Article 3b Existing pilot licences and national medical certificatesF1

United Kingdom

Part-FCL licences for balloons and associated privileges, ratings and certificates issued by F2the CAA before the date of application of this Regulation shall be deemed to have been issued in accordance with this Regulation. F3The CAA shall replace those licences with licences that comply with the format laid down in Annex VI (Part-ARA) to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 when they reissue licences for administrative reasons or upon a request of licence holders.

When F4the CAA reissues licences and associated privileges, ratings and certificates in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article, F5the CAA shall, as applicable:

(a)

transfer all privileges already endorsed in Part-FCL licences to the new licence format;

(F6b)

convert the privileges for commercial operation associated with a Part-FCL licence into:

(i)
a commercial non-passenger operation rating where the licence holder complies with point BFCL.215 of Annex III; or
(ii)
a commercial operation rating where the licence holder complies with point BFCL.220 of Annex III;

(c)

endorse the expiry date of a flight instructor certificate associated with a Part-FCL licence into the pilot’s logbook or issue an equivalent document. After that date, those pilots shall exercise instructor privileges only if they comply with point BFCL.360 of Annex III (Part-BFCL) to this Regulation.

Holders of national licences for balloons F7... shall be allowed to continue to exercise the privileges of their licences until F830 September 2025. F9Except as provided for in paragraph 5, F10the CAA shall convert those licences into Part-BFCL licences and associated ratings, privileges and certificates in accordance with the elements laid down in a conversion report F11....

F124.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(F135)

A Private Pilot’s Licence (Balloons and Airships) issued in accordance with Article 152 of the Air Navigation Order 2016 is not required to be converted as provided for by paragraph 3 where:

(a)

it remains valid in accordance with that Order;

(b)

it is used in accordance with Article 154 and section 3 of Chapter 2, Part 1 of Schedule 8 of that Order.

(6)

The CAA may convert a Commercial Pilot’s Licence (Balloons) (CPL(B)) issued in accordance with Article 152 of the Air Navigation Order 2016 to a Balloon Pilot Licence (BPL) endorsed with either a commercial non-passenger operation rating or a commercial passenger operation rating, depending on the experience and qualifications of the licence holder. Such a conversion will be based on a conversion report published by the CAA.

(7)

The holder of a BPL with a commercial operation rating issued on or before 30 September 2025 will be deemed to hold:

(a)

a commercial non-passenger operation rating where the pilot complies with point BFCL.215 of Annex III;

(b)

a commercial passenger operation rating where the pilot complies with point BFCL.220 of Annex III.

(8)

If, on 30 September 2025:

(a)

the holder of a commercial operation rating has the privilege to operate a particular group of hot-air balloons on commercial passenger operations, the holder is considered to meet the flight experience requirements of point BFCL.220(d)(1) of Annex III with respect to that group;

(b)

the holder of a Flight Examiner (Balloons) certificate has the privilege to examine applicants for a commercial operation rating in a particular class or group of balloon, the holder is considered to have complied with the flight experience requirements of BFCL.415 with respect to that class or group.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: Inserted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/357 of 4 March 2020 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/395 as regards balloon pilot licences (Text with EEA relevance).
F2: Words in Art. 3b(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1116), regs. 1(2), 82(2)(a)
F3: Words in Art. 3b(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1116), regs. 1(2), 82(2)(b)
F4: Words in Art. 3b(2) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1116), regs. 1(2), 82(3)(a)
F5: Words in Art. 3b(2) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1116), regs. 1(2), 82(3)(b)
F6: Art. 3b(2)(b) substituted (1.10.2025) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/878), regs. 1(4), 15(2)
F7: Words in Art. 3b(3) omitted (1.7.2022) by virtue of The Aviation Safety (Amendment) Regulations 2022 (S.I. 2022/637), regs. 1(2), 4(2)
F8: Words in Art. 3b(3) substituted (21.6.2023) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/588), regs. 1(2), 32(2)
F9: Words in Art. 3b(3) substituted (1.10.2025) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/878), regs. 1(4), 15(3)(a)
F10: Words in Art. 3b(3) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1116), regs. 1(2), 82(4)(b)
F11: Words in Art. 3b(3) omitted (1.10.2025) by virtue of The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/878), regs. 1(4), 15(3)(b)
F12: Art. 3b(4) omitted (1.10.2025) by virtue of The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/878), regs. 1(4), 15(4)
F13: Art. 3b(5)-(8) inserted (1.10.2025) by The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2025 (S.I. 2025/878), regs. 1(4), 15(5)

Notes on the whole EU Regulation

Textual amendments

F1: Substituted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/357 of 4 March 2020 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/395 as regards balloon pilot licences (Text with EEA relevance).