Questions About The FAA to EASA Conversion

[TheNakedTrader]

Hi all,

Before I get flamed for not doing my own research, let me say it upfront that I DID in fact research quite abit on this subject before posting the questions I have below. The questions below are things that I have not been able to find info on, and/or I would like to seek the advice from more experienced aviators on this forum.

I currently hold an FAA PPL (ASEL and AMEL) and am working towards the IFR rating for both the single and multi, before moving on to the CPL.

Once done with the FAA side of things, I will move over for EASA conversions.

1) I understand I need to take the 14 ATPL exams for the purpose of converting the FAA CPL MEIR into an EASA one. Can I do this solely by home study then show up at some centre to take the tests? Will the homestudy course provider provide me with a sign-off(endorsement) to take the exams and will it be recognized by the exam centre? Or do I absolutely have to attend a pre-exam classroom session like the Bristol.gs one before I can go for the exams?

2) If my EASA Class 1 medical is issued by the UK, subsequently after passing all 14 ATPL exams, when I do the CPL and IR Skills test in say...Germany, upon passing the checkrides, which EASA member country will be the one issuing me my new EASA license? Germany or UK?

3) Has anyone used the EASA ATPL study app by Dauntless-Soft? If so, how was it? Which is the best and say cheapest home study kit around? I'm looking at the Gulf Coast one, the Dauntless Soft, and the Bristol.

4) For the CPL SKills Test and IR test, which place in Europe would be a cheaper and better place to go to? There are just so many places all advertising their stuff that I have no idea who to choose.

[paco]

Unless you have an ICAO ATPL with a certain amount of multi-crew hours, you have to go through a course provider, and their approved course will include 10% of the distance learning study time to be done in the classroom. Some schools do more, some less, they each have their own way of covering the material. Once you have done their course and they deem you to be ready they will certify you for the exams. Although you may be able to self-certify for the training, you still have to take the 14 exams. However, given the abysmal way the questions have been implemented you would be very unwise to do this.

Your EASA licence is issued or looked after by the country who holds your medical records. Most of them have a facility for acceptance if you already hold an EASA medical (fill in a form in the UK).

Of the choices you mention, Bristol would be the best choice, but there are others. Dauntless would be my last choice.

[Kai Tak]

So, if I have a Class 1 medical from Germany, and I do the ATPL theorie course in the UK, the ATPL written test in Belgium, and for example, the CPL checkride in Spain, the license is gonna be issued by Germany, is that correct?

[paco]

That's about it. We have several students taking their exams in Belgium.

[Hitbacker]

1) SFA Horizon requires no presence - this was in the regs in JAR, I haven't checked with EASA FCL how that has changed. But accordingly it can be done without those 3 weeks/ 10% presence courses.

Special Conversion Offer Courses - Horizon SFA (http://www.horizon-sfa.ch/edl/esco/?lang=en)

http://www.horizon-sfa.ch/wp-content/uploads/PF_2012-02.pdf
(if you speak German, this is the article by which you have a lot of your questions answered by a very reliable chief editor)

4) A fellow aviator goes your route and chose Bartolini Air in Poland (bang for the buck, good facilities, reputable CAA/ examiners in the country; but if it's Iceland or Spain, just make sure their MEP is affordable :-)).


My 2 cents: Get the OAT books whilst you work on your FAA route (can only commend you for this, btw), parallely do the question banks (the ones from SFA Horizon don't let you keep score - thus I bought aviationexam.com which has a few upsides, such as forum an explanations given in context and pretty good feedback by instructors, but I go crazy by the sheer volume of questions and thus shall by the OAT CD-ROM of about 2100 or 2400 questions so I spare myself the permutations of the same questions over and over again; they are so bad by FAA scales, it's mindnumbing!).
The books will go deeper than what you need across the Atlantic, the question bank will scare you enough ;-).

Good luck! I did the same but struggle with my timeline, with family and job...

[Hitbacker]

..almost forgot, since you are from SI: Why not Prairie Air Service for your FAA training? Herb has provided lots of RSAF jet jocks with the FAA ATP. My favourite story: F-16 driver needed a solo x/c flight with two stops. Given the geography of Singapore, the one they found in his logbook was a ferry flight of an F-16 with aerial refueling from Arizona via California and Hawaii etc. to Singapore. Go figure.. cool logbook!

[joao.oliveira]

Concerning the license conversion, specifically from a CPL FAA to EASA.
I'm starting the process of conversion since I am moving to Europe with my family.
I never thought this process would be so complex and expensive. In fact I will take twice as long as I took to have my full license back in the States. I don't know if this happens only in this country where I am doing the conversion, but for what I was told, anywhere in Europe would be the same.
I have already a bunch of books to give it a look. I converted my license to Philippines already and they only asked me to do an Air Law exam, which I think it totally makes sense. But this!?
Maybe I'm taking a wrong way to get it, but I've mad a lot of phone calls and I had a job lined up, but when I told the company I would take almost 10 months to get the conversion...well...you know the answer. For what I was told, exams are only made every two months with a lot of rules which doesn't make any sense on the aviation world.
I'm really disappointed with EASA and all of this process and bureaucracy. Something that should take one week, takes 10 months. It's an outrage with the due respect. I have around 1300 hours of flight time and most of it flying IMC in Alaska. Maybe it's not enough experience regarding that my EASA instructor (yes I need a lot of classes) has around 200 hours and never flew IMC nor over water neither mountains.
Now that I am here with family and we left everything behind I have no other way unless doing this conversion, which is almost the same as taking two FAA licenses and spending a couple dozens of thousands.

