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Old July 8th 09, 07:45 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
Paul Jessop[_2_]
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Default Help. Obtaining a UK Gliding License on the basis of my American License

Erik,

I normally end up explaining the opposite procedures (UK pilots wanting to
fly in the US). I fly at Bicester UK and in the DC area of the USA under
similar circumstances.

Here's the information at the BGA web site:

http://www.gliding.co.uk/forms/gliderlicencenotes.pdf

and

http://www.gliding.co.uk/forms/gliderlicence.pdf

You're clearly eligible for one (as you have an ICAO compliant glider
licence/license/certificate and I assume you have 5h PIC in the last year)
but as Chris points out it won't do you much good.

You should check carefully on the medical situation. Clearly there is no
requirement to hold a medical certificate at all under the FARs to fly
gliders. The BGA self regulatory (i.e. sensible and therefore about to be
abolished in the name of European harmonisation) regime requires you to
declare that you are fit to the standard required to drive a car (or to
drive professionally if an instructor) and get a family doctor to sign off
that there is nothing in your medical records that says otherwise (to make
sure you are being honest).

I'm not sure that the BGA will accept a US family doctor's endorsement
and a doctor here won't have access to your medical records to be able to
make the endorsement. So my recommendation would be to bite the bullet and
get a European ("JAA") medical certificate. If you have an FAA medical
certificate if ought to be possible to have it validated but I don't know
how to do this. I just got my medical examiner to do both at the same time
and he charged a nominal amount for the second one.

Stop press: I just checked the BGA's "Laws and Rules" and it says "For
short term visitors to the UK, a medical certificate valid for gliding in
their own country is acceptable, but these other certificates are not
acceptable for permanent UK residents" so getting an FAA medical might be
more useful. You should look at this download anyway:

http://www.gliding.co.uk/forms/lawsandrules.pdf

If you want to instruct in the UK, that's in principle possible too. Your
club may thank you for jumping through the hoops. See the bottom of the
page at

http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/ins...quirements.htm

There are differences to learn. We fly a circuit not a pattern, glider
bits are held on with split pins not cotter pins, you'll get a kicking
from the Chief Flying Instructor if you pick up a wing drop at the stall
with opposite rudder and we fly this really sensible diagonal leg from
downwind to base that will scare most airport-trained US pilots senseless
(but is actually recommended by the US Soaring Safety Foundation which I
suspect of being infiltrated by BGA types). If you want to know more about
this, contact me off list and I'll also explain why I *still* haven't
converted my CFI(G) to a BGA instructor rating.

Have fun and fly safely.

Paul

Paul Jessop
pjessop at theiet dot org




At 15:33 08 July 2009, Chris Reed wrote:
Erik,

We don't have a licensing system, thus your problem.

We did invent something with the licence label, but it was just to
satisfy (from memory) the French authorities. It's issued by the BGA,
and doesn't meet the formal requirements of the various aviation

treaties.

Licensing will be introduced in the next few years, but no-one knows
whether that will change the current system. You already know what that
is, but for other potential visitors it's quite simple:

a. Turn up at gliding club.

b. Talk to instructor, show log book, possibly show gliding
certificates, show copy of your medical (for UK pilots, this is just a
general practitioner doctor's certification that you are fit to drive a


small truck).

c. Undertake whatever check flights the club requires (usually at least
one launch if you want to fly the club's gliders).

d. Go fly on your own.

Your biggest complication might be the medical. If you have a US PPL,
then your medical should be fine. I believe that for a US glider pilot
licence you have general practitioner doctor's certification as well, so


ideally someone at the BGA would be prepared to endorse this as
equivalent to the UK certification.


Papa3 wrote:
Any of you folks from across the Pond care to help out?

I'm finding myself spending more time in the UK lately, including
weekends. I've flown with a number of different gliding clubs and
thoroughly enjoyed myself... so much so that I'm looking in to what

it
would take to obtain a UK Gliding License. I contacted the BGA, but
I was basically told to poke around the BGA Website to find the
forms. Well, after 15 mintues of rooting around trying to figure out
what applies and what doesn't in my situation, I've given up.

Can anyone simplify this for me? Can I simply convert my US ratings
(commercial glider with flight instructor, 2,000 hours, 1,000K
diplome, etc.) to a UK license or do I need to start from scratch?

Any help appreciated.

Erik Mann (LS8-18 P3)