Pilot licensing in the United Kingdom

Pilot licensing in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). 
The principal reference for flight crew licensing in the UK Regulation (EU) No.1178/2011 (this EU legislation as retained into U.K. domestic legislation) which is published by the CAA website. www.caa.co.uk 
Levels of licence.
The UK currently grants several levels of licence:
The licence held by a pilot confers privileges on the sort of flying they may carry out—broadly, whether or not they may receive remuneration for doing so—and are independent of any aircraft "type", or "class", "ratings" included in the holder's licence and other ratings required for flying under specified conditions.
Currently British glider pilots do not require a CAA-granted licence. Regulation of gliding is through the British Gliding Association and its affiliated clubs. However, from April 2021 they will require a CAA issued LAPL(S) (or the international Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL)) to fly U.K. Part-21 sailplanes. The UK NPPL has close links with the gliding community and a gliding certificate can be converted.
NPPL.
The "UK National Private Pilot Licence" is a restricted form of the PPL introduced in 2002 for recreational pilots. It has a less stringent medical requirement than the U.K. Part-FCL PPL and a reduced flying syllabus.
The NPPL is administered by the National Pilots Licensing Group under supervision of the CAA. It is granted in two forms:
The NPPL is a sub-ICAO licence meaning the holder is limited to operating only UK-registered aircraft and it cannot be used outside of the UK without permission from the regulatory authorities of any foreign jurisdictions whose airspace the holder intends to operate into. The holder, when operating under the privileges of the NPPL, is furthermore restricted to operations in accordance with VFR. The NPPL is more restrictive in respect of additional aircraft ratings which may be added compared with an U.K. Part-FCL PPL or LAPL.
PPL.
The private pilot licence confers on the holder a privilege to act as the pilot in command of certain kinds of aircraft. The holder may not operate for "valuable consideration", i.e. any form of reward, either financial or in kind. However, subject to national restrictions governing the soliciting of passengers to be carried on board an aircraft operated by a PPL holder, and in addition to several other requirements, a PPL holder may carry passengers who make a remunerative contribution toward the direct cost of the flights.
A flying instructor rating may be included, subject to requirements under U.K. Part-FCL being satisfied, in an U.K. Part-FCL PPL provided the applicant has successfully completed a number of additional examinations. Such a person giving instruction in flying training may be remunerated.
Applicants for a private pilot licence must be at least 17 years old, hold a valid U.K. Part-MED Class 2 medical certificate, and have met the specified practical and theoretical training requirements laid down in U.K. Part-FCL. This presently includes nine written theory examinations, completing at least 45 hours' flying training, including ten hours' solo flying, five hours' solo 'cross-country' flying and at least one solo flight of not fewer than 150 nautical miles with full-stop landings at two or more different aerodromes other than the aerodrome of departure.
In addition to the practical training requirements, nine multiple choice theory examinations must be passed. The pass mark for every exam is 75%, the nine subjects are:
CPL.
The commercial pilot licence allows the holder to act as the pilot in command of an aircraft for valuable consideration in single pilot operations. It also permits the holder to act as a co-pilot of a multi-crew aircraft for which they are qualified subject to their (i) holding a valid certificate of multi-crew co-operation, (ii) having successfully completed an approved ATPL Theoretical Knowledge Course together with fourteen ATPL theoretical examinations, (iii) having a valid instrument rating and multi-engine class rating.
Applicants for a commercial pilot licence must be at least 18 years old, hold a valid U.K. Part-FCL Class 1 medical certificate, have met the specified practical and theoretical training requirements laid down in U.K. Part-FCL: including at least 200 hours' flying time (150 hours for applicants who have completed an approved course of aeroplanes) including 100 hours' flying experience acting as the pilot in command (abbreviated to 70 hours for applicants who have completed an approved course of aeroplanes), 20 hours' 'cross-country' flying experience with at least one solo flight of not fewer than 300 nautical miles with full-stop landings at two or more different aerodromes, 10 hours' instrument instruction of which no more than five may be instrument ground time and five hours of night instruction including five take-offs and landings if the privileges are to be exercised at night.
ATPL.
In addition to the privileges of the CPL, the holder of an Airline Transport Pilot Licence may act as the commander of a multi-crew aircraft under IFR. An applicant for an ATPL must be at least 21 years old, hold a valid class 1 medical certificate, a type rating for a multi-crew aircraft and have completed the required theoretical and flight training and have at least 1,500 hours of flight time. Where a simulator is permitted, no more than 100 hours (of which 25 may be in basic instrument training devices) may be credited towards the issue of the licence. Of the 1,500 hours, the applicant is to have completed 250 hours as PIC of which 150 may be PICUS (pilot-in-command under supervision), 200 hours cross country of which 100 must be as PIC or PICUS, 75 hours instrument time of which not more than 30 may be instrument ground time, 100 hours night flight as PIC or co-pilot and 500 hours in multi-pilot operations in aeroplanes with a maximum take-off weight of at least 5700 kg.
