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Old 22nd Jan 2012, 04:03
  #116 (permalink)  
Tinstaafl
 
Join Date: Dec 1998
Location: Escapee from Ultima Thule
Posts: 4,273
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Michael...

Make sure you meet all the min. experience requirements for the ATP. They're in the FARs which are available online via the FAA's website.

TSA insecurity crap has to be done before training for the first issue of an FAA licence so you'll need to jump through those hoops.

An FAA medical will be required. Class 1 for airline stuff, class 2 for other commercial work, class 3 for private. Not much difference between them so I'd recommend the Class 1. Only takes a half hour. List of Drs' on the FAA's website.

You only need do the FAA ATP theory exam, not the others. All multiple choice, done on a computer & marked instantly once finished. Very easy. Takes a few days to study. Jepp., ASA & others do exam prep books that will get you though it. Also questions available on line at Pilot Practice Page. You'll need to study all sections, not just air law. Note any weak areas on the result slip - your flight test examiner will ask you those areas. Also make sure you keep the result slip for the flight test!

You can do a combined type rating & ATP checkride. Talk to Flight Safety or one of the other sim. schools. Also buy or download from the FAA the Practical Test Standard for the ATP. It gives all the details of what the flight test requires.

There isn't a SEP category..FAA licences are segregated by level (PPL, CPL, ATP), category (fixed wing, rotary wing etc) & class (Single engine land, single engine sea, multi engine land, multi engine sea for fixed wing). A test in one category & class combination doesn't cover another cat./class, so no, you won't get a single engine land or sea from a test done in a multi. Engine type isn't relevent under 12,500lb/5,700 kg except that jets - not turbo-props - require type ratings. Do a test in a 4 seat piston multi & you're legal to fly a Kingair. Not necessarily insured, but legal as long as you're familiar with normal & emergency procedures. To add a single engine licence will be another flight test (an 'add on certificate'). Not as much is required. Bear in mind that each flight test is done at whatever licence level you choose so for max. privileges across categories & classes do everything as an ATP checkride. It's also a little easier, I think, due to the ATP being not much more than an IR flight test and doesn't have the ground reference & handling manoeuvres of the PPL & CPL tests. Also you don't have to have training or an instructor sign-off to do the test at ATP level due you holding an ICAO professional licence. Not recommended, but it's possible.

Also, FAA checkrides involve a ground questioning component with application level scenario questions about using the prospective licence. Fail this & you won't get airborne. Count on a couple of hours or more of questioning although can be more or less depending on how the examiner feels you know your stuff.

Instructor ratings aren't carried over. As rule, nothing is carried over from foreign licences except hours. Nearest equivalent to your TRI without working within a US air carrier's training organisation would be a Multi engine instructor + Instrument Instructor. You'll need to do whatever training an instructor considers necessary, a few of theory exams & a couple of flight tests after an instructor recommendation. One flight test for the MEI, one for the CFII. Any order you like - they're each stand alone ratings. The CFII can be done in a SEP, MEI in a MEP. May as well do the CFI & get single eng. instructor privileges too. No extra theory exam, just the flight test.

If you do the instructor stuff then do the Advanced Ground Instructor theory exam too. It's about the same as one of the instructor exams and will give you an AGI for free. Not even a test with an examiner. You could do the same for the Instrument Ground Instructor too, if you like but the AGI is a good one to get. It lets you teach the theory ('ground school' in US jargon) for *any* FAA certificate except Instrument rating. Also lets you eventually become recognised as a higher level of instructor. Like I wrote, you could also do the Instrument Ground Instructor exam, but not necessarily beneficial if you have the CFII. No harm either for the sake of a single theory exam that's much the same as the CFII theory exam!

A benefit of the FAA instructor ratings is that in many cases a medical isn't required to instruct (provided the student is already PIC licenced for the aircraft eg teaching instrument rating stuff to a PPL). A good insurance policy if you ever lost your medical.

Phenom,

As long has you hold an ICAO licence you should be fine and what I wrote above would apply to you. A foreign medical is irrelevent - it's the US one that counts.

Last edited by Tinstaafl; 25th Feb 2012 at 03:43.
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