At the Aero Expo this week in Friedrichshafen, Germany, EASA officials renewed their pledge to simplify certification rules for the European industry, including major changes to the rules governing flight schools. Besides simplifying the rules on balloon and glider operations, the agency is actively working on decluttering its rule books, both in an effort to make compliance simpler, but also to give the industry a better chance to counter its rising age demographics and dwindling numbers.
Major changes are expected to the current ATO (Approved Training Organization), which makes it difficult for smaller flight schools to provide training outside of the “professional” pilot training scope. In the future there are plans to establish “Declared Training Organizations” (DTO), reducing the regulatory burden and allowing for easy transition for flight schools. The move is expected to lower cost and increase completion rates for aspiring pilots while boosting smaller training outfits abilities to train and certify pilots. Ambitiously, the agency is moving to launch the program within summer of 2018.
For aspiring instrument pilots, there will soon be a BIR (Basic Instrument Rating) again, tailored for private single- and multi-engine rated pilots. The BIR will be split up into three modules: (1) CORE Module, (2) Approaches & Arrival and (3) Enroute Instrument Rating, which can be completed by DTOs. Pilots holding the BIR are likely to be limited to higher approach minima.
Change options to the previous “national” license known as LAPL are currently on the table. The proposal would split the pilot certification into two modules, allowing local flights and different restrictions to people who wish to fly alone and local and those who wish to continue on toward the Part FCL license. The argument here is that one of the EASA jurisdictional states currently has such a system. With this option, the agency acknowledges handing the writing of regulations back to industry players. While EASA admits to being challenged by increasing demand to provide simple and easy-to-follow regulations for both pilots and manufacturers, EASA is moving toward more direct exchange with the industry, rather than holding the rulebook up.
