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IFR in Europe for FAA pilots

Let's suppose I get an IR rating in the US, where I live now. Given that I'm a bit colour blind and my hearing isn't great (I can only get a 3rd class medical restricted to day flying) what are my options if I ever wanted to fly in Europe (moving back to Europe as well)? How widespread are N-registered planes in Europe in aviation clubs? Any news about the EASA issue with FAA pilots?

KPAO

As I understand you would be here rather occasionally, and don't intend to become "resident" or "established" in Europe, you won't need EASA papers to fly N-regs over here. Unfortunately, there are very few N-regs for rent in Europe: about a handful or a little more (officially advertised) in Germany, Maybe about the same in the UK, and possibly another handful in France. Two or three in Austria. That should be more or less it. So, that's a few handfuls of aircraft spread trough all of Europe!

But you might be able to get an EASA medical (and license) of some sort. Good news is that re colour blindness, you can get a medical for day VFR only. Plenty of such people around here. And: it is rumoured that in future you will be able to fly even IFR (no night) with colour blindness. Don't know how bad your hearing is, but there should be a way to work around that as well.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

I'm probably not staying in the US forever, so I would move back to Europe, thus becoming a resident again. I'm aware that I can get a medical for VFR, hence my question about IFR. :-) My hearing problem is bad enough that I won't be able to get an FAA class 2 medical, but I hope that rumor is true.

KPAO

I am not a doctor but there may be a bit of confusion here.

The FAA Class 2 is not relevant to anything as far as I can see. You can fly an N-reg aircraft worldwide on an FAA Class 3 medical. I vaguely recall that you cannot base yourself with a Class 3 in Ireland, but the EASA moves will force N-reg pilots to get EASA papers and medicals anyway. So when you write "FAA Class 2" do you really mean "EASA Class 2"?

For the EASA IR, you need either an EASA Class 1 medical, or an EASA Class 2 medical with the Class 1 audiogram. There have been, and possibly still are, ways into the system. One of them involved an FAA CPL/ATPL and an FAA Class 1 medical.

Once you get into the system, you are then for ever on the Demonstrated Ability path and you could become deaf as a post and still fly a 747 with 400 passengers, and this concession is available worldwide (has to be, because "old" jet pilots are often pretty deaf).

But, on current proposals, there will be no way to fly IFR in Europe if you fail the EASA Class 1 audiogram - unless you can somehow get into the Demonstrated Ability pipeline, or pull some other medical concession, in some European country where things are, shall we say, not so rigidly operated

But then we have the wider issue of the EASA FCL (flight crew licensing) regs, which base the requirement for EASA pilot papers + medical on the residency of the "operator". How will this be defined? Nobody knows. We haven't had this gripping debate on this forum yet but I can't see how anybody is going to enforce this with ramp inspections. Imagine the average airport policeman trying to establish the residence of the operator. Especially if you have a US address, etc. Insurance could be a bigger issue but if you agree your operating arrangement with your insurer, that should deal with that. I think there is a very good chance that the EASA FCL regs will become yet another 1000+ pages of regs which will be selectively implemented around Europe.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

No, I really mean FAA class 2. I was trying to say that I would not be able to pass the less strict FAA class 2 audiogram, much less the more strict EASA class 1 audiogram.

KPAO

The hearing and colour vision requirements are the same for all classes FAA medicals.

And just as there is no audiogram for the FAA class 3 medical there isn't one for the class 2 or 1. The test is the speech test, nothing more. If you fail that you can then have an audiogram to demonstrate you meet the requirements.

If you are colour deficient to the extent that you can't pass the plates or an acceptable alternative (CAD/Latern test etc) your EASA medical your medical will be endorsed 'VCL'

That means you can fly by daytime only but there is no restriction on holding an IR.

For the IR you have to pass the audiogram; if you fail that you have to do a functional hearing assessment.

For the IR you have to pass the audiogram; if you fail that you have to do a functional hearing assessment.

Is that an option for an Initial medical i.e. say somebody who has just done the IR and is having to get the Class 1 audiogram for the first time?

The functional hearing assessment never used to be an option for Initial. Only for Renewals.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Is that an option for an Initial medical i.e. say somebody who has just done the IR and is having to get the Class 1 audiogram for the first time?

The good news is that (at least here) a lot of GPs can issue medicals. When I had my last medical done, I could see the nurse operating the sliders on the audiogram test. Even though my hearing is OK, I would just have to wait for the slider to be at a sensible position and report the signal. Looking at the overall health of that GP and his passion for flying, it was clear that his criteria have to be rather pragmatic

Ok, thanks a lot. The situation looks a bit grim but I'll probably take the IR training in the US just for fun. :)

KPAO
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