Tuesday 25th August 2026
REMINDER: LAPL(A) holders rating transition deadline
LAPL(A) holders must comply with FCL.740.A by the 1st October 2026.
Here’s a clear reminder for anyone flying on a UK LAPL(A). The CAA’s transition deadline is now close, and Irv Lee has kindly allowed us to reproduce his detailed explanation of what’s required, why it matters, and how to stay current without falling into the “renewal by test” trap.
LAPL(A) Holders – Mandatory Action Required before October 2026 – Irv Lee
Does this warning apply to you?
Firstly, this warning applies only to UK LAPL(A) (licence) holders. Secondly, confused pilots and even one or two confused instructors think that the LAPL(A) no longer exists but became an NPPL in October last year – it definitely still exists as a LAPL, the CAA merely stopped issuing new ones. You have a UK LAPL(A) if your licence ‘reference’ in it starts with “GBR” and has “.LA.” in it.
What is the threat to my flying?
All LAPL(A) licences must have a ‘class rating’ with expiry date written into them by Sept 30th 2026 by an ‘authorised person’. If this does not happen, the licence is no longer valid for flying Pilot in Command (p1) without passing a (pass/fail) flight test (called a ‘proficiency check) with an examiner, and you would have to convince an instructor or a flight school to sign a form to say you are ready for that test. It is completely unprecedented for the CAA to threaten ‘cancel’ valid pilots in this way. Expect to pay hundreds of pounds or worst case four figures to become a valid pilot again if you fail to complete the CAA required process by the end of September 2026.
How do I comply with this process before September 30th 2026?
Note: the latest Sept 2026 Pilot Magazine on sale now has a useful flow chart for this.
Unless you have already done this, then before end of September, you must take your licence and log book to a flight examiner or, if your instructor who last flew your ‘training hour’ in the past two years has an FCL licence mentioning ‘FCL.945’ privileges, you can use that instructor instead of a flight instructor. You must show that on the day you meet up prior to October, you have logged:
- 12 take offs and landings in the past 24 months
- You must have flown at least 6 hours in the past 12 months.
- You must show at least 12 hours LAPL flying in the past 24 months, but within that 12, at least 6 hours as pilot in command (P1), and at least one hour pilot under training. (There is a very rare case where the training hour is not needed in the 12 being claimed, it is when a LAPL pilot has added either TMG or SEP into an existing LAPL licence by test in the past 24 months.)
What does the examiner/instructor do?
After checking you meet the experience above, he/she writes what is called an expiring Class Rating into your licence (either SEP or TMG as required) with an expiry date of two years (to end of month) from date of signing and then sends a form to the CAA saying this has been actioned. So asking in August 2026 gets you August 31st 2028 as the next expiry date, asking in September means Sept 30th 2028, asking after September means no more P1 until passing a pass/fail flight test and all the hassle and costs involved. By your new 2028 expiry date, you have to show the same flight experience as mentioned and get another signature to prolong your rating to 2030, etc etc.
The person signing then sends the CAA an SRG1157 form for this/these addition(s), clearly writing “LAPL Transition” on the form.
Irv Lee
This article is reproduced with thanks to Irv Lee, CAA Flight Examiner and licensing expert.
Further guidance from the CAA can be found here: https://www.caa.co.uk/general-aviation/pilot-licences/aeroplanes/lapl-light-aircraft-pilot-licence/
