NPPL

The National Private Pilot's Licence (NPPL)

The National Private Pilot's Licence came into effect in July 2002. This licence is aimed at people who wish to fly for fun rather than as a stepping stone to a career in aviation.

The NPPL was a response to what many regard as an increasingly bureaucratic and expensive nature of the JAR-regulated PPL and its associated medical requirements. Whilst such regulations may be appropriate for commercial aviation, they can impose an excessive burden on recreational pilots.

The NPPL is limited to:

- VFR only (no IMC or IR ratings can be added), minimum visibility 5kms (10kms under Special VFR)

- UK-registered aircraft only

- Flight in UK airspace only

- Simple aircraft types only (can be extended with extra training)

- Maximum of three passengers

For full details of the NPPL, please refer to the NPPL web site at http://www.nppl.uk.com

Medical forms can be downloaded from http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG1204.pdf