ANNEX III REQUIREMENTS FOR BALLOON FLIGHT CREW LICENSING
[PART-BFCL]

SUBPART BPL BALLOON PILOT LICENCE ( ‘ BPL ’ )

BFCL.160 BPL – Recency requirements
(a) 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:
(i) 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
(ii) within the last 48 months before the planned flight, at least one training flight with an FI(B); or
(2) within the last 24 months before the planned flight, a proficiency check in accordance with point (c).
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) 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:
(i) 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
(ii) 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.
(e) 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).
(f) 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).
Inserted by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/357 of 4 March 2020 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/395 as regards balloon pilot licences (Text with EEA relevance).