17 Maintaining a Licence
17.1 Competence
Unit endorsements are issued for a period of 12 months and may be renewed by an assessment of your continuing competence to provide the Air Traffic Services detailed in the unit endorsement.
Competence examinations are conducted either by a Unit Competence Examiner (UCE) or by a CAA Inspector.
17.2 Failing a Competence Assessment
If you fail the oral or practical element of the competence check you will not be permitted to continue to provide the ATC service associated with the unit endorsement(s) for which you have been assessed as not competent, unless supervised by a suitably qualified OJTI.
Competence must be demonstrated before the unit endorsement(s) is renewed. If competence is not demonstrated before the current unit endorsement(s) expires, you must undergo a unit endorsement examination in order to regain the unit endorsement(s).
If, following any period of retraining, you remain not competent, the CAA will vary your licence. The process for varying licences is described later in this guide.
17.3 Training in Unusual Circumstances and Aircraft Emergencies (TRUCE)
In addition to your competence to provide an Air Traffic Control service at your unit, at least every 12 months you will need to undertake TRUCE and be assessed as competent to handle unusual circumstances and aircraft in emergency situations.
TRUCE may include live aircraft simulating emergencies, exercises with the aerodrome fire service and exercises on radar simulators.
17.4 Failing a TRUCE Assessment
If you fail an assessment of your competence to handle unusual circumstances and aircraft in emergency situations, you will not be permitted to continue to provide an Air Traffic Control service until you have undertaken further training and passed an assessment.
If you continue to fail the assessment, the CAA will be informed and may take action to vary your ATC licence.
17.5 Maintaining Currency
To maintain your currency you will need to work on each sector or operational position for which you hold a unit endorsement for a particular number of hours during a notified period. Units will publish the hours and notified periods, but it is your responsibility to ensure you satisfy the requirements.
The present guidance on base line for currency is 16 hours per month, or an aggregate of 48 hours over three months distributed equally over the operational positions for which a controller holds unit endorsements.
17.6 Failure to Maintain Currency
If you fail to meet the currency requirements, or have returned from a period of extended absence, you will be required to work with an OJTI who will provide operational support should you require any. It will be up to you and the OJTI to decide when you are ready to work on your own. If no agreement can be reached you will be subject to an assessment of your competence.
17.7 The Four-Year Rule
If you do not exercise the privileges of a particular rating and/or rating endorsement for a period of more than four years, you must undertake an Assessment for Previous Competence (APC) before beginning unit training at a unit where you will use that rating and/or rating endorsement.
17.8 The Six-Month Rule
On successful completion of an approved course of initial rating training, you must commence unit training within six months in that rating discipline. If you do not, you will have to undertake an APC.
17.9 Assessment for Previous Competence (APC)
Assessments for Previous Competence may be conducted at an ATC training centre or at a unit approved by the CAA to conduct such assessments. If you successfully complete the assessment and any additional training requirements at an ATC training centre you may commence unit training at any unit.
The table below indicates when Assessments for Previous Competence will be required and where they may be conducted.
Circumstances Time period Place where assessment conducted
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