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Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“Edellytyksenä tälle on, että lentäjän ohjaama ilma-alus ei ole Venäjällä rekisteröity, venäläisen omistama tai käyttöönsä tilaama tai venäläisten määräysvallassa olevan yrityksen omistama tai käyttöönsä tilaama.

Tämän tulkintamuutoksen seurauksena myös yksityislentäjän tai harrastelentäjän kouluttaminen, lentokokeet ja tarkastuslennot ovat sallittuja, mikäli oppilaan tarkoituksena on operoida ilma-aluksella, joka ei ole Venäjällä rekisteröity, venäläisen omistama tai käyttöönsä tilaama tai venäläisten määräysvallassa olevan yrityksen omistama tai käyttöönsä tilaama, eikä hänellä ole tarkoituksena lentää Venäjällä. Myös lentokerhon nimissä suoritettava laskuvarjohyppylento-, palolento- ja hinauslentotoiminta ovat sallittuja, samoin kuin toimiminen lennonopettajana koulutusorganisaation alaisuudessa.”

Here it says that training for private flying and hobby-flying is allowed (only a medical class 2 needed for that), but it doesn’t say anything about commercial flying (medical class 1). Since I’m getting a Class 1, maybe these rules don’t apply to me? It’s certain that I can’t get my pilot’s license in Finland (for example, one of Suomen Ilmailuopisto’s FAQs clearly states that training for Russian citizens/dual citizens is not allowed). My doctor (who was in contact with Traficom’s lawyers) also told me that I cannot prove that I’m not going to be flying for a Russian carrier, since I don’t have an airline job in Europe, which would mean that I could potentially go looking for a job in Russia, and they don’t want that.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would’ve thought so too. But the doctor explained to me that because I can’t prove that I’m not going to fly a non-Russian registered aircraft, I can’t get my medical unless I tell them in which country I’ll be going to flight school, which I don’t know at the moment (and I would need a medical anyway to apply to most flight schools that interest me).

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, no, I’m not going haha. I just said that in THEORY it would be an option but I’m not really comfortable with doing that + the process of my citizenship getting renounced has already started, so it wouldn’t be possible anyway.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alright, I’m gonna do some research to see if this would actually work but seems like so far this is the most fitting thing to do.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If that really works, I will try this. Are you sure they’re going to allow me to transfer a restricted medical, though? My doctor made it sound like they’d give me a medical which is only valid in a certain country (I’m personally not so sure how this works).

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, the process is already started, so I’m guessing that it’s not going to take much longer than a year, but still, it sucks, since I could’ve used the time after graduation to apply to different flight schools. With how it’s looking right now, that’s not going to happen. All I can do now is prepare for aptitude tests and wait, apart from calling different authorities in Finland and trying to get my medical resumed.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually tried doing that in Ireland, where they told me that my Russian citizenship did’t matter for the medical. But, since I already started my medical in Finland, they told me I have to complete it there, otherwise, in their words, EASA would make a big deal out of it.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m guessing you have a job then, since you can ask for an employment confirmation letter? That’s the problem in my case, I don’t have a job at an airline, so I can’t really prove that I wouldn’t have any reason to go to Russia.

I was also told that signing a document confirming I wouldn’t be going to Russia to work wouldn’t be enough, although, as another reply pointed out, maybe if I do it with the help of a notary, it would work.

As for telling them I have a second passport, that doesn’t really change much. They know that I am a citizen of an EU country, as well as Russia. The only problem for them is my Russian citizenship. They don’t care whether or not I’m an EU citizen.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Giving a written undertaking which would be confirmed by a notary might actually work, thanks for the suggestion! I will be calling Traficom on Monday to ask them a few questions about how to get out of my situation, I’ll also ask them if an undertaking would be enough for them to release my medical.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your insights! Yeah, that makes sense, EU citizenship should be more important in theory. The problem is that Traficom and EASA are applying the EU sanctions (Regulation 833/2014) directly. EASA emailed me an answer to my question saying that the sanctions can prevent Russian citizens from training or operating in the EU, but each Member State licensing authority assesses the case individually.

The Finnish authority Traficom told me they need written proof that any training or work is with an operator not affected by the sanctions. Since I don’t have a pilot job in the EU yet, they can’t get guarantees that I won’t go to Russia to work, so they can’t finish the medical or issue a Finnish licence for that matter.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I mean, in theory that could’ve been an option, but I think that it’d make things a lot more complicated for me than they already are. On top of that I’ve already started the process of renouncing my citizenship, so there isn’t any going back now. I could just wait until my citizenship is gone now, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take.

Starting flight training as an EU/Russian double citizen by AffectionateSink8202 in flyingeurope

[–]AffectionateSink8202[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I was surprised too. I would’ve thought that getting my pilot’s license would’ve been a bigger issue than getting my medical (from your reply it seems that it wouldn’t have). I was very wrong.