PPL Experience requirements and crediting

I would confirm the fact - my reading and understanding is the same! Greetings

As you said, the regulation has the line:
'Applicants holding a pilot licence for another category of aircraft...'
When EASA refers to a 'pilot licence' it means an EASA licence unless it says something else like '3rd country pilot licence'. I guess that your 200 hours of ULM flying has been done on a national licence and not an EASA-compliant licence. The 'other categories of aircraft' are those licenced through EASA: helicopters, powered-lift and sailplanes. So I would not expect the ULM time to be accepted.

Maybe I'm wrong but, my understanding is the UL License is not an EASA License, it is a National License.
So the point FCL.210.A PPL(A) (d) is refering to pilots holding an EASA license in any category of aircraft (ie. Airplane, rotorcraft, ligher than air..).

In Poland, ULM pilots can fly with a national qualification certificate, which is not a licence.

Poland CAA considers ULM pilots wishing to obtain LAPL(A) or PPL(A) licences as having no flying experience - checked many times.

This is because Regulation 1178/2011 part-FCL does not provide for credit for experience other than that of holding an SPL or PPL(H). Only as a matter of theory is experience from a BPL recognised.

This is also partly due to ICAO Annex 1 licensing, where the recommended amount of training hours and scope of knowledge for licensed pilots is set out.

In our ATO we often encounter this problem, we are currently 'training' from zero to LAPL(A) a pilot with a national qualification certificate with over TT300h.

It would be advisable for EASA to propose to the EU Commission some solution to make it easier for pilots with national qualification certificates to obtain at least an LAPL(A), which is not an ICAO-compliant licence.

It could bring the national qualification certificates together and enter the common arrangements as a new annex to Regulation 1178/2011 or another new one as happened with the SFCL, BFCL and thus recognise experience gained on this basis for ICAO-compliant licensing.

Thank you all for the answers.
Indeed the ULM licence is a national one.
That was my concern and wanted to clear it up. It just might be that there is no credit based on the national licenses as all ULM licenses in europe are national ones.

I share the opinions listed in the previous answers, by "flight time in other airplanes" EASA means flight time on EASA ratings like sailplanes, TMGs, Choppers or flight time on LAPL. However, since a couple of years, the flight time in 3 axe microlights (under national regulations) counts for renewal of for instance SEP L rating - didn't try it myself, I don't have UL license. But not for licenses, these are for lifetime and do not lapse.

Hi Liviu,

FCL.110(a) says: "Applicants for an LAPL who have held another licence in the same category of aircraft shall be fully credited towards the requirements of the LAPL in that category of aircraft."

Contrary to the comments above, there is no other EASA licence that is the same category as a LAPL(A) so by definition this can only apply to non-EASA licences i.e. national non-ICAO compliant licences (including 3-Axis ULM / Ultralights / Microlights etc.)

In Ireland, we use this all the time to 'convert' pilots with national licences to EASA licences. You'll need an ELA, Class 2/LAPL Medical and a PPL(A) Skills Test. Then use FCL.210.A(b) course to upgrade from the LAPL to PPL.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Mark

Complementing the above, it would be worthwhile for you to check how Romania CAA understands your ULM authorization.

If it determines that you have a national pilot's license instead of a non-license qualification certificate, you can use the direct provisions of EU Regulation 1178/2011 Article 4 'Existing national pilots' licenses'.

link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02011R1178-…

Paragraph 2 says:
"Non-JAR-compliant licences including any associated ratings, certificates, authorizations and/or qualifications issued or recognized by a Member State before the applicability of this Regulation shall be converted into Part-FCL licences by the Member State that issued the licence."