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Published: 23 August 2023

General Aviation: Consultation on advance information requirements for international flights

The Home Office has published this consultation on advance information requirements for international flights. This consultation ends on 16 June 2023.

The consultation is on a proposal to introduce regulations that would require persons responsible for international General Aviation (GA) flights to submit information online and in advance about flights and persons on board and penalise failures to comply.

The Home Office are keen to receive views from the GA sector and from other interested parties on the proposals, including how they may be operated and take account of emergency situations.

Martin Robinson has a meeting with the Home Office in early May to discuss the proposals. When you have read the proposals, please do respond to the consultation and let Martin know your views that he might raise at the meeting: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Published: 23 August 2023

New Danger Area – EGD148 KEEVIL

The CAA has approved the implementation of a new permanent danger area, which will be known as EGD148 KEEVIL. The change will take effect on 15 May 2023, notified by an AIP SUPPLEMENT to be issued on 4 May 2023. Activation will be by NOTAM, with MOD Boscombe Down Air Traffic Control providing a Danger Area Crossing Service to other airspace users when the Danger Area is active; there are no changes to airspace classifications.

Details of the airspace change can be found on the CAA airspace change portal.

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Published: 23 August 2023

ORS4 No.1575: Alternative medical criteria when making a Pilot Medical Declaration

The CAA have published ORS4 No 1575: Alternative medical criteria when making a Pilot Medical Declaration

This exemption allows holders of certain UK issued Part-FCL, Part-BFCL or Part-SFCL and ANO pilot licences to make a Pilot Medical Declaration using the alternative medical criteria from those set out under the normal criteria, provided they reasonably believe that they meet the medical requirements for a Group 1 (Car) Licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and are not taking medication for any psychiatric illness.

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Published: 23 August 2023

Frustrated with airspace refusal? Don't just shrug it off

Frustrated with airspace refusal? Don't just shrug it off.

See the latest Clued-Up article abput the UK Airspace Access/Refusal of ATS Report Form and how it helps improve the system for all pilots.

If you are an AOPA meber and experience airspace access refusals please let us know: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Published: 23 August 2023

ACP-2019-18 Enabling RPAS and RAF Aerobatic Team Operations Out of RAF Waddington

Airspace Change Proposal ACP-2019-18 has now reached Step 5a: CAA Assessment.

Stage 4b documents have been published:

Stage 4B - ACP Final Submission - Issue 1_Redacted which includes details of the current airspace and proposed changes:

Stage 4A - Consultation Review - Issue 1.0_minus Annex C_Redacted

ACP-2019-18 Final Options Appraisal (Phase III) Issue 1.0

If you have any views or questions about these proposed changes email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact Martin Robinson, CEO AOPA UK: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Published: 23 August 2023

The GAMA-IAOPA Europe General Aviation Survey 2023

In order to make General Aviation in Europe safer, more affordable and more accessible to the wider public, GAMA and IAOPA have undertaken, with the support of EASA and AERO Messe, to improve the understanding of the size, scope and changes happening in GA across Europe, including the United Kingdom.

Accurate data about the aircraft and their operation is a fundamental enabler for both regulators and industry to successfully target safety improvement initiatives, promotion and rulemaking. Furthermore, more accurate data about General Aviation in Europe can be used to quantify the economic benefits this sector brings to European society and the economy. This is particularly valuable to support political advocacy, such as encouraging grants for new equipment, maintaining local airfields and advocating for more proportionate safety rules.

The aim of this survey is to reach the maximum possible number of aircraft owners/operators in the majority of the 32 EASA Member States amd the United Kingdom every year to allow accurate and representative estimates to be made about General Aviation aircraft operation. Individual Responses are confidential and will not be shared with either the public or regulators, nor will they be used for marketing or any other commercial purposes.

Aggregated Data (European, National or by aircraft category or operation category) will be made publicly available free of charge and shared with regulators such as EASA to support regulatory impact assessments and other uses. Link to the 2023 survey and past reports.

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Published: 23 August 2023

London Southend Airport FASI-S Stage 2B

Following the submission of the Stage 2a and 2b documentation, the CAA has completed the Develop and Assess Gateway Assessment and is not satisfied that the change sponsor (LSA) has met the requirements of the Process up to this point.
The CAA does not approve progress to the next Step. Further explanation for this decision is contained in the published document 'Develop & Assess Gateway Outcome - January 2023', which can be found on the CAA Airspace Change Portal.
LSA will be revising the documentation accordingly and resubmitting in the September 2023 Gateway.

