Bertrand, from whom I bought the X-Air, is an ULM instructor. A few days after I’d brought it to Plazac he kindly contacted the French authorities on my behalf to get a definitive statement on what I was required to do in order to acquire a French licence. After a follow-up email to spur them into action (this is France, after all ;-)), this is the message that he received back and passed on to me a few days ago.
Il n’y a pas de passerelle pour convertir une licence ULM anglaise en licence ULM française.
Si Monsieur …. est titulaire d’une licence de pilote d’aéronef, délivrée par un Etat membre de la Communauté européenne ou un autre État partie à l’Espace économique européen, conformément aux normes de la convention relative à l’aviation civile internationale, il est dispensé de passer l’examen théorique commun. (cf. arrêté du 4 mai 2000, relatif aux programmes et régime des examens du brevet et de la licence de pilote d’aéronef ultra léger motorisé.)
Il peut, dans ce cas, passer seulement la partie pratique auprès d’un instructeur ULM français.
Bien cordialement,
This is good news not only for me but for anyone with a UK licence who is thinking about moving to France. What it says is that all you need to do is present yourself to a French ULM instructor and undertake a GST. That’s all, no other formalities, no exams or anything like that. When I compare this to the 100 or so pages of complex gumph that the CAA has produced on the subject of ‘licence allowances’, I find it so refreshing. It’s also great to know that once I’ve done what is asked for, I’ll be free of the tyranny of annual permits and inspections, weighings that the BMAA then uses to beat you over the head with by suggesting that your aircraft that conforms to Section S (and always has done) is over-weight and cannot therefore be flown, the farce of annual medical declarations that many UK doctors refuse to sign despite their being required to do so and having no responsibility for anyway, the mod system that treats you like a numpty and charges you a fortune for the privilege and all of the other paraphernalia tied up with owning and flying a microlight in the UK that allows you to be milked of cash and puts the cost of what could otherwise be a popular leisure activity out of the reach of all but a privileged few.
No wonder there are more microlights and more microlight flyers over on this side of the Channel! We are expecting a bright but cold day tomorrow and Victor, Wim and I are off to the airfield at Castillonnes. Victor hopes to get an hour or so of instruction in and Wim and I will probably just stay on the ground and enjoy the visit. However, I’ll be taking my UK licence and the email I got from Bertrand with me, checking in with an instructor to get some information back from him and maybe making some plans. It could be a big leap forward for me and I’m really looking forward to it 😀
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Thanks Russ. Yup, I can start making some plans to move forward again now. I feel as though I’ve been standing still for too long now after the MYRO setback so I’m really pleased. I’ve put a few more details in the next post.
that is good news Roger 🙂