BFCL.405 Limitation of privileges in case of vested interests

Regulation (EU) 2020/357

A balloon examiner shall not conduct:

1. a skill test or assessment of competence of an applicant for the issue of a licence, rating or certificate to whom he or she has provided more than 50 % of the required flight instruction for the licence, rating or certificate for which the skill test or assessment of competence is taken; or
2. a skill test, proficiency check or assessment of competence whenever he or she feels that his or her objectivity may be affected.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

Examples of a situation where examiners should consider if their objectivity is affected are when the applicant is a relative or a friend of the examiner, or when they are linked by economic interests or political affiliations, etc. It is acknowledged that in small sport/industry like ballooning, it is likely that examiners and candidates will be known to each other in many cases.

ED Decision 2020/003/R

Point BFCL.405(a) allows an examiner to have been involved, as a flight instructor, into 50 % of the candidate’s flight instruction. It is recommended that in such cases that 50 % should be spread throughout the course, and not performed towards the end of the course. ATOs and DTOs should plan and arrange assignments between instructors and students appropriately.

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