BFCL.160 BPL – Recency requirements

Regulation (EU) 2020/357

1. A BPL holder shall only exercise the privileges of his or her licence if he or she has completed in the relevant balloon class:
   
   
   1. either:
      
      
      1. within the last 24 months before the planned flight, at least six hours of flight time as PIC, including 10 take-offs and landings, as PIC or flying dual or solo under the supervision of an FI(B); and
      2. within the last 48 months before the planned flight, at least one training flight with an I(B);or
      3. within the last 24 months before the planned flight, a proficiency check in accordance with point (c).
         
         
2. In addition to the requirements in paragraph (a), in the case of a pilot who is qualified to fly more than one class of balloons, in order to exercise his or her privileges in the other balloon class or the other balloon classes, he or she shall have completed at least three hours of flight time, as PIC or flying dual or solo under the supervision of an FI(B), on each additional balloon class within the last 24 months.
   
   
3. A BPL holder who does not comply with the requirements in paragraph (a)(1) and, if applicable, (b), before resuming the exercise of his or her privileges, shall pass a proficiency check with an FE(B) in a balloon that represents the relevant class.
   
   
4. After complying with paragraph (a), (b) or (c), as applicable, a BPL holder with privileges to fly hot-air balloons shall exercise his or her privileges only on hot-air balloons that represent:
   
   
   1. the same group of hot-air balloons in which the training flight as specified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) or the proficiency check as specified in paragraph (c), as applicable, have been completed, or a group with a smaller envelope size; or
      
      
   2. group A of hot-air balloons in cases where a pilot, in accordance with paragraph (b), has completed the training flight as specified in paragraph (a)(2) in a balloon class other than hot-air balloons.
      
      
5. The completion of the dual flights, the flights under supervision and the training flight as specified in paragraph (a)(1) and (b), as well as the proficiency check as specified in paragraph (c) shall be entered in the logbook of the pilot and signed by, in the case of paragraphs (a)(1) and (b), the responsible FI(B) and, in the case of paragraph (c), the responsible FE(B).
   
   
6. A BPL holder, that holds also the privileges for commercial operations as specified in point BFCL.215 of Subpart ADD of this Annex, shall be deemed to comply with the requirements of:
   
   
   1. paragraph (a) and, if applicable, (b), in case he or she has completed a proficiency check in accordance with point BFCL.215(d)(2)(i) in the relevant balloon class or classes within the last 24 months; or
      
      
   2. paragraph (a)(1)(ii), in case he or she has completed the training flight as specified in point BFCL.215(d)(2)(ii) in the relevant balloon class.

In the case of the hot-air balloon class, limitations specified in paragraph (d), concerning the privileges to operate different classes of balloons, shall apply, depending on the balloon class used for complying with paragraphs (f)(1) or (f)(2).

ED Decision 2020/003/R Credits for flight time completed on balloons as per article 2(8) of as well as Annex I to the Basic Regulation

All hours flown on balloons that are subject to a decision as per Article 2(8) of the Basic Regulation or that are specified in Annex I to the Basic Regulation should count in full towards fulfilling the hourly requirements of point BFCL.160 of Part-BFCL under the following conditions:

1. the balloon matches the definition and criteria of the respective Part-BFCL balloon class and, in the case of hot-air balloons, the applicable hot-air balloon group as specified in point (a) of point BFCL.010;
   
   
2. a balloon that is used for a training flight with an instructor is an aircraft as per points (a), (b), (c) or (d) of Annex I to the Basic Regulation that is subject to an authorisation specified in point ORA.ATO.135 of Annex VII (Part-ORA) or point DTO.GEN.240 of Annex VIII (Part-DTO) to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

Training flight

1. A training flight as stipulated in point BFCL.160(a)(1)(ii) should be a flight that:
   
   
   1. follows the content of the skill test for the relevant balloon class, as set out in AMC1 BFCL.145 or AMC1 BFCL.150(c)(2), as applicable; and
      
      
   2. is conducted on a one-to-one basis between one pilot and one instructor only, with no other pilot on board who is taking credit for that flight.
      
      
2. Each training flight should be preceded with a briefing and closed with a debriefing between the instructor and the candidate. In order to add value to the training flight, any element of flying a balloon where candidates feel they would benefit from instruction should be discussed. The flight should then be focused on those specific elements with an instructor demonstration prior to candidate practice being performed.
   
   
3. If the instructor considers that the candidate during the training flight did not perform to an adequate standard, they should not sign the logbook of the candidate but recommend further training flights instead.
   
   
4. At the discretion of the flight instructor, non-fare-paying passengers are accepted on board of the balloon during such training flights, provided that:
   
   
   1. passengers are made aware that the intended flight will be a training flight; and
      
      
   2. abnormal and emergency procedures are practised on the ground and without passengers on board.
      
      
5. The 48-month period should be counted from the last day of the month in which the preceding training flight took place.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

For the proficiency check, the skill test for the initial issue of a BPL in the relevant balloon class, as set out in AMC1 BFCL.145, should be taken.

→ BFCL.200