How long for a license endorsement from BCAA?

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Jet Pilot
Posts: 1
Joined: 19 Nov 2006, 11:34

How long for a license endorsement from BCAA?

Post by Jet Pilot »

Any pilots here that can answer me? 5 weeks ago I revalidated an expired typerating in the simulator.
All paperwork submitted to the BCAA but no response sofar.
The website says it will take 50 to 60 days before you get a new license?

This surely can not be true so long?

You can not contact the BCAA anymore these days, no phones and emails don't get answered.

My new company has run out of patience with me and they will never hire Belgium licensed pilots again, understandable.
After having been unpaid at home for 7 months I was pretty happy having found a flying job again in this incredible time but I fear for my job.

Anybody has any recent experience how it takes before you receive the new license or what to do?

Thanks and stay safe...

PontiusPilotus
Posts: 1
Joined: 29 Nov 2020, 15:39

Re: How long for a license endorsment from BCAA?

Post by PontiusPilotus »

Hi Jet Pilot,

I myself have the same issue with the Belgian CAA. Although in the past (before 1st January 2020) I had no issues whatsoever with renewing my expired ratings and licenses. They were always very helpful, accepting all documents scanned and through email with only a week in order to receive the payment and a new printed license.

Since this year, with covid19 as a unprecedented justification, they are making the pilot's lives and careers even more difficult than they already are due to the market situation. I got redundant from an overseas airline company which requires me to renew every little aspect of my Belgian Part FCL license. From English ICAO ELT, A320 type rating, to SEP land and IR(A). The last two ratings I wish to renew as the only possible job I have right now on the horizon is in general aviation. But if the Belgian authorities will take more than three months to get my paperwork done and license printed, I do not see the private company hiring me any soon and I will be stuck with large amount of credit for all the training done.

Since August 15th 2020, when I did my renewal on A320, I am waiting for the payment instructions to get my new license delivered. Although I did have some response from them, after one month, it was only to tell me they do not accept the scanned documents anymore. After sending everything by post, I did have a notification they collected the documents (we are talking now about 6th October 2020) and the last message I got was on 24th October to expect a payment instruction "soon". Guess what, we are 29th November 2020 and still had no correspondence.

I tried calling several phone numbers of other offices, with no result. It either keeps ringing, or they dismiss the call.

Emails have no response as well.

There is only one more solutions that is to contact the ombudsman. But since they have covered up their responsibilities by stating on the website 50 working days, I guess an email from them every 45days would make up for the complaint.

It is a disaster, instead of making steps forward into a digital and worldwide future, they are taking more than a dozen steps backwards. Next year we will have to send our renewal forms in morse to the designated radio operator in Brussels if it continues like this!

Anyone here who would have more information or at least a way of getting in touch with a supervisor in their offices, please be so kind and let us know before there are no more Belgian license holders hired anywhere else than Belgium. Thank you.

PS: apologies for the somewhat "frustrated" way of making my point clear. I have never felt so recklessly treated by aviation than in 2020. An authority that should aim to be helpful in times like these for their pilots need a license in order to provide bread and warmth to his/her family, instead chooses to have its own office clean and quiet. Unacceptable!

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