EASA is expected to release the Rule Part-FCL (EASA CRD on NPA 2008-17b).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 15, 2011 -- Once released by the EASA to the Parliament, will be called for review and a vote must take place to accept or reject the text. At this stage no amendment can be done, the only options are “yes” or “no”.

There is a lot of misleading information and argument going around, so we would like to point the True.

The comitology accepted the text on the Dec 8th, 2010 without any substantial change concerning the crew licensing rules and without considering the thousands of objections received by the Commission.

1. No appropriate BASA can be expected within the time frame set in the Rule.
2. No possibility to delay the entering into force from the text behind April 2014.
3. This text is implementing a true apartheid between EU residents and non-residents pilots.
4. No safety progress to refuse EU airspace to pilots used to fly into it while allowing others.
5. EASA recognized to have no clear understanding of the situation.
6. The Rule is in conflict with ICAO and does not contribute to enhance safety.

1.

European Parliament and TRAN members are misleaded into believing that some Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements (BASA) will alleviate the concerns voiced by the private pilots. Contrary to official statements, the BASA text signed on the June 30th, 2008 is all about technical issues and even if the article 2c state “The parties may agree to additional areas of cooperation and acceptance by written amendment of this Agreement in accordance with Article 19” the Article 19 is all about mutual recognition of aircraft and parts certification, maintenance and repairs standards, and aircraft airworthiness standards; which is absolutely not relevant for crew licensing, we may therefore expect that this BASA is in no way applicable to the private pilots licensing concern.

2.
Article 10.4 from the Part-FCL was amended with a transition period and state:

Member States may decide not to apply the provisions of this Regulation to pilots holding a licence issued by a third country involved in the non-commercial operation of aircraft specified in Article 4(1) (b) or (c) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 until 8 April 2014.

May decide is no obligation for member states to apply article 10.4

Until 8 April 2014, give no opportunity to delay the entering into force from this rule behind this date if the bilateral agreements are not completed

FAA has confirmed that as per today, they are no discussion on calendars with regards to bilateral agreements for crew licensing; and no one may reasonably expect that from this starting point a bilateral agreement will be in force before April 2014 as the date set in the text.

For comparison purpose; US and Canada spend 8 years to complete a bilateral agreement, with regards to crew licensing and those two countries have relatively similar standards compared to EU standards.

3.

Using the pilot’s country of residence as the determining factor for regularly standard of licensing, is implementing a true apartheid to the detriment of those who reside in Europe and which additionally pay their taxes and VAT.

4.
Accepting non-European resident pilots to fly within the European airspace with third country issued license on-board of third country registered aircraft and refusing this right to European residents pilots where are used to fly safely within the European airspace is not a safety progress.

5.

Mr. Goudou, Director of the EASA, has publicly stated, in front of about 50 European journalists and representatives of International press agencies at a press meeting past Jan. 11th 2011; “in the light of the unprecedented concert of protests affirmed that EASA was to launch and finance a study to understand the differences between FAA (American) licenses and Current European licenses”. Therefore, EASA has recognized that it made an NPA and advised the Commission without having a clear understanding of the situation, from a safety, economic or technical standpoint.

6.
During the same press meeting, Mr. Goudou, director of EASA, stated that, “because they are Europeans residents, between 80'000 and 90’000 pilots holding a 3rd country license (mainly all FAA licenses) would, under this rule, be required to hold and maintain two distinct pilot licenses”, ONE as as European resident, and a SECOND of the country of registration of the aircraft they fly, and have distinct medical certificates.

This is in conflict with ICAO Annex I and does not contribute to enhance safety.

ICAO member countries recognize airmen certificates (licenses and ratings) across borders. This also applies to the Instrument Rating, which provides the ability for safe flight in poor weather. The ICAO Agreement further provides, as a rule, that an aircraft should be flown by a pilot licensed under the rules of the country in which the aircraft is registered.
All EU member states have signed the ICAO Convention and its Annexes.

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