Applying for Additional Ratings

Once you have met the requirements noted on this page, you can apply for the issue of an additional rating by completing Application for Issue and Renewal of Additional Ratings in Accordance with Part-FCL (Aerobatics, Towing, Mountain and Flight Test ratings) online application form (SRG2157).

If you hold a UK national licence or an expired UK JAR licence, you will need to convert to a UK Part-FCL licence. You should apply for the conversion and the rating at the same time using Application for UK Part-FCL Conversion from an Existing UK Flight Crew Licence (SRG1104).

There are fees for Private licences and fees for Professional licences.

When making an application for the inclusion, variation, revalidation, or renewal of a rating:

• Initial application: £153
• Variation or revalidation/renewal: £112
• Verification of Third Country ICAO Licences: £55

Conversion to a UK Part-FCL Pilot Licence:
Limited validity National UK licence:

• Professional Pilot’s Licence: £176
• Private Pilot’s Licence (excluding LAPL(A) and (H)): £93
• Unlimited validity National UK Private Pilot’s Licence (LAPL(A) and (H): £83

When making a conversion / replacement application specified in tables 1 or 3 of the scheme of charges section 3, where, in addition to the issue of an UK Part-FCL Pilot licence, the applicant also requires the issue or grant of a National UK Pilot’s licence in order to retain National UK ratings, the applicant shall pay to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) a supplementary charge of £45.

An additional fee applies if you would like your documents returned by secure courier.

• UK: £20
• Europe: £30
• Rest of the world: £40

When applying for the additional rating online, you will be asked to upload the following documents:

• A copy of your UK licence including certificate of revalidation pages/logbook pages showing the rating endorsements.
• A copy of the relevant pages from your logbook.

You will also be asked to upload supporting documentation specific to the rating you are applying for.

You will need to upload the following:

• A copy of your Course Completion Certificate (CAA5020 or ATO/DTO equivalent).
• (For Mountain Ratings only) A copy of the Mountain Rating Skill Test Report Form.

Holders of a UK national/JAR licence who exercised the privileges of an additional rating before 08 April 2018

You will need to upload the following:

• A copy of your Course Completion Certificate (CAA5020 or ATO/DTO equivalent) for the discretionary training.
• A copy of your ICAO licence, including certificate of revalidation pages/logbook pages showing the privileges you are applying for.

You will also need to submit a separate application for the Verification of Third Country ICAO Licences form (SRG2142). This allows us to verify the privileges of your ICAO licence with the issuing authority.

For more information on this process, please refer to the Verification of a third country ICAO licence webpage.

Please ensure that the supporting documents provided as part of the application follow the appropriate format.

This page contains information on how to apply for any of the following Additional Ratings to be issued on a UK Part FCL:

Aerobatic Rating

An Aerobatic Rating allows you to make aerobatic flights provided that you have a current and valid UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued Pilots Licence for aeroplanes, Touring Motor Gliders (TMG) or sailplanes.

Pilots are only permitted to undertake aerobatic flights if they hold an aerobatic rating on their licence.

Sailplane and Banner Towing Rating

Provided that you have a current and valid UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued Pilots Licence for aeroplanes or Touring Motor Gliders (TMG), a Sailplane towing rating permits you to tow sailplanes and a Banner Towing rating permits you to tow banners.

For banner towing, the privileges shall be limited to the towing method used for flight instruction.

Pilots are only permitted to tow sailplanes or banners if they hold the rating on their licence.

Flight Test Rating

The privileges of the holder of a flight test rating are to:
(1) in the case of a category 1 flight test rating, conduct all categories of flight tests, as defined in Part-21, either as Pilot in Command (PIC) or co-pilot;
(2) in the case of a category 2 flight test rating:
(i) conduct category 1 flight tests, as defined in Part-21:
— as a co-pilot, or
— as PIC, in the case of aeroplanes referred to in (b)(2)(ii), except for those within the commuter category or having a design diving speed above 0,6 mach or a maximum ceiling above 25 000 feet;
(ii) conduct all other categories of flight tests, as defined in Part-21, either as PIC or co-pilot;
(3) conduct flights without a type or class rating as defined in Subpart H, except that the flight test rating shall not be used for commercial air transport operations.
Pilots are permitted to act as PIC in category 1 or 2 flight tests, only if they hold the rating on their licence.