[paco]

The exam frequency is due to change soon, to two weeks in every month with the results at the end of each sitting, which should help a bit. For distance learning, I would suggest Roger Henshaw at Ground Training Services in Bournemouth.

I quite agree with you - the whole system is an international joke.

[C-141Starlifter]

My friend,

You have no idea the a$$pain you are about to encounter. You are just now hitting the tip of the iceberg.
Not to take away from your quality time but i have colleagues with thousands of hours on type who encounter the same issues as yourself.

Be patient, you'll need it! As well as a thick wallet!

[Roflkartoffl]

Is it required to be current on your FAA licenses to convert to EASA??, this just hit me now upon finishing with my ATPL theory and since it s been quite awhile now that i had the chance of flying i was hoping someone has a good answer for me :)

also on the same topic is it required to do a CPL SEP even if i don t intend on flying CPL SEP ?? and would only need the CPL ME/IR.

i do like EASA bureaucrazy soo much :ugh:

[2close]

Yep, for ICAO Annex 1 ATPL conversion to EASA part-FCL not only must your ICAO ATPL be valid it must also contain a current Type Rating for the aircraft on which you intend to take the ATPL Skill Test.

Failing that, you have to undertake a full Type Rating training course if you wish to take the Skill Test on any other aircraft for which you do not hold a current Type Rating.

We have had so many prospective students come to us with ICAO ATPLs which do not comply with EASA requirements for ATPL issue and had to sadly inform them that they had to do the full course, self-study, progress tests, brush-ups and all 14 exams.

No, you do not need to do the CPL SEP, you can undertake the CPL Skill Tests on a MEP aircraft, however, if you do both the CPL and IR Skill Tests on a MEP aircraft, you will be issued with a CPL/IR with MEP rating which will not give you SEP privileges; if you subsequently want to fly a SEP you will need to do the SEP Skill Test separately.

Paco mentions students of his who are taking their exams in Belgium; we currently have one from the Netherlands and recently had another from Finland studying with a UK ATO but taking the exams in another EASA member state. But be careful, that is not permitted in all EASA member states - some insist on a different interpretation of the rules, in that the ATO providing theory training and examinations must be in the same member state. Before commencing, check with the country issuing your licence.

:)

[paco]

Somebody mentioned a course that requires no presence in the classroom - that was not approved under JAA regs and is not approved under EASA, either. It's good advice to check with your local authority first!

[Trolle]

It's a while since I did my FAA to JAA conversion in the UK, but here is what I remember and experienced:


You must take all 14 exams
You can skip enrolling in a course ONLY if you have the required multi-pilot time. I think it was 500 hours. So unless you've been flying as an FO somewhere you gotta enroll
You must attend the brush-up courses if you go distance learning since there is an attendance requirement according to the regulations
The exams suck and it's a world of hurt you have to go through when compared to the FAA system
Once completing the exams you need to enroll in a flight school. As far as I remember you need a current FAA Commercial for that. Many schools have FAA instructors and they can sign you off if need be.
I took a multi-check ride first followed by the instrument ride in a multi to be followed by a commercial ride in a complex single.
Nearly everything is different. The plane flies the same, but the airspace, comms, procedures, PRICES, etc. are all different.
It's a long journey that took me nearly 2 years I think but I did it distance learning and had to travel a bit for the exams.
I have some previous posts about my experience that you can look up if you need to.

[Transsonic2000]

I certainly agree with the above comments! In my opinion the EASA ATP exams, especially the QDB and the associated study time is a shining textbook example of a failed concept! It's more learning to pass a test instead of acquiring a working knowledge of the matter. In my opinion it creates the sort of pilot: "jack of all trades, but master of none"!

Doing the FAA to EASA conversion is a very extensive, time consuming and at times frustrating affair! Many hurdles must be taken and I'm pretty sure no one has an idea of what he is getting himself into, before actually getting involved!

@ joao.oliveira :
I can understand your anger and frustration very much, as I'm in a similar situation. I'm not sure if you already started the conversion, but if you get it all done (studying and taking all 14 exams, and passing all) in as little time as 10 month via distance learning, then I must say "hats off" well done! That's a pretty good pace! Usually it takes longer, the main problem is to keep up the motivation and keep going, while dealing with the (little) distractions of everyday life! Not everybody who embarks on this journey will finally arrive at the desired destination.

From my own experience, the best advice I can give you (I wish someone would have told me before I started the conversion) if you want to get it done within a reasonable time frame, then you have to go full time! Otherwise it's very likely that it'll probably take you much longer then expected and this in turn will be quite frustrating and in the worst case will eventually lead to quitting.

And don't take these stories for granted, like "I did distance learning in 6 month, while working a full time job, having a family, building a new home and it was a piece of cake"! These reports should be viewed with a healthy amount of skepticism and common sense and certainly shouldn't be taken as a general guide line!

Good luck!