enable flying without the exemption many pilots would have needed to use an Authorised Medical Examiner (AME) to gain a Class 2 medical. With the COVID-19 outbreak placing a significant and enduring burden on all healthcare professionals, pilots will not have the necessary access to AMEs for a considerable time and so the CAA has worked with the Department for Transport (DfT) to put the extension in place.

The extended exemption allows UK-issued holders of Part-FCL LAPL(A) and PPL(A) when flying single engine piston (SEP) aeroplanes or touring motorgliders (TMG) with a maximum take-off mass (MTOM) of 2,000kg to continue to operate under their existing medical self-declaration. New or renewed medical self-declarations will not be possible.

Holders of Part-FCL LAPL(H) and PPL(H) operating under this exemption may only act as pilot in command on single-engine piston helicopters with a maximum certified take-off mass of 2,000Kg or less, carrying a maximum of three passengers (no more than four persons on-board.)

UK National Flight Crew Licence holders may continue to medically self-declare in line with existing CAA guidance. Glider pilots holding BGA certificates do not require a medical certificate. Holders of an NPPL(A) with a motorglider rating and balloon pilots holding either a UK PPL(BA) or CPL(B) who currently operate under medical self-declaration will be able to continue to do so.

The new exemption is available here:
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/modalapplication.aspx?catid=1&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=detail&id=9551&filter=2

UK National flight crew licence holders flying non-EASA certificated aircraft with a medical self-declaration are not affected.

Further exemptions to help alleviate COVID-19 issues for pilots and operators of aeroplanes, helicopters, balloons and sailplanes will be issued shortly, as well as exemptions to extend the validity of EASA and national pilot licences (in line with extensions already notified for commercial pilots within AOCs) the CAA are including the medical and flight instructor ratings.

Part-66 aircraft maintenance licence validity periods have already been extended in a previous exemption.

Also, an extension has been issued increasing the period that students have to complete their PPL Theoretical Knowledge examinations. This extends examination validity periods, as per the 18 and 24 month periods respectively, for any examination candidate until 18th September 2020.