Sir - It was understood that the purpose of harmonisation of flightcrew licensing (FCL) within the European Union (EU) was to ensure a common technical standard and to issue pilots of all member states with the same European (not national) licence.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority's policy is to align UK FCL requirements with European Joint Aviation Regulations FCL in advance of compulsory implementation. To this end, an enormous upheaval is taking place within FCL. It is time to say: "why?".
The date for implementation keeps slipping. There are 26 member states which have to reach at least a a basic working agreement, and they are nowhere near it. The cost of introduction keeps rising - will all 26 be prepared to meet it? Finally, the EU has backed off and decided on a directive, not a regulation, so the European licence may yet be optional, thus negating the purpose.
The UK stands in danger of being the only EU member state to wreck its present licensing system to implement a non-mandatory, unwieldy, substitute at vast trouble and expense and for no purpose.
Naturally, those closely involved in the work of "harmonisation" are not going to call a halt and admit to much time wasted. If the UK continues along this path, its pilots will be disadvantaged in attempting to qualify here, with subsequent employment implications.
It is impossible to see any other European country acting this way. The time has come to put licensing changes on an indefinite hold.
M M JENKINS
Thetford, Norfolk, UK
Source: Flight International
