How can you check if the pilot has a valid pilot license?

Posted 2 February 2021

Question

Q: Is there a register for example on the internet where you can see if a pilot has a CPL (commercial license) and not just a PPL (private license)? How does it work with pilots, do they like hold a driving license like we know it from car and motorcycle. In big companies this is for sure not an issue, but just thinking of a scenario where you have hired a pilot and a small plane (single engine, single pilot). Would it be in-polite to ask the pilot to see his/ her license before flying?

Answer

A: There is no public register where you can check if a pilot has a CPL or a PPL pilot license. However we will tell you how you can check a pilot and what you need to check.

Pilots flying in Europe on European registred aeroplanes are licensed according to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The license is issued by the local national authorities.

Here are some facts that you might find interesting:

The pilot license (applies to any type) is only valid if the pilot has a valid medical.
There is no picture on the EASA pilot license.

For safety reasons we will not publish a picture of what the EASA pilot license looks like. If you see one you will probably be disappointed, it’s really nothing more than a folded A4 paper printed on both sides.

Pilots are very used to be asked for ID for example going through security at the airport. If you charter your own plane and a pilot, you could ask to see the pilot’s license. If you board a commercial passenger jet operated by an airline, let’s say you have bought a package holiday, it seems rude, nosy and might cause unnecessary delay if you start asking for the pilot’s license. It is both the airline’s and pilot’s responsibility to ensure that all licenses are valid.

If you want to check if a pilot has a valid commercial license you need to check:

Photo ID (Passport, driving license or Airport ID)
Pilot License
Pilot Medical

Check that the photo ID match the name on the Pilot License. It will be clearly printed on the Pilot license what type it is. On the front it will say “Flight Crew License”. In section II of the license it will say what type of license the pilot holds. A commercial pilot would have CPL(A) or if you got hold of a really experienced commercial pilot it would say ATPL(A) and CPL(A). The ATPL(A) is “captain on a big plane”. If the pilot was only a private pilot it would say PPL(A). The (A) stands for aeroplane. If the pilot has a (H) it means helicopter. Pilots don’t get a new paper every year, so you need to go to section XII Certificate of Revalidation. This section has a “Valid Until” section, so easy to check. Without getting too complicated, then you need to be aware of what “Rating” means. Your pilot would need to be rated on the plane type. This could be a little tricky to check if you don’t know much about aeroplanes. Just to give an example, the pilot may have a valid rating on B757/ 767 but this does not allow the pilot to fly a small single engine, single pilot plane. To fly a small single engine, single pilot plane you would need a valid SEP(L) (Single Engine Piston Land) rating.

Then the medical. This is a separate piece of paper. Again not very fancy in terms of looks. In section III you need to check that the Certificate number matches the Flight Crew License number. In section IX you can see the expiry date of the certificate. For commercial operations check the Class 1 expiry dates.

If you really want to be thorough then you also need to check the pilot has recency. Recency means 3 takeoff and landings within the last 90 days. For you to check this you need to inspect the pilots log books. If you hire a commercial pilot that flies for example a B747 (jumbo) and the aeroplane is a small piston twin engine like a Beech Baron (BE58), what you need to check is that the pilot has 3 takeoff and landings in the same type of plane. The fact that the pilot has done 3 takeoff and landings in the jumbo does not count as recency for the BE58, as they are not same type of plane.

If you had chartered your own plane, asking for license and medical would be unusual but probably the pilot wouldn’t lift an eyebrow. If you start asking to see a pilot logbook, we think you are starting to go too far as a passenger.

There are heavy penalties for pilots doing illegal (non-licensed) flights. The pilot will most likely loose his/ her license if involved in an illegal commercial operation.

If the pilot is holding a private pilot license, it is allowed for the pilot to fly with friends and family and to share the cost of the flight with them. It is a clear breach of license privileges if the pilot starts making money on the flight or even if the pilot gains other remunerations that can be considered salary or earned income.

Even if the pilot is a commercial pilot it is not allowed for the pilot so sell “taxi flights” and fly you in a 4 seater aeroplane like a Cessna 172. This would be an illegal commercial flight. Commercial flights will have to be booked through a company who holds all the licenses (AOC – Airline Operating Certificate) to operate commercial flights and the pilot will need to be employed by this company. There are strict rules for flight training and company operated aeroplanes too – so whenever you are going flying, you can be sure there is a lot of paperwork and regulations to make it possible and safe.

Happy landings