ATPL Exam Extensions

[Poose]

Has anybody managed to do this beyond the three year validity period?

I have found myself in this situation because the first CPL flying school I went to was a shambles... two training aircraft with one almost permanently 'tech' (In the end it was written off...) and a total lack of regard for individual student 'circumstances'. Furthermore, there was no concept of 'customer service' with a part time instructor that spent half of each lesson contradicting himself - that is when he could be bothered to delight me with his presence... :mad:

Anyhow, a good way into this 'CPL' I decided to make a command decision - I couldn't ever see myself getting through the CPL and IR with this organisation, so I switched to another school.
Things have gone really well, brilliant instructor, a personal approach that takes the individual student's situation into account (work etc.) and a much nicer training aeroplane. Overall it has gone really well.

However... there have been a few minor technical problems with the aeroplane I use at this school and the worst Summer for the past 100 years - official. I am now at the end of Summer, struggling to get weather that is fit for navigation/170A/testing... I have around fourteen months left on my ATPLs, with an IR to be completed in this time period, too.
I also have to work full time, though work have been very good this Summer... :ugh:

Overall, I would not be in a position financially or time wise to do the ATPLs again - I am suffering many sleepless nights and depression, as a result of watching my life's work slip away from me... all due to a poor initial flying school selection and a shed load of bad luck with weather and aircraft.

So... is my CPL/IR gone, along with all of my money and sacrifice or do the CAA have a human side?

Anybody?

[keith williams]

I have around fourteen months left on my ATPLs, with a an IR to be completed in this time period, too.


Many (probably most) people complete the entire CPL/IR flying training in less than 14 months, so you do not really have a problem at the moment.

But if you do run out of time, nothing that you have listed in your post is likely to persuade the CAA to give you an extension.

[Poose]

Keith,

Thanks for the reply! :ok:

Fourteen months could be problematic as I have to work around my annual leave, which is financial year based...

You have confirmed my fears... :ouch:

[Genghis the Engineer]

If you want it enough....

Why not go and knock the CPL on the head intensively in the USA, then you only have the IR to deal with?

I did my CPL taking time off work in the UK, and sympathise with the issues you're up against. As it happens, no I didn't struggle with time, but I did take a lot longer than I ideally should have done, and that meant more hours as the learning curve was shallower.

Since you can do the CPL intensively in the USA, that will probably pay for itself in reduced numbers of days off, and reduced hours flown to get there, as well as cheaper hours.

The IR needs substantially to be done in the UK for legal reasons, but at-least make life easier on yourself.

[fwjc]

Poose

I'm in a similar position to you, although I managed to find enough of a break in the monsoon to get my CPL test done. I used up all my leave with six months of the leave year to go.

I am now taking unpaid leave, just because I've got a bit burned out with juggling everything and I need to catch up with life.

While I have a little more leeway left with my exams, I'm planning to take more unpaid leave / buy more annual leave next year in order to do the IR.

It's not ideal, but it's better than losing the exams. There's no way I'm going through that pain again!...

[CATS Support]

poose

don't let it get you down
complete your CPL at your school
it sounds like you are very close
try to forget about the IR at the moment
keep focussed

there are various quick fix IR options if necessary after you have gained your CPL - which you must believe that you will gain :ok:

air your thoughts with your CFI and instructor and Im sure they will be responsive

[CATS Support]

I forgot mention

If you do time out you could get your ground school via the CAA to confirm if solely just the 7 IR theory exams require to be retaken

[Poose]

CATS,

Is that really the case that if the worst happened - it might not be all fourteen?:confused:
A lot of the people that I have spoken to seem pretty insistent that I would have to do all fourteen exams for my licence to be eligible as a 'fATPL'. Not just a CPL with an IR.

I'm just waiting on the '170A' now, so shooting off to the USA may not be necessary, but I'm glad that people on here think outside of the box when offering advice. It's appreciated!

Thanks for the feedback and support! :ok:

[Andy_20]

Stick with dipstick, he doesnt lead you wrong. ;)

[felixflyer]

'The IR needs substantially to be done in the UK for legal reasons'

Im not sure thats the case is it? I thought it was the CPL that needed to be done in the UK or at least a CAA approved school.

You can do the IR in Poland in 2-3 weeks for £7000 if time/money become an issue.

[Alex Whittingham]

If all the states you deal with are working to EASA rules you can do theory in State 1, CPL in State 2 and IR in State 3 if you wish, although it might take some 'managing'. Under the old JAA rules which still apply in most States, exams and CPL had to be done in one State but the IR, as a rating, could be completed in any JAA State. There are several good reasons why you might want to do this: cost, weather factor and simplicity (the IR test in the UK CAN be more difficult than in other States). Against that the quality of IR training in the UK is generally very high.

[Alex Whittingham]

All the EASA rules say is that all the theory exams have to be done under the jurisdiction of one single State so yes, once you have jumped through the hoop in one State (*jumped through the hoop* meaning *passed all the exams*) you wouldn't have to do it again in another. The UK CAA are stretching this to allow PTC students to finish off in the UK but no-one is going to let your chap off the requirement to have his exam application signed off. I would suggest:

1. If he has completed all his study in Ireland and has been signed off for the exams as you suggest in your final para then he doesn't need to do anything other than take the exams and there he should probably do them there.
2. If he has completed his study but can't get a sign-off in Ireland he will need a sign-off from a UK FTO. This will require his training records to be transferred and maybe some form of crammer. (Watch out, if he was doing an integrated course he can't transfer to a modular FTO unless he has a PPL)
3. If he hasn't started or only just started the study for the four remaining exams he should probably find a UK or Irish FTO that can do that element of the approved course, this may involve new course materials etc. (Caveat as above).

The interesting implication of this slight change in the rules is that it is more likely that people will shop around in Europe for CPL courses. Shopping around for IR courses already happens.