Foreign issued pilot licences recognised in Ireland
Pilots holding foreign licences or qualifications to fly Annex II aircraft, such as powered parachutes, powered hang-gliders, microlights, and gyrocopters, can use those licences in Ireland now, thanks to a direction issued by the Irish Aviation Authority. Previously, only licences issued by the IAA or under ICAO or EASA Part FCL were automatically accepted and UK microlight pilots licences could be used for up to 28 days.
This change will not only benefit visiting pilots who want to enjoy their sport while in Ireland, it will be of great benefit to Irish pilots who trained and qualified elsewhere. Of course, there are restrictions! Student licences or qualifications aren’t recognised, nor is the UK NPPL Restricted Microlight Rating.
Visiting pilots with these licences/qualifications must also have:
- A valid medical certificate at LAPL standard or above;
- Minimum flight time experience, which varies depending on the aircraft type;
- ICAO Level 4 English Language Proficiency;
- Flight Radiotelephony Operator (Restricted) qualification, or equivalent, if an aircraft radio station is required to be operated in controlled airspace; and
- Notified the IAA in advance using F.127B.
Details of all the requirements, including what flight time experience is needed, are contained in Aeronautical Notice P.21.
Visiting pilots may need additional paperwork to bring their aircraft to Ireland. Annex II aircraft operating on a Flight Permit, or equivalent, registered in countries other than Ireland are not automatically permitted to fly here. Visiting Classic/Vintage and Homebuilt aircraft registered in any ECAC member state are automatically accepted, as are microlights registered in the UK or France. Details of which aircraft are automatically permitted and the conditions around that, are in Aeronautical Notice A19. If your aircraft isn’t automatically accepted, complete AWSD.F.138C and send it to the IAA.
In other news, pilots flying on FAA PPLs were going to fall foul of a delay in reaching agreement on extending the bilateral between the EU and the US to include Flight Crew Licences. European Regulations required such pilots to hold an EU Pilot Licence or validation from 8th April 2017. In order to allow these pilots to continue to privately operate their aircraft, an exemption has been granted for the period until an agreement can be made. The legal details are in Aeronautical Notice P.25.
About the Author
Mark Dwyer Mark is an airline pilot flying the Boeing 737 for a major European airline. In addition he is also a Type Rating Instructor, Type Rating Examiner and Base Training Captain on the B737. Outside of commercial flying Mark enjoys flying light aircraft from the smallest 3 Axis microlights up to heavier singles. He is also an instructor and EASA Examiner on single engines and a UK CAA Examiner. He flies the Chipmunk for the Irish Historic Flight Foundation (IHFF). Mark became the Chairman of the National Microlight Association of Ireland (NMAI) in 2013 and has overseen a massive growth in the organisation. In this role he has worked at local and national levels. In 2015, Mark won ‘Upcoming Aviation Professional Award’ at the Aviation Industry Awards sponsored by the IAA. Mark launched this website back in 2002 while always managing the website, he has also been Editor and Deputy Editor of FlyingInIreland Magazine from 2005 to 2015.
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