Skills test
Well in some ways that seems to be proving less cut and dried as it seems us conversion candidates seem to be a bit of an anomaly for the jolly old UK CAA.
However one of our number did complete it in a GV at FS Farnborough.
I'm in a similar boat with trying to convert the EMB135 BJ.
First you need a EASA sim and TRE or a centre which have one.
Now FS in St Louis tell me they are shipping over some EASA instructors thats for me they have a EASA sim. But don't hold ya breath and then they will probably be SFIs not TREs.
The checkride would be an IR, ATP and Type ride all in one from my understanding and the UK CAA should authorize a TRE to complete the ATP check or can insist on attending on a case by case basis.
I get differing answers from the various centres, FS LBG say they will have to do a full recurrent, of course at FS prices, Jet Stream say no problem we can do that, Baltic say we could do it but the CAA need to give us the requirements so talk to them.
FS in HOU when my company asked said yeah no problem we do that all the time, when I called and discussed it they told me the sim runs out of EASA certification Dec 2012 and we don't have EASA instructors, my guess would be the salesman said they could do it without asking the "EASA Focal" who you should ask for when inquiring.
Of course you have 3 years after you pass to work this out but the other thing that stops me is that if there is no job at the other end why spend the money when one may be training on another type..