Addendum – EASA Part-FCL & Part-MED — Page 548, Lesson 731

Right, let's pick this up with the age limits for commercial air transport, because that's a hard rule you need to know cold. We're looking at licence holders aged 60 or more in CAT — that's Commercial Air Transport. Here's the structure. Between age 60 and 64, a pilot is not completely grounded, but there are two strict conditions. First, they may only act as a pilot of an aircraft engaged in CAT as a member of a multi-crew — so they cannot fly single-pilot operations. Second, they must be the only pilot on that flight who has reached age 60. In other words, you can't have two pilots over 60 on the same aircraft in CAT. Once a pilot attains the age of 65 years, that's it — they shall not act as a pilot of an aircraft engaged in CAT at all. No exceptions, no multi-crew allowance. So remember the two-tier rule: 60 to 64 with restrictions, 65 and over, no CAT flying. Now let's move to a completely different licence — the Light Aircraft Pilot Licence for aeroplanes, the LAPL(A). I want you to think of this as a leisure licence. It's designed for recreational flying, and that's reflected in two key limits: it limits the number of passengers the pilot may carry, and it restricts the MTOM of the aircraft. MTOM is the Maximum Take-Off Mass — the heaviest the aircraft is allowed to be at take-off. To even apply, you must have completed a training course in an ATO — an Approved Training Organisation. Let's go through the privileges and conditions, because there are several. The minimum age is 17 years. The holder is privileged to act as PIC — Pilot in Command — on a single piston aeroplane-land, or on a Touring Motor Glider, which is abbreviated TMG. Now the conditions attached to that privilege: the aircraft must have an MTOM of 2000 kg or less. You may carry a maximum of 3 passengers, such that there are never more than 4 persons on board the aircraft — so that's you as pilot plus three passengers, four people total. You fly without remuneration — meaning you cannot be paid for it. And it's for non-commercial operations only. There's also a gate before you can carry passengers at all: after the licence is issued, you must complete a further 10 hours of flight time as PIC on aeroplanes or TMG before you may carry passengers. Now the experience requirements to get the licence in the first place. You need at least 30 hours of flight instruction on aeroplanes or TMGs. Within those 30 hours, there are specific minimums. At least 15 hours must be dual flight instruction — that's flying with an instructor on board. And at least 6 hours must be supervised solo flight time. Within that solo time, at least 3 hours must be solo cross-country flight time, and within that, you need at least 1 cross-country flight of at least 150 km — which is 80 nautical miles. During that flight, you must make 1 full stop landing at an aerodrome different from the aerodrome of departure. So you take off from one place, fly at least 150 km, and land at a different aerodrome with a full stop. Finally, recency — this is about staying current. A holder of an LAPL(A) may only exercise the privileges of the licence when, in the last 24 months, they have completed at least 12 hours of flight time as PIC, and that must include 12 take-offs and 12 landings. Additionally, they must have undertaken refresher training of at least 1 hour of flight time with an instructor. So it's a two-part recency requirement: the 12 hours with the 12 take-offs and landings, plus that 1 hour of refresher training with an instructor. That's the LAPL(A) in full — the age 60 rule for CAT, and then the leisure licence with its passenger limit, MTOM limit, the 30-hour experience build-up, and the 24-month recency.