Interesting reading Chris, but don't get your hopes up.
The particular document seems to be one Britishers take on the EASA and
how it may ultimately affect UK glider pilots.
From what I can see EASA is shaping up to be an EU licensing body and
the poms want to get into that. Unfortunately they (BGA), like us (GFA)
in aus, don't have a recognised (ICAO) gliding license to start with.
Although the BGA seem to recognise this limitation and are moving slowly
in the right direction. However, they won't be allowed in to play until
the UK FAA issues ICAO compliant licenses for glider pilots.
About 2005/6 the Germans, who have an ICAO license (including gliders)
dropped their special endorsement for motor gliders, basically uprated
them to PPLs (of 2000kg MTOW I think). Part of the alignment of
licensing which has been happening.
As it currently is, ICAO signatories recognise each others licensing
(more or less) and are getting closer in qualifications. Flying other
countries aircraft is only a small trauma to arrange, rather than a
major one. But notionally the EASA harmonisation would make even this a
total non issue.
The French are pretty good at recognising UK glider pilots cos so many
UK pilots head over there, being next door so to speak. But other
countries (eg Germany) just won't have a bar of non ICAO licensed pilots.
I got a French recognition on my licence a couple of years ago and it
basically said I could fly whatever my Aussie license said I could fly
(but not for money). If CASA allowed a glider endorsement on the normal
license I would have been immediately able to fly French gliders with a
paperwork excercise only.
Sadly, there is no real need for CASA to do anything about making a
gliding (or sporting) license generally available, so while GFA members
are happy to fly in Australia there is no problem, but soon as we go
overseas, it's almost impossible to fly foreign aircraft (legally).
Regards
SWK
Christopher Mc Donnell wrote:
As this has been a long running issue I thought there may be interest
in what is now happening in Europe.
http://timothyallen.co.uk/Solo2Silver/Solo2Silver/Assets/Docs/New%20Glider%20Pilot%20licence%20on%20its%20way.pdf
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