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Published: 23 August 2023

Farnborough Airspace Change Proposal - Post Implementation Review

The Farnborough Post Implementation Review (PIR) sponsor’s data analysis period has been extended from 28 to 42 days for reasons including the Easter holidays.
Commensurate with this, the stakeholder feedback window will be also expanded from 28 to 42 days. The CAA will send a further notification to inform when the stakeholder feedback window is open.
The CAA's Farnborough Airspace Change Proposal webpage has been updated with this information.

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Published: 23 August 2023

GA Pilot Licensing & Training Simplification – Phase 1: Strategic Direction; Consultation Response Document

The CAA have published CAP 2532: GA Pilot Licensing Simplification – Phase 1 Consultation Response.

The Executive Summary:

This paper sets out the findings from the consultation on the strategic phase of the GA pilot licensing and training simplification project and sets out key decisions to proceed with the second detail phase of the project.

The consultation was run between 18 October and 16 December 2022, was widely promoted by CAA communications activity, and elicited 1,246 unique formal responses.

Overall direction:

85% of respondents agreed with the need for licensing system simplification, including over half agreeing strongly, indicating a clear mandate from the community to proceed with this project.

74% agreed that this review should go beyond just a simple consolidation of the UK and retained European regulations.

ICAO-compliant PPL:

82% of respondents who had a view (53% overall) supported our proposal for consolidating the full PPL and undertaking a gold-plating assessment of the retained Part-FCL provisions against the requirements in ICAO Annex 1.

Sub-ICAO aeroplane licence consolidation:

90% of those who had a view supported our proposal to consolidate the NPPL(A) and LAPL(A) into a single sub-ICAO aeroplane licence, and even counting those who were undecided still suggests a two-thirds majority in favour.

Sub-ICAO helicopter licence consolidation:

85% of respondents who had a view supported our proposal to simplify the NPPL(H) and LAPL(H) to create a single sub-ICAO helicopter licence.

Syllabus consolidation creating ICAO PPL and PPL(Light):

70% of those who had a view believed our proposal would work in their opinion, with several leaving statements such as; ‘fantastic idea’, ‘very smart’, and ‘just what is needed’ in the comments.

Only 1 in 20 thought the idea was unworkable or was in excess of what is necessary.

IR(R) rating for sub-ICAO licence holders:

65% overall (nearly 90% of those who had a view) supported our proposal of extending the IR(R) to sub-ICAO licence-holders.

Commercial ballooning:

There was strong support (65% of respondents who had a view) to maintain a single balloon pilot licence such as the Part-BFCL Balloon Pilot Licence (BPL) with an appropriate rating for commercial non-passenger operations.

A single balloon pilot licence with a rating for commercial passenger operations was the approach preferred by 58% of the respondents who had a view; suggesting support for the UK Part-BFCL BPL framework.

Sailplane licensing:

There was overwhelming support (88% of respondents who had a view) for proceeding with the implementation of the Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL).

Honouring/converting licences from the legacy system:

Aside from the unsurprising dislike for ‘immediate mandatory conversion’, there were no overwhelming views towards the other three options.

The most popular (40% in favour) was the ‘deemed valid’ option whereby we would accept the legacy licence as valid as the equivalent new licence; but the second preferred option was our preferred approach of ‘deemed valid until a sunset’, with 25% in favour.

Next steps:

We will brief the community on these findings and also take forward some of the reflective questions set out in this paper to guide further discussion and exploration.

AOPA will continue to be involved with the next steps of this process. During the Phase 1 Working Group, the "AOPA member" was formally representing AOPA and not operating in an individual capacity as stated in the paper.

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Published: 04 April 2023

Ofcom Launches Online Aircraft Radio Licensing Platform

The aircraft radio licensing platform is now available, enabling self-service for new applicants and existing licensees to apply for and manage Wireless Telegraphy Act Aircraft licences, which are required to operate radio equipment on board an aircraft.

The service will enable new licence applications to be built, variations to existing licences, surrender of licences, payment of licences and management of contact details.

To access the new system you will need to be a registered user.  Please visit the Ofcom licensing portal for aircraft, amateur and ships radio page for more details or Ofcoms Aeronautical licensing page for more information on aircraft radio licences.

For further information or feedback contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..