Mountain Rating

The privileges of the holder of a mountain rating are to conduct flights with aeroplanes or Touring Motor Gliders (TMGs) to and from surfaces which are designated to require such a rating by the appropriate authorities.

Holders of a UK national/JAR licence who exercised the privileges of an additional rating before 08 April 2018

It is now mandatory to hold the additional rating on your licence in order to exercise the privileges of that rating.

Holders of a UK National or UK issued JAR-FCL pilot’s licence who exercised the additional rating privileges before 8 April 2018 using these licences, but do not have the rating endorsed on their licence, can apply to have the rating added to their UK licence without completing an initial training course. Conversion of these privileges usually applies at the time of licence conversion (to a UK Part-FCL licence).

There are many different conversion routes available as detailed in the UK conversion report contained in Flight Crew Licensing, Part 1, Section 4, Part P. (CAP804) - (reference only).

For information on Aerobatic Rating conversion routes, please refer to our guidance on Convert an aerobatic privilege.

If you have a BGA Gliding Certificate with Sailplane Towing privileges, please refer to our guidance on Convert a sailplane towing rating held on a BGA gliding certificate.

Holders of an additional rating on a non-UK ICAO licence

In order to transfer an additional rating from an ICAO licence onto your UK licence, you must have completed discretionary training with a UK Approved Training Organisation (ATO) or Declared Training Organisation (DTO). Your training organisation will determine the level of training you need to complete.

Renewal (Mountain Rating only )

You need to attend a UK Approved Training Organisation (ATO) or Declared Training Organisation (DTO), where the Head of Training will determine how much training you may require before completing the proficiency check (LPC).

When you have completed the training, you can complete the LPC with a UK approved examiner.

If your rating is at the back of your licence, the rating cannot be signed on the Certificate of Revalidation by the examiner, and you will have to apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Holders of a UK national/JAR licence who exercised the privileges of an additional rating before 08 April 2018

If you are you applying for this rating on the basis of the UK conversion report contained in Flight Crew Licensing, Part 1, Section 4, Part P, (CAP804) you will need to upload evidence showing the conversion requirements have been met.

If you are applying for an aerobatic rating, please refer to our guidance on Convert an aerobatic privilege for information on what evidence you could provide.

File size limit

There is currently a 50Mb size limit for files uploaded to our forms.

Guidance on documentation

All documents should be uploaded with a different filename clearly stating the content of the file attachment (for example Passport, Licence copy and so on).

Submitting documents with the same filename may result in the loss of information in the system and added delays to the application assessment.

There is further guidance on documentation available, regarding paperwork and how to obtain certified copies of documents.

We are currently working within the published service levels of 10 working days for all application types. Where an application is pended, the working days to process the application will be counted from the date of receipt of the requested additional information.

For a small number of applications, a licensing officer may require additional guidance which requires a referral to be made to a technical officer. The technical officer will review the case within 5 working days, however if further advice is needed this will be reviewed at a bi-weekly complex case review session. In such cases therefore the application will take longer to process than our standard turnaround times.

Our complaints process offers further guidance if you are dissatisfied by the service provided to you by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and you wish to raise a complaint.

When your application arrives with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), it will undergo a desk-based assessment from a Flight Crew Licensing Officer or Assistant. Following an acceptable assessment your licence will be processed, signed and despatched.

We will contact you in writing if we have any queries regarding your application and may keep your application pending while the additional requirements are met. Applications will only be pended for 30 days before cancellation, where no response is received.

An assessment and fee may be charged and your application rejected, if not all requirements are met. This will also be applied if you choose to cancel your application. All underpaid postage fees are recovered before your new licence can be issued.

If you are dissatisfied by a decision made by us in relation to your application, you can appeal against a decision made by the CAA, challenge decisions made by the CAA or ask for a review.

An Aerobatic, Sailplane Towing, Banner Towing and Flight Test rating is non-expiring (it has lifetime validity).

A Mountain Rating has a validity period of 24 months.