Become Flight Instructor EASA

[Screaming Viper]

Hi.

Can I become a FI(a) with a PPL when I have more than 200tt-150 pic without taking the ATPL exams? Or do I need to take the exams? Can´t seem to find the information I´m looking for in Part FCL.

[Mickey Kaye]

Yes and I know of two such people and they are pretty busy to.

[Screaming Viper]

Are they only able to instruct for LAPL? Or can they do PPL?

[2close]

As I understand it, to teach for the PPL you require at least CPL theoretical knowledge, as laid out in Part FCL 915, otherwise you are limited to the LAPL.

FCL.915.FI FI — Prerequisites

An applicant for an FI certificate shall:

(a) in the case of the FI(A) and FI(H):

(1) have received at least 10 hours of instrument flight instruction on the appropriate aircraft category, of which not more than 5 hours may be instrument ground time in an FSTD;

(2) have completed 20 hours of VFR cross-country flight on the appropriate aircraft category as PIC; and

(b) additionally, for the FI(A):

(1) hold at least a CPL(A); or

(2) hold at least a PPL(A) and have:

(i) met the requirements for CPL theoretical knowledge, except for an FI(A) providing training for the LAPL(A) only; and

(ii) completed at least 200 hours of flight time on aeroplanes or TMGs, of which 150 hours as PIC;

(3) have completed at least 30 hours on single-engine piston powered aeroplanes of which at least 5 hours shall have been completed during the 6 months preceding the pre-entry flight test set out in FCL.930.FI(a);

(4) have completed a VFR cross-country flight as PIC, including a flight of at least 540 km (300 NM) in the course of which full stop landings at 2 different aerodromes shall be made;

(c) additionally, for the FI(H), have completed 250 hours total flight time as pilot on helicopters of which:

(1) at least 100 hours shall be as PIC, if the applicant holds at least a CPL(H); or

(2) at least 200 hours as PIC, if the applicant holds at least a PPL(H) and has met the requirements for CPL theoretical knowledge;

(d) for an FI(As), have completed 500 hours of flight time on airships as PIC, of which 400 hours shall be as PIC holding a CPL(As);

(e) for an FI(S), have completed 100 hours of flight time and 200 launches as PIC on sailplanes. Additionally, where the applicant wishes to give flight instruction on TMGs, he/she shall have completed 30 hours of flight time as PIC on TMGs and an additional assessment of competence on a TMG in accordance with FCL.935 with an FI qualified in accordance with FCL.905.FI(j);

(f) for an FI(B), have completed 75 hours of balloon flight time as PIC, of which at least 15 hours have to be in the class for which flight instruction will be given.


Hope that helps.

[Mickey Kaye]

Screaming viper

They can also teach for the nppl and its associated ratings.

[J_I_Logan]

Having trouble with the acronyms. I am a flight instructor in Australia (CASA) and America (FAA). Around 1000hrs PIC, 500hrs instructing. I specialise in Tailwheel and Aerobatics. Currently instructing in California but would like to move to Southern Spain. I have tried contacting a few schools here in America but have been given conflicting requirements, time frames, and budgets for my necessary conversion training ranging from 6weeks-$8000 to 8 months $24K.

Presume that I have a work and residence permit in Spain. Do I need to pass all of the 14 ATPL exams to be a Flight Instructor in Europe? I don't ever want to fly for the lines, I just want to teach Tailwheel, Aerobatics, and take people on flightseeing jaunts that they can put in a logbook.

Thanks in advance.

[BillieBob]

You do not need to pass the ATPL exams but you will need to pass the CPL exams to complete the kind of instruction that you describe. Since, I assume, you hold at least a CASA and/or FAA CPL(A), with the experience you describe the flight training required for an EASA CPL(A) under the UK alternative means of compliance is a minimum of 7 hours. Even combined with the instruction required to pass the arcane EASA theoretical knowledge exams, it is difficult to see how this could be worth anything close to $24k.

Conversion of your FI certificate under the same AMC will require a minimum of 15 hours of flight instruction and 30 hours of ground instruction.

[maximus610]

Hi JILogan, to answer you short: for flight-seeing you need a CPL and 13 CPL theory exams (instead of 14 for ATPL).

Without CPL theory(13 exams) you can teach only towards LAPL (I'm afraid no other ratings), but you need also to convert at least your PPL (9 theory exams) and FI into EASA one.

Best advice: contact schools in Spain where you'd like to teach/fly and they might be able to assist you for whole conversion process.

For acronyms and other reg explanations read https://www.easa.europa.eu/system/files/dfu/Part-FCL.pdf it's a 'FAR' for EASA world.

Good luck!

[rudestuff]

If you just want to teach aerobatics you can do that with a CRI certificate. 35 hours theory and 3 hours SEP. You'll need an aerobatics rating as well which is another 5 hours, but much easier than doing the full FI and ATPL exams.