Help. Obtaining a UK Gliding License on the basis of my AmericanLicense

On Jul 8, 11:45*am, Paul Jessop wrote:
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)

There may be a small catch here. It is my understanding that most US
pilot certificates are not ICAO compliant since they do not include
the statement that the pilot is proficient in English. New
certificates include the endorsement.

"Background: Effective March 5, 2008, ICAO Annex 1 (Personnel
Licensing) standards require that all private, commercial or ATPs as
well as FEs and flight navigators operating internationally as
required crewmembers of an airplane or helicopter have an airman
certificate with an endorsement of language proficiency. In the case
of persons holding a U.S. airman certificate, the language proficiency
endorsement will state “English Proficient”

So Papa3 you may need to get a new FAA certificate before you try to
use it as a basis for getting a BGA certificate.

Andy

The law governing the solo flying of gliders in the UK is very simple, you
have to be over 16 to do it. That is it, that is all the law says.

The BGA rules have been correctly stated but from a legal point of view
you do not need a licence, certificate or indeed medical. I would stongly
recommend flying from a BGA site but there are locations where gliders are
flown outside the BGA and those are not bound by the BGA rules.

The BGA rules on medicals are that if your health enables you to hold a
current driving licence then you can fly solo. If you wish to instruct
then you need to fit the requirements to drive a lorry, medical
requirements that is.

The BGA rules say that your medical practitioner must sign the relevant
form which can be downloaded from the BGA website, nowhere does it say
that your medical practitioner has to be in the UK so get the form signed
by your doctor in the US and that complies with the rules. I have little
doubt that some jobsworth will try and find a reason why it is not
acceptable but it does comply with the stated rules.

To get to real basics you have to find someone who is prepared to let you
fly their glider to fly solo.
To instruct, well, you have to find someone who is prepared to let you
instruct in their glider.
The medical requirements for the above, you are expected to be able to
walk to and from the glider unaided, at the appropriate times but that is
not absolutely essential.

In message , Don Johnstone
writes
snip
The medical requirements for the above, you are expected to be able to
walk to and from the glider unaided, at the appropriate times but that is
not absolutely essential.

It's not needed at all - there is at least one paraplegic instructor in
the UK and a number of Bronze badge holders.

--
Surfer!
Email to: ramwater at uk2 dot net

At 23:30 08 July 2009, Don Johnstone wrote:
The law governing the solo flying of gliders in the UK is very simple,
you
have to be over 16 to do it. That is it, that is all the law says.

That's an interesting point. Does the BGA enforce that rule? My point
being that in the US you can solo on your 14th birthday. A certain number
of pilots do that every year.

Jim Beckman

In message , Jim Beckman
writes
At 23:30 08 July 2009, Don Johnstone wrote:
The law governing the solo flying of gliders in the UK is very simple,
you
have to be over 16 to do it. That is it, that is all the law says.

That's an interesting point. Does the BGA enforce that rule?

Oh yes.

My point
being that in the US you can solo on your 14th birthday. A certain number
of pilots do that every year.

And quite a few solo on their 16th birthday here, assuming the weather
is suitable!

--
Surfer!
Email to: ramwater at uk2 dot net

The BGA rules say that your medical practitioner must sign the relevant
form which can be downloaded from the BGA website, nowhere does it say
that your medical practitioner has to be in the UK so get the form signed
by your doctor in the US and that complies with the rules.

Yep, I had no problems flying solo in the UK with the form signed by
an Irish GP.

Bart

I am not sure that it is quite as easy as that. The BGA self declaration
medical form countersigned by your own doctor is a requirement for the UK
NPPL, i.e. for UK recreational pilots flying simple UK registered
aircraft, including gliders, in UK airspace. We may have a special
arrangement with the Irish, or maybe this just wasn't spotted!

At some point in the future this, or something similar, will become a
European wide arrangement under EASA, as part of a Recreational Pilots
Licence. At the moment the French won't accept my UK NPPL medical
certificate, and would require that I undergo a medical by one of their
own aviation doctors before flying there, although most of the other EC
countries will, but only if I am flying a UK registered glider. UK NPPL
holders are not even allowed to fly foreign registered aircraft in the UK,
as my club found out when we imported a German registered towplane. It
could only be flown by pilots with full CAA or JAR medical certificates.

Obviously we will accept any recognised aviation medical certificate
issued by a National or International Aviation Authority. Otherwise it
would be a good idea to check with the BGA before coming. Their website is
www.gliding.co.uk

Derek Copeland


At 20:31 09 July 2009, Bartek K. wrote:
The BGA rules say that your medical practitioner must sign the
relevant
form which can be downloaded from the BGA website, nowhere does it say
that your medical practitioner has to be in the UK so get the form
signed
by your doctor in the US and that complies with the rules.

Yep, I had no problems flying solo in the UK with the form signed by
an Irish GP.

