Before Reading Further …
This page is only applicable to training post PPL, so if you are at this stage of training, don't worry! We'd recommend coming back once you have your PPL as guidance may change.
What is the difference?
Your licence is issued by a "State", which in day to day terms, is the authority responsible for aviation in a country. The two main States that need
Before Brexit, the UK was a part of EASA, which is a collection of all European States. This meant that whether your licence was issued by the UK, France, or Poland, your licence was an "EASA Licence".
After Brexit, the UK had to leave EASA. This meant that a UK issued licence was no longer an "EASA Licence", and became a "UK Licence".
Why does it matter?
Without going into the technicalities of air law, the simple answer is:
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If you want to work for a European operator (aircraft registered outside of the UK), you need an EASA licence
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If you want to work for a UK operator (aircraft registered in the UK), you need a UK licence
This means that you need to choose which licence you want, before you start training.
Which do I want?
This is the golden question, that no one can answer! Our current guidance is as follows:
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Do you want to remain in the UK for your working life? Train for a UK licence
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Do you want to work outside the UK for your working life? Train for an EASA licence
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Note: you will need the right to live and work in Europe … if you don't have this, it's a gamble!
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Are you not sure, or do you want to keep your options open? Train for both licences at the same time
To get both licences, you need to do both sets of training.
If you do the UK and EASA training alongside each other, it is an approximate extra cost of £4,000 (and approximately 2 months of extra time to complete it).
If you do one set of training, and then do the other afterwards at a later date, it is an approximate extra cost of £12,000 (and around 12 months of extra time to do it).
Training at Ravenair
Ravenair is one of the only ATOs to hold both UK and EASA approval. This means that we can train you for either a UK licence, an EASA licence, or both! This is just another reason to train with us.
Still Unsure?
We know it's a difficult decision to make, and there isn't a "right" answer. If you are still unsure, please get in touch and we can advise you based on your personal circumstances.