Peter Saundby reports:

This summer the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority introduced a National Private Pilot's Licence. This permits the flying of simple four seat aircraft up to two tonnes weight, although differences training will allow the flying of aircraft with more complex systems. The same declaration of medical fitness will apply to pilots of gliders, microlights [ULM] and balloons.

The provisions for medical fitness assurance follow those which have been used for many years by the British Gliding Association, but differ from the traditional medical examinations required by Chapter 6 of ICAO Annex 1. It is not the disqualifying diseases that are different, but the method by which the absence of disease is assured.

It is considered that medical conditions which could cause incapacity in the air are those which merit concern. Conditions predicting success in training do not endanger public safety. Two levels of fitness are acceptable for the NPPL. The normal corresponds [with some minor exceptions relating to vision] to the Group 2 [professional] driver standard. Pilots who cannot achieve this standard, but do meet the standards for a private driver may hold a restricted medical declaration, with this they can fly solo or with another pilot, but may not be responsible for inexperienced persons in the air. In statistical terms the JAR 3 [Med] defines a 1% probability of incapacity in the next year as the disqualifying level for both Class 1 and 2. The professional driver standards are estimated to be a 2% level, while a private driver can be an order of magnitude worse. The third party risk risk to the general public is far higher from drivers on the highway than from the air.

The standards for drivers are set out by the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency [DVLA] and are available from their web site at www.dvla.gov.uk. These in turn are based upon a European Union Council Directive 91/439/EEC of July 1991 and published in the Official Journal L 237, 24/08/1991 p 0001-0024.

The NPPL utilises a medical declaration and not a medical certificate. The responsibility to be fit to fly lies with the pilot and not a certifying doctor. This includes fatigue, short term illness, or intoxication from alcohol or drugs. Medical advisers have been appointed for each air sport. Their professional qualifications vary, but all are active pilots in the air sport concerned and carry the respect of their fellow pilots. Othopaedic limitations may indicate assessment or even aircraft modifications. The task of Medical Advisers is to advise on borderline cases and manage difficult problems, such as early psychiatric symptoms.

To prevent concealment of disease, and to ensure that known disease is properly considered, the declaration has to be endorsed by the family doctor. It assists that in the UK virtually all of the population is registered with a doctor under our National Health Service and records are kept from birth. There is also a national requirement for some limited preventive medicine by family doctors, such as blood pressure monitoring. The NPPL medical declaration has to be repeated at intervals governed by age, and also after significant illness.

The family doctor is not asked to certify aeromedical fitness, but simply the absence of disqualifying disease in the medical record. Some teething problems have occurred, mostly with doctors who had not fully appreciated this revised philosophy. However minor changes have been made to the CAA documents in the light of experience.

During the first few months of operation, some 250 licences have been issued, the majority being to experienced pilots who have suffered medical problems and have now returned to flying with a restricted licence.

Those who are interested can find the full documentation on the CAA web site:
www.caa.co.uk/srg/med/document.asp?groupid=305