The theoretical exams required for the ATPL cover 14 subjects:
Licence currency.
U.K. licences do not expire. However, in order to keep the ratings valid the pilot must meet the requirements of the licence. For example, for PPL(SEP), the pilot must pass a proficiency check with an examiner, or demonstrate meeting the minimum flight time and training requirements.
Licensing by aircraft.
U.K. Part-FCL licences are issued for a particular category of aircraft:
UK licences are issued for:
The abbreviations are combined with the licence level held, for example a Commercial Pilot Licence for Balloons can be written as CPL(B).
Type and Class ratings.
A licence will contain one or more "ratings". These are sub-qualifications that specify in more detail the exact privileges that the licence conveys. One type of rating is an "Aircraft rating". This specifies the type or types of aircraft which can be flown, and is either a "Class rating", when a whole broad class of aircraft can be flown, or a "Type rating" where the privileges are confined to a single type or group of very closely related types.
The very basic aircraft rating usually obtained by PPL(A) holders at their initial skills test is the Single Engine Piston Landplane (SEP-land) Class Rating. This allows flight of single-piston-engined, non-turbocharged, fixed-pitch propeller, fixed tricycle gear, non-pressurised land aeroplanes (with a few exceptions).
SEP class rating holders may optionally extend the privileges of this rating to cover complex features by taking formal differences training from a suitably qualified instructor. There are five categories of difference: tailwheel aircraft, retractable undercarriage, variable-pitch propeller, turbocharged engine and cabin pressurisation. There is no formal test for any difference training; the training is signed off as satisfactorily completed in the pilot's logbook by the instructor conducting the training.
Other class ratings include Multi Engine Piston (MEP) landplane, Single and Multi engined piston Seaplane, Single Engine Turbine (SET) and Touring Motor Gliders. Note: There is no MET class rating, as multi engine turbine and all jet powered aircraft require a type rating. To add these to their licence a pilot has to undergo a course of training and pass an additional skills test. Differences training is also required for certain complex features within these class ratings.
Aircraft ratings are type-specific for multi engine turboprop, all jet aircraft and for a few other very complex types. To obtain one of these a pilot must undergo specific training and pass a skills test.
It is also possible to obtain permission from the CAA to fly an aircraft not covered by any type or class rating.
Other ratings and qualifications.
Additional ratings and qualifications may be included in a licence to extend the pilot's operating privileges.
A Night Rating may be included in an U.K. Part-FCL pilot licence. The rating is, subject to the relevant conditions made under U.K. Part-FCL being satisfied, included in the holder's licence without a Skill Test being required. Additionally, there is no requirement made which requires retesting of the holder of a Night Rating.
The Night Rating privileges are, subject to regulations enforced in and by jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom, to operate in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) at night. (UK Air Navigation Order 2016 refers.) 'Night' for the purpose of this section is defined under the UK Air Navigation Order 2016 as:
"Flight Instructor" and "Examiner" ratings extend the holder's privileges to act, respectively, as an instructor and to act as an examiner for proficiency checks and skill tests. These ratings both exist in a variety of forms whose domains, or ranges of privileges, are for specified aircraft operations.
Instrument qualifications in the UK.
Unless a pilot holds a current instrument qualification, they must remain in VMC at all times. The exact definition of VMC varies in the different classes of airspace, but they prescribe a certain in-flight visibility and distance to be kept from cloud, and may require the pilot to remain in sight of the surface.
When meteorological conditions are worse than the VMC minima, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) are said to exist, and an instrument qualification is required in order to fly legally. The training for the full Instrument Rating (IR) is very stringent and costly. Because of this, the UK CAA also issues the Instrument Rating (Restricted), IR(R), which is a simplified version of the IR with fewer privileges. Formerly known as the IMC Rating, the IR(R) allows flight in IMC but only in certain classes of airspace and with restrictions on conditions for take-off and landing. It is also a national rating, meaning it is not ordinarily recognised outside the UK. It had previously been agreed that pilots who already held the rating before April 2014 would be allowed to use it indefinitely within the UK and to transfer it to a new U.K. PPL as an Instrument Rating (Restricted).The full IR can also be added onto a U.K. Part-FCL licence. This allows flight in IMC in all classes of airspace, provided the aircraft is capable of the conditions encountered. In particular, an IR is required to act as a pilot on a scheduled flight.
Training routes.
There are three different routes to complete your training and get your licence. These are modular, integrated and MPL training. Each route has its own advantages and disadvantages.