The remunerated use of selected aircraft operating on LAA Permits to Fly has been enabled by a new change in CAA regulations announced this week. The revisions to the Air Navigation Order will allow post-PPL training and hire to be allowed, allowing pilots who do not own a Permit aircraft to undertake flight instruction and self-fly hire on a commercial basis.

The move will potentially allow heritage aircraft on Permits to Fly such as de Havilland Chipmunks, Jodels  or Piper Cubs to be used in flying club environments for tailwheel training, while newer sport aircraft types will potentially add greater diversity and lower operating costs to the flying school line-up.

“The whole basis of the LAA is affordable flying for fun, and this move will potentially allow a new range of aircraft to be made available to pilots who cannot, or who do not, wish to take on the full cost of ownership, while owners of under-utilised aircraft may be able to offer their aircraft to others” said LAA Chief Executive Steve Slater. “There is also a major future safety benefit in allowing pilots to train in their club or school environment in a type in which they might in future wish to own – allowing a much safer type conversion process.”

In order to be eligible to offer an LAA Permit aircraft for hire, the owner will need to apply for a Certificate for Remunerated Use and the aircraft will be required to have both an appropriate Pilots Operating Handbook and an agreed Maintenance Programme. More specific details of the registration process are available in an updated LAA technical leaflet, TL 2.09, via the LAA website.

“While initially, Permit aircraft will not be offered to non-owners for ab-initio training, we are continuing to work with the CAA and representatives of training organisations on appropriate risk assessments and verification processes to allow this to be enabled, potentially later this year” said Steve Slater. "We are committed to extending the joys of flying our types of aircraft to the widest possible audience.”

 

The CAA Permission document can be found here

Light Aircraft Association

12th June 2018