[Avionics Today 11-20-2014] The United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that implementation of significant elements of the European Union’s Standardized European Rules of the Air (SERA) has been delayed. As a result, there will be no changes to the U.K. Rules of the Air stemming from SERA that will impact U.K. pilots and the changes to be introduced on Dec. 4 resulting from SERA. Changes will only be those that replicate existing U.K. rules.
The decision has been prompted by concerns over the impact of the changes on the U.K. aviation industry, the need to complete the derogation process with the European Commission and delays in providing the CAA with the authority to administer the rules seamlessly. The proposed change to move the U.K. from quadrantal to semi-circular cruising levels is therefore postponed and will not now happen in December. There will be no changes to minimum height rules, and both Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Special VFR flight at night will continue to be permitted.
“While we welcome some of the clarity and consistency that SERA will provide, if implemented in its entirety it would impose considerable restrictions on the GA community which is why we are seeking derogations and deferring the implementation of significant parts of SERA,” said CAA Director of Safety and Airspace Mark Swan.