CPL (with or without MEP) & MEIR - In what order and where to train?

[GJOYT]

Hi all. I have a UK EASA PPL (A) with 450hrs and currently doing my ATPL's with CATS in Luton. I am unsure as to what to do next, where to do it and in what order. My aim (like anyone else) is to do it reasonably cheap but at the same time in a decent school with good quality instruction. I have looked at a few schools in the US like Flyeft, Naples and Panam Academy for the CPL and Bartolini, Aerodynamics and Aerofan for the ME/IR

I am trying to figure out if it is more beneficial to do the CPL combined with MEP (to prepare for ME/IR) and then move on to the ME/IR or do the ME/IR first and then do the normal SE CPL with 10hrs reduction that you get or just do the CPL SE and then do the ME/IR??

Would it be fair to say that doing the ME/IR first could be more of a disadvantage because by the time you get your CPL and MCC done you will have already eaten into a few weeks/months of the ME/IR leaving you closer to the renewal?

If you could suggest and give feedback of any schools to train at I would be very grateful. Is there many schools in Florida that are CAA approved and that do CPL training or is there just a handful as I am having trouble finding more schools online?

[OhNoCB]

Hopefully this will make some sense. I am not sure if EASA has changed how things work with this.

You can not do your MEIR test until you have a MEP rating. You cannot combine these tests.

You can however combine the CPL and MEP tests, and (in the UK at least (I think)) can combine the course to do MEP+CPL as a 28 hour course and then a 45 (inc. -10) hour MEIR course.

If you want to do the IR first, you would have to first do a 6 hour MEP course, then the 55 hour MEIR course, followed by a 15 (inc. -10) hour CPL course.

People will say that the MEIR is the most difficult course and should be left last but some people find the CPL more difficult.

I personally did it in the order: SE(IR) (45h) > CPL/MEP (9h SEP, 6h MEP) > MEIR (5h). This worked out the cheapest for me but required quite a lot of effort studying procedures, checklists and the POH outside of the flying time to get myself confident for the MEIR test with that many hours.

Another thing I would add is; if you are aiming for the airlines (I presume you are given you mentioned an MCC), it is wise to do CPL and IR at the same school.

[r1flyguy35]

Simple.....

ME, then ME/IR,

If you have over 400 hrs you should be pretty proficient with navigation, so SE CPL, you'll find the instrument flying part of the CPL test easy and its a cheaper way of doing it.

That's the way I did it and found the CPL a doddle in comparison

Good luck :ok:

[GJOYT]

r1flyguy35, did you do your MEP at the same time as your ME/IR? So you did SE CPL then on to the ME/IR? Yea a lot of guys have told me that I should find the CPL a doddle as you say. Do you mind me asking where you did your training?

OhNoCB, the route you did was interesting but I would shy away from it from the negatives that you pointed out. Would you advise CPL MEP and then ME/IR? I would like to do so but it is the cost of doing CPL and IR in the same place that is off putting. Where did you do your training?

Thanks for your replies guys! ;)

[High-Flyer2]

I done the ME/IR first then moved onto the SE/CPL, I may be mistaken but can't you do the MEP test combined with the 170A doing the G/H part at the end? After you've done the IR side of things the VFR part is a doddle with a small part of IF work at the end of the test, I'd say doing the IR first also sharpens up your flying when you come to do the CPL.

[GJOYT]

Thanks HF2. Were you referring to combining the MEP and MEIR test together with the 170A or the CPL and MEP? Where did you do your training?

[mad_jock]

That's up to the guy that does the 170A if such a thing even exists any more under EASA.

Before the 170A examiner had to be a CRE MEP as well to be able to do it, a lot were such a beast but not all are.

Some people will say its completely illegal to do such a thing and others will say but I did it.

There were a whole heap of things that were going on at the start of JAR that over the years progressively got stopped. I and all the people who trained in that same period got to log all the hours in the aircraft as time towards the course. The CAA stopped that a few years ago and said only the time under the screens could be counted. But at 10mins plus per flight for taxi you quite quickly need another hour under the screens compared to those days.

The mixing and matching of tests and training details was always a bit dodgy. Great if you did it, but best not talked about.

[GJOYT]

So you can only combine an MEP rating with the CPL and not the MEIR? Would I therefore be making a saving by combining an MEP with a CPL?

[mad_jock]

Not really because you would have to hour build up to 175 hours before starting the course. And then do your IR afterwards.

You need to make a spread sheet up with all your variables and then have a total for the different ways and see which one is cheapest for the prices you can obtain. It all depends how much you are paying per hour for hour building etc and which countries you are doing the bits of training in. And course prices. Some schools won't let you do things in a certain way which also adds to the mix. Some because they think there way is the best and others because the CPL instructor is only allowed to teach on singles and you would need the IR instructor and aircraft which maybe fully booked.

[r1flyguy35]

"r1flyguy35, did you do your MEP at the same time as your ME/IR? So you did SE CPL then on to the ME/IR? Yea a lot of guys have told me that I should find the CPL a doddle as you say. Do you mind me asking where you did your training?

Thanks for your replies guys! "


Hi there

I did the ME course, then continued straight away into the ME/I! I did this training in Bournemouth with a company that no longer operates, once that was completed I then went on to do the CPL in a complex single at OnTrack Aviation based atbWellesbourne, which is basically where I learnt to fly anyway so was familiar with the area which helps.

Regards

[Mickey Kaye]

Slightly different slant

Once the CPL theory is passed do the FI course. That way you can start earning some money flying.

Do you have an IMC? If so start logging as much IFR time as possible.

When the CB IR comes out you (assuming you have enough IFR time) you would only need 15 hours training for the IR.