Menu Sign In Contact FAQ
Banner
Welcome to our forums

US pilot moving to London

Lots of great suggestions in here, thanks all!

Also, it seems regulations are much more complicated than in the US. Here we just have the FARs, but there are SERAs and ANOs and AIPs… Time to do some reading :)

Also, I haven’t been able to Google what OCAS vs CAS is all about — what’s that (Google just tells me what calibrated airspeed is…)

United Kingdom

While I can’t say Adam is wrong, and I don’t want to disagree with him, I feel compelled to point out, that if you take all of that word for word, you would conclude flying in the UK is ridiculous and ‘why the heck would you’.

However I really encourage Matt to consider it a little more friendly than that.

United Kingdom

If you ever go to east London, join the Tiger Club at Damyns Hall, not IFR flying as it’s mostly about grass flying (turf flying) but there is a good UK-US connection (sort of special relationship) over there

I think you should be able to fly Annex2 aircrafts (vintages) with your FAA PPL “as is” and you are likely to meet some CFI/DPE down there…

The bonus: you don’t need to understand much to go up in the air and enjoy the views, as it’s mostly “flying outside the system”

Last Edited by Ibra at 17 Jan 16:10
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

OCAS CAS
Outside controlled airspace.
Controlled airspace.
When VFR bimbling/stooging around…. OCAS is often treated and anything other than Class D or A. Where D requires a full clearance to enter, will be controlled and is not uncommon to be refused entry, and A is not VFR anyhoo.

United Kingdom

flyingmatt wrote:

Also, I haven’t been able to Google what OCAS vs CAS is all about — what’s that (Google just tells me what calibrated airspeed is…)

OCAS (“Outside controlled airspace”) is flying in class G airspace. You don’t have much of that in the USofA but there’s lots of it in Europe.

ESKC (Uppsala/Sundbro), Sweden

flyingmatt wrote:

Also, it seems regulations are much more complicated than in the US. Here we just have the FARs, but there are SERAs and ANOs and AIPs… Time to do some reading :)

Also, I haven’t been able to Google what OCAS vs CAS is all about — what’s that (Google just tells me what calibrated airspeed is…)

If I was you, I wouldnt bother reading piles of regulations. It will certainly make you want to give up flying, and probably make you want to kill yourself too.

Just get your ass over here and start flying. Instructors and fellow pilots will tell you what you actually need to know to stay out of trouble. You will find that 95% of what you learned for your US exams is applicable here. And what isnt, you will pick up quickly.

Just go flying and dream about the experiences that you can have in Europe that you can’t in the US.

Like flying to Venice’s own grass airstrip, on a handly nearby island:

Flying right into the heart of the Swiss Alps.

Or being able to fly from London to the beach in Cornwall for the day:

Upper Harford private strip UK, near EGBJ, United Kingdom

flyingmatt wrote:

Here we just have the FARs, but there are SERAs and ANOs and AIPs… Time to do some reading :)

Hi @flyingmatt, lease note that AIPs quite often are recommendations or JFYI and not legally binding. :)
Places around London I can think of – EGLD Denham, EGTR Elstree (where I’m based), EGSG Stapleford, EGKB Biggin Hill, EGKR Redhill, EGLK Blackbushe, EGTF Fairoaks. EGLD, EGKB & EGTR are fairly close to the public transport, something like ~£5 for a taxi ride.
If you plan to always fly with an instructor, then you don’t need to worry about any legalities. :)
Otherwise please start with your UK Class 2 medical and you will also need to pass 2 exams (fairly easy ones) – Air Law and Human Performance.
Your new school will advise…
Good luck!

EGTR

quadrantal rule went away a few years ago

Thanks @Alioth, wasn’t aware of any progress in the UK system

If I was you, I wouldnt bother reading piles of regulations. It will certainly make you want to give up flying, and probably make you want to kill yourself too. Just get your ass over here and start flying. Instructors and fellow pilots will tell you what you actually need to know to stay out of trouble.

Best comments of the thread by Buckerfan 👍🏻

Last Edited by Dan at 17 Jan 16:26
Dan
ain't the Destination, but the Journey
LSZF, Switzerland

Oh I didn’t want to be discouraging – so many things are great in flying there, too! Where else can you land on a grass airfield, to go get a cup of tea in the clubhouse and just put 60 pence in a jar, often with homemade short bread? Here in the US, we simply don’t get to experience those smaller grass fields very often, and it’s delightful. I think, although admittedly a little dangerous, being able to fly from one airfield to another IFR in G-airspace is tremendous freedom. With ADS-B fully implemented, I hope this could be allowed in the future in the US, too (technically it is, but there’s almost no G airspace here). And it’s a beautiful country with many-varied scenery. And a trip to Europe is so quick – you can be in a completely different world after just 1hr of flying. Amazing.

Buckerfan wrote:

Just get your ass over here and start flying. Instructors and fellow pilots will tell you what you actually need to know to stay out of trouble. You will find that 95% of what you learned for your US exams is applicable here. And what isnt, you will pick up quickly.

Ha, noted :) My primary instructor always told me to know where exactly in the FARs to find something, so that was my mindset. And I can’t really hurry up my move (I’ll be enjoying my last bit of US flying for a while until I move in the summer). I guess I’ll spent my time watching those youtube videos and daydreaming instead of reading regs though!

United Kingdom
Sign in to add your message

Back to Top