A root and branch review of many of the national rules and regulations that affect UK General Aviation (GA) is underway through a consultation on the elements in the Air Navigation Order (ANO) that affect GA.
The review follows a commitment made by the CAA, in response to the Government’s Red Tape Challenge, to reform the regulatory regime for the UK’s GA sector.
Pilot licensing, operations and airworthiness rules are covered in the consultation with a view to deregulating or delegating where possible in order to simplify compliance for GA pilots and organisations.
An amended ANO will also speed up the CAA’s ability to introduce reforms already identified.
The review will follow the principles already adopted by the CAA in its oversight of general aviation, which include:
• only regulate when necessary, and do so proportionately
• deregulate where it can
• delegate where appropriate
• not to gold-plate, and quickly and efficiently remove gold-plating that already exists
• help create a vibrant and dynamic GA sector in the UK.
Included in the consultation are options to:
- Deregulate the pilot licensing of small single occupant aircraft
- Align with the EASA structure of privileges and requirements for UK licences, retaining any previously held privileges. This would allow holders of older UK licences to exercise privileges in line with EASA
- Use the special category certificate of airworthiness to bring greater clarity to different levels of airworthiness assurance and potentially allow a greater range of non-ICAO aircraft to do remunerated flying
- Simplify airworthiness procedures. For example removing the approval of log books and reviewing requirements for light aircraft maintenance schedules
- Review aerodrome regulation for airfields not covered by EASA
- Introduce a Skyway Code as a simple guide to the rules and guidance of day to day flying
- Review our involvement in parachute operations and flying displays
- Simplify the rules on balloons and kites flying
The CAA has also established an independent GA challenge panel chaired by Julian Scarfe, Vice President of Europe Air Sports, to provide challenge and act as a critical friend to the process.
The current consultation is available at www.caa.co.uk/consultations and will close on 26th May 2015. This will influence a second and final consultation that will be completed by the end of autumn 2015, with a new ANO enacted in autumn 2016 to closely align with the arrival of EASA operational rules for private aircraft.
Where possible changes will be introduced prior to the new ANO by exemptions to bring the benefits to the GA community as soon as possible.