THE NEW NATIONAL PRIVATE PILOT'S LICENSE (NPPL)


The NPPL was introduced on the 29th of July 2002 to provide a simplified Single Engine Piston (SEP) Aeroplane Recreational Flying License with a minimum training requirement of 32 hours, not including skills tests, and a simplified medical. It is a sub-ICAO, UK only, Day VFR license intended to bring more people into recreational flying by providing a less cumbersome and potentially cheaper route that the JAR FCL PPL. The NPPL will also cover Self Launched Motor Gliders and Microlights with a separate rating for each in addition to the SEP rating. The existing microlight training requirements of a minimum of 25 hours for an unrestricted rating, 15 hours for a restricted rating, and the microlight exams will remain unchanged.
So if you are currently undergoing training for a Microlight License you will now be issued with a National Private Pilot's License with a Microlight rating and you will have the opportunity to add either or both of the other ratings if you wish to do so by taking additional training. Such additional training will depend on cross-crediting arrangements, which will give microlight pilots full credit for their flying experience. Information about the NPPL and its ratings and the cross-crediting arrangements can be found on the NPPL website. There is also a link to the CAA website where details of the new NPPL medical form and medical information sheets for the GP covering a range of medical conditions can be found. Alternatively go straight to the CAA website and follow the links to "Medical" and NPPL. For existing pilots flying microlights on the privileges of their PPL (A) microlight, or PPL (A) "Group A" licenses, using the FCL 150 A/B Medical Certificate "Pink Form", an exemption we have obtained from the CAA allows you to continue to use that form until it expires at which time you may use the NPPL Medical Form. The advantage of the NPPL medical form is that it is more clearly explained with notes for the GP and it is required less frequently than the Pink Form.

Please address any queries on the NPPL Microlight rating to: general@bmaa.org . Queries on the SEP and SLMG should be addressed to the PFA or AOPA and the BGA respectively using the links or contact details on the NPPL website.
 

Mark Said / Alex Dalli