Bart

Nowhere does it say in any of the paperwork that the medical practitioner
has to be in the UK. The medical practitioner is only signing to confirm
that the declaration made by the applicant is true so where he comes from
is immaterial.
The form and medical are only relevant to the BGA and are NOT a legal
requirement in the UK, they are only required to fly at a UK BGA club.

Why is it that some people want to complicate everything, I did say on my
original post that some jobsworth would find fault, so now you know
exactly who the jobsworth is.
The original question was about flying in the UK, not France or any of the
other countries in Europe.

The basic requirement remains, to fly a glider solo in the UK you have to
be aged 16 years or more. That is the ONLY legal requirement, there are no
others, no medical, no certificate, no licence, no talking to jobsworth.
You just need to be 16 years or older.



At 06:45 10 July 2009, Derek Copeland wrote:
I am not sure that it is quite as easy as that. The BGA self declaration
medical form countersigned by your own doctor is a requirement for the
UK
NPPL, i.e. for UK recreational pilots flying simple UK registered
aircraft, including gliders, in UK airspace. We may have a special
arrangement with the Irish, or maybe this just wasn't spotted!

At some point in the future this, or something similar, will become a
European wide arrangement under EASA, as part of a Recreational Pilots
Licence. At the moment the French won't accept my UK NPPL medical
certificate, and would require that I undergo a medical by one of their
own aviation doctors before flying there, although most of the other EC
countries will, but only if I am flying a UK registered glider. UK NPPL
holders are not even allowed to fly foreign registered aircraft in the
UK,
as my club found out when we imported a German registered towplane. It
could only be flown by pilots with full CAA or JAR medical certificates.

Obviously we will accept any recognised aviation medical certificate
issued by a National or International Aviation Authority. Otherwise it
would be a good idea to check with the BGA before coming. Their website
is
www.gliding.co.uk

Derek Copeland


At 20:31 09 July 2009, Bartek K. wrote:
The BGA rules say that your medical practitioner must sign the
relevant
form which can be downloaded from the BGA website, nowhere does it
say
that your medical practitioner has to be in the UK so get the form
signed
by your doctor in the US and that complies with the rules.

Yep, I had no problems flying solo in the UK with the form signed by
an Irish GP.

Bart

On Jul 10, 5:45*am, Don Johnstone wrote:

The basic requirement remains, to fly a glider solo in the UK you have to
be aged 16 years or more. That is the ONLY legal requirement, there are no
others, no medical, no certificate, no licence, no talking to jobsworth.
You just need to be 16 years or older.


Sadly, on that front I am more than qualified...

Nowhere does it say in any of the paperwork that the medical practitioner
has to be in the UK. The medical practitioner is only signing to confirm
that the declaration made by the applicant is true so where he comes from
is immaterial.
The form and medical are only relevant to the BGA and are NOT a legal
requirement in the UK, they are only required to fly at a UK BGA club.

Why is it that some people want to complicate everything, I did say on my
original post that some jobsworth would find fault, so now you know
exactly who the jobsworth is.
The original question was about flying in the UK, not France or any of the
other countries in Europe.

The basic requirement remains, to fly a glider solo in the UK you have to
be aged 16 years or more. That is the ONLY legal requirement, there are no
others, no medical, no certificate, no licence, no talking to jobsworth.
You just need to be 16 years or older.



At 06:45 10 July 2009, Derek Copeland wrote:
I am not sure that it is quite as easy as that. The BGA self declaration
medical form countersigned by your own doctor is a requirement for the
UK
NPPL, i.e. for UK recreational pilots flying simple UK registered
aircraft, including gliders, in UK airspace. We may have a special
arrangement with the Irish, or maybe this just wasn't spotted!

At some point in the future this, or something similar, will become a
European wide arrangement under EASA, as part of a Recreational Pilots
Licence. At the moment the French won't accept my UK NPPL medical
certificate, and would require that I undergo a medical by one of their
own aviation doctors before flying there, although most of the other EC
countries will, but only if I am flying a UK registered glider. UK NPPL
holders are not even allowed to fly foreign registered aircraft in the
UK,
as my club found out when we imported a German registered towplane. It
could only be flown by pilots with full CAA or JAR medical certificates.

Obviously we will accept any recognised aviation medical certificate
issued by a National or International Aviation Authority. Otherwise it
would be a good idea to check with the BGA before coming. Their website
is
www.gliding.co.uk

Derek Copeland


At 20:31 09 July 2009, Bartek K. wrote:
The BGA rules say that your medical practitioner must sign the
relevant
form which can be downloaded from the BGA website, nowhere does it
say
that your medical practitioner has to be in the UK so get the form
signed
by your doctor in the US and that complies with the rules.

Yep, I had no problems flying solo in the UK with the form signed by
an Irish GP.

Bart