Existing CPL pilots will have to write 14 subjects!!!

[Chunks]

I phoned up CAA the other day enquiring about the new syllabus. I was informed that if a CPL without ATP subjects will have to write all 14 subjects under the new syllabus, plus as of 1st of Jan 2008 if you want to write under the old syllabus (Being phased out by June/July 2008) you have to do a 40 hr ground course.

I find it totally unfair that an existing comm. pilot will have to write 14 subjects to get a frozen ATP, it’s almost like as if though my comm. licence is worth as much as a PPL as of June next year.

As for the 40 hr ground course, me like many SA comm. pilots are currently working overseas how can we just quit our current job and do some 40hr ground course in SA? The mentality of the person I spoke to was like we couldn’t care less plus thought it was fair that a existing comm. pilot should write all 14 subjects under the new syllabus?

It’s almost like saying you finished matric 5 yrs ago, now you want to go to university but you now have to re write matric because the matric syllabus has changed?

[lowbypass]

What about checkrides?
Does the JAA/JAR require a "new" ATPL holder to do a checkride?
I have a weird feeling that these regulations are creeping to the rest of the world...

[Goffel]

Chunks.

Someone has given you duff gen......you are still going to be able to write the same 7 ATP subjects until MINIMUM of July 08.

They are hoping to implement the additional subjects when they are manually put into the new data base.....but that is a loooooong process.

So dont despair yet.

As for the ground school lectures, yes, that is true, but am not sure what the hour requirement is yet as the document is not back from being finally signed......your ball park figure is more or less correct.

But, remember, you have already got a Comm, and maybe have done some ground school hours there....there is going to be some lee-way there.

PM me and I will give you more up to date gen.

Goffel.

[VarigMD11]

So say you are working up in Africa with just a normal mulit/IR Comm and you have plans to self study the ATP subjects in your spare time with a view to going to SA to write at some point; am I correct in assuming that you cant because you have to do the 40hrs of groundschool? Someone please clarify!

[Maurice Chavez]

So how about if you hold a foreign ATPL and want to write the SA ATPL? Still have to do the groundschool? I'm on a validation for now but that seems to be ending as well, from what I read in another thread....

[showers]

This is all so tedious.whatabout if you had the old uk Atpl done but could not unfreeze it in time do you still have to write all 14 exams:{to get the Jaa Atpl

[Chunks]

MD11 you’re right, with my current contractual obligations I seriously doubt my employer will give me enough time off to do a 40 hr ground school in SA? I asked a person in CAA if maybe they will give a letter of exemption, viewing the circumstances and they wouldn’t. Why don’t they just let us write? Besides if you fail they make more $$$$. There must be heaps of pilots in this situation. Besides who offers this 40hr ground school for ATP's?

[Contract Dog]

Try Babcock (CFA) at grand central, their notes are great, they have power point CD's that go with the notes that are good, the only thing I found was there were loads of mistakes in the questions in the mock exams but other than that they were good. They run evening classes, 1 week per subject, where they fly through the work but is is a good course and it does help you to study properly, It takes 7 to 8 weeks to complete (but you can do 1/2 now and the other 1/2 later so you dont have to take 2 months off) and if your current employer wont give you time off to go and improve yourself and get the ATP (an asset to them in the future) then tell them to p1ss off, there is plenty of work out there at the moment.

Good luck, its well worth it!

Dog