CPL or ATPL for FIR?

[shortstripper]

Hi All

I posted this in the wannabes section but had no replies. As it's FIR related I thought I'd see if anyone here can enlighten me. Thanks in advance ....

Hi All

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I'm looking for some advice.

Is there any benefit to doing the the ATPL ground exams over the CPL ones for someone in my circumstances? Basically I'm a 40 year old, 15 year PPL holder who's decided to take the next step at last. I have no intention of going for airline work (lets face it, at my age who'd want me?). At this stage I'm just looking to do distance learning and take the ground exams. I've then got three years to complete the flying bit. I'd like to do the CPL (flying) for issue of the CPL and do a bit of aerial work as and when I can find it, then later doing an FIR. Or I may just end up going for an FIR if I'm unable to afford both or at least the CPL within the three years.

Given that info, is there any advantage in doing the ATPL papers over doing just the CPL ones?

Thanks

SS

[FlyingForFun]

I can think of two advantages of doing the ATPL exams. The first is the obvious one - the opportunity of going on to do the IR within 3 years of completing the exams, if there's even a hint of a chance you may decide to do this. The other advantage is that you have a far wider range of schools to choose between for the ATPL exams.

I would guess that both of these arguments are pretty weak for someone in your position, and that the CPL exams would be more appropriate, but it's up to you to decide.

FFF
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[shortstripper]

What's the relationship with the ATPL papers and an IR? Do the ATPL exams cover the IR ones then?

SS

[blagger]

Hi,

I have just started CPL DL groundschool, as like yourself, I am only intent on pursuing a FI rating. My advice would be -

- Be very, very sure that you are not going to want to do airline flying before starting. I say again, be very sure!!! The effort involved to do it all again is not inconsiderable.

- Be aware that you will have to do seperate IR or APTL ground exams if you want to add a full IR to your CPL. You could instruct on a CPL with an IMC quite happily, but I would suggest that you would really need a CPL/IR to do decent CPL level instruction.

As well as just wanting to do the FIC, I am doing the CPL mainly due to life/time pressures and with an eye to the cost, as I am 90% sure that I would lose the ATPL ground credit as I will not get an IR in the acceptance period due career.

Ask yourself, if I could get a FI rating without doing the CPL groundschool would I be happy with that? That may go some way to answering your own question about whether you need ATPL.

Regards,

Blagger

[shortstripper]

No I'm pretty much like you Blagger. I've no desire to go airline flying even if I could (lottery win?) get the rest of the licence in the time allowed. Actually with a lottery win, who'd want to fly to earn money? ... you'd just buy what you want to fly!. Nope, I'm really looking to get an FIR or maybe do pleasure flights or something to get out of farming when family earning pressures abate. I was just worried I'd missed something obvious that doing the ATPL's give you that the CPL's don't.

Thanks for the reply.

SS

[FlyingForFun]

Do the ATPL exams cover the IR ones then?Yes.

To do a CPL, you need to either have done the CPL exams or the ATPL exams. To do an IR, you need to either have done the IR exams or the ATPL exams.

If you were to do the CPL exams, and later decide to add an IR to your CPL, you would have to do either the IR or the ATPL exams. If you do the IR exams, you will duplicate some of the exams you've already done for the CPL. What's more, if you took this route, you would not be able to upgrade your CPL/IR to an ATPL (and therefore could not fly as Captain on a multi-crew aircraft) without taking the ATPL exams - thereby possibly doing the same exam 3 times. Believe me, these are not exams which you will want to do any more times than absolutely necessary!

FFF
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[shortstripper]

Thanks FFF,

The IR bit does seem to swing it toward the ATPL's depending on the answer to the next question.

Although I'm not worried about the fATPL, the IR might be worth going for at some stage in the future. So if the ATPL ground exams cover the IR ground exams then it seems logical to do them. However, is there a time limit on the validity of the IR exams? I fully expect to complete the CPL flying within the 36 month period, but there's no way I could afford the IR in the same time frame. An FIR would also take preferance over an IR so I can't see me doing the IR for a number of years yet (if at all). If there is a time limit then once again the CPL looks better value in my circumstances. Bear in mind it's not just the 200 or 300 sqids difference, but the longer consolidation courses and extra exam fees, time, ect. It would also be interesting to know that, say you took the ATPL's and failed the extra ones over the CPL, could you still qualify as a CPL? I know this sounds defeatest and whilst I have no intention of failing any exams I take ... it's just an interesting thought?

SS

[FlyingForFun]

Both the CPL and the IR must be obtained within 3 years of completing the last of the exams, I'm afraid.

(And, just for completeness since we're talking about validity, once you have obtained a CPL/IR, you must not let your IR lapse by more than 7 years, or the exams become invalid for the issue of the ATPL - although this is not relevant to your situation.)

FFF
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