The Path to an EASA Flight Crew Licence
How to get an EASA flight crew licence under Part-FCL: the application, student solo conditions, and the medical certificate.
Dionysis Kefalas4 min readFor Air Ops and training organisation staff
Part 1 of 5 in EASA Flight Crew Licensing Show parts
- 1The Path to an EASA Flight Crew Licence
- 2EASA Pilot Licences: LAPL, PPL, CPL, MPL, ATPL
- 3EASA Pilot Exams: Theory and the Skill Test
- 4Pilot Ratings: Class, Type and Instrument
- 5Pilot Revalidation, Recency, Language, Medical
Quotes checked on against EASA Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011) — 25 Nov 2025 revision.
On this page
What a flight crew licence is
A flight crew licence is the document that says the holder may operate an aircraft. In the EASA system the pilot licences in this series sit in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 — Part-FCL. The shared steps below are in Subpart A, whichever licence is the aim.
The licences are the LAPL, the PPL, the CPL, the MPL and the ATPL.
What each privilege sentence allows is quoted in EASA Pilot Licences Explained: LAPL, PPL, CPL, MPL and ATPL. This page does not restate those privileges. FCL.010 defines a private pilot, including the exclusion for instruction or examination.
"Private pilot" means a pilot who holds a licence which prohibits the piloting of aircraft in operations for which remuneration is given, with the exclusion of instruction or examination activities, as established in this Part.
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Easy Access Rules for Aircrew, 25 Nov 2025 revision.
The application
FCL.015 is the application for issue, revalidation or renewal, and what shall accompany it.
(a)An application for the issue, revalidation or renewal of pilot licences and associated ratings and certificates as well as any amendment thereto shall be submitted to the competent authority in a form and manner established by that authority. The application shall be accompanied by evidence that applicants comply with the requirements for the issue, revalidation or renewal of the licence or certificate as well as associated ratings or endorsements established in this Annex (Part-FCL) and in Annex IV (Part-MED).
[…]
(c)A person shall not hold at any time more than one licence per category of aircraft issued in accordance with this Part.
[…]
(f)For the issue of a licence, rating or certificate the applicant shall apply not later than 6 months after having succeeded at the skill test or assessment of competence.
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Easy Access Rules for Aircrew, 25 Nov 2025 revision.
Point (f) is the step people miss: the application has a deadline after the skill test or assessment of competence. Read that sentence before booking the test.
Before the first solo
(a)A student pilot shall not fly solo unless he or she meets the following conditions:
(1)is authorised to do so and supervised by a flight instructor;
(2)prior to receiving the authorisation specified in point (1), has acquired the competence to safely operate the relevant aircraft during the intended solo flight.
(b)Before his or her first solo flight, a student pilot shall be at least 16 years of age.
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Easy Access Rules for Aircrew, 25 Nov 2025 revision.
Theoretical knowledge and the skill test
The pass mark, the time limits, the attempt limits and the skill-test order are quoted in Theoretical Knowledge and the Skill Test: Passing the EASA Pilot Exams. This page does not restate them.
Medical certificate and language
FCL.040 is the exercise rule. The application rule above already names Annex IV (Part-MED).
The exercise of the privileges granted by a licence shall be dependent upon the validity of the ratings contained therein, if applicable, and of the medical certificate as appropriate to the privileges exercised.
Quoted word for word from Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, Easy Access Rules for Aircrew, 25 Nov 2025 revision.
This page does not quote the Part-MED points that name the certificate or the period of validity, so it does not state a class or a number of months.
The language-proficiency endorsement, the level and the re-evaluation interval are quoted in Keeping Your Licence Valid: Revalidation, Recency, Language and Medical. This page does not restate them.
Where the other guides go deeper
EASA Pilot Licences Explained: LAPL, PPL, CPL, MPL and ATPL quotes the privilege sentences. Theoretical Knowledge and the Skill Test: Passing the EASA Pilot Exams quotes the examinations and the skill test. Ratings on Your Licence: Class, Type and Instrument Ratings quotes class, type and instrument ratings. Keeping Your Licence Valid: Revalidation, Recency, Language and Medical quotes revalidation, recent experience, the language endorsement and the medical certificate.
Where to read it yourself
The EASA Easy Access Rules for Aircrew — Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 consolidated with the annexes, Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material — is a free download from the EASA website. The 2025-11-25 revision is the consolidation these quotes were checked against.
Educational content, not regulatory compliance advice. Verify against the current regulation text before relying on it.
In this series
Related
- EASA Pilot Licences Explained: LAPL, PPL, CPL, MPL and ATPLGuide · 5 min
- Theoretical Knowledge and the Skill Test: Passing the EASA Pilot ExamsGuide · 7 min
- Ratings on Your Licence: Class, Type and Instrument RatingsGuide · 5 min
- Keeping Your Licence Valid: Revalidation, Recency, Language and MedicalGuide · 9 min
Written by Dionysis Kefalas. Retired Hellenic Air Force Captain and founder of Avioverse. About the author
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