Conversion procedure: Canadian ATPL to JAA

[jackalope]

Can anyone point me in the right direction for this one? Been on the CAA site a bit, but can't locate how to convert Canadian to UK...I have the EU passport.

I have heard it is hideously expensive: I am looking into options, but would like to hold off coming to England as long as possible so I could continue working here to pay for the whole lot. Therefore, what I am interested in is whether or not there are avenues available to North Americans so they can write the exams over here, then complete their flight training in the UK.

I have also heard they don't recognize some of the PIC (for example: instructing time logged as PIC), resulting in more timebuilding required...can anyone confirm this or put up a link for the actual requirements?

Thanks,
Jack

[ac100]

dear jack,

The first thing you need to do is email the CAA with a break down of your flight time. Then they willl advise you whether you are exempt from having to enroll on a full time course. The exemption is generally given to individuals who have heavy jet time or even corporate jet time. But ALL have to sit the 12 JAA examinations.

The only thing you can possibly be exempt from is the course requirement of 650hrs groundschool and 250 hours flight instuction.

As far as costs go....well just the correspondence course alone will run you into 1900 pounds CDN$4400.00. Then add on your examination fee of 702.00 pounds cdn$1500.00. The correspondence course requires a two week prep course at the school you are doing your course with so add on room and board costs and they normally split the the 12 exams in to 8 and 6. so now you are going to be making two visits to the UK. So you can add up the costs yourself.

But i think you should call the CAA and give them a break down of your flying experience and they will let you know what your exempt from. You can also put your experience on here and i can let you know if you will require to do a full blown course...ie 650hrs ground instruction and 250 hours flight time.

hope this helps. Cheers.

[jackalope]

12 exams??? Do planes fly differently over there or something?
Anyway, thanks for the info, I will contact the CAA.

In the interim, my experience is as follows:

ATPL (Canadian)
2100 Total Time
1600 PIC
1100 Multi
400 Turbine
1300 Cross Country
250 Instrument


Thanks,
Jack

[Horatio]

Jack

Hate to be negative. There was a fast track procedure, but that involved you having in excess of 1500 hrs PIC on a plane greater than 30k kilos, from memory. If you then did the Air Law and Human performance exam and passed an observed skill test, you got your UK ATPL. Anything less than that almost invariably involved doing the whole lot!

The arbitary 30k weight rule in my opinion is ridiculous. why would an experienced Capt with 1501 hrs on a B737 be more acceptable than a guy with 10k hours PIC on a Dash-8 for example? But rules is rules.

Ask the CAA, but don't hold your breath. Good luck

[ac100]

Dear Jack,

Not sure but i think you may have to do a course best bet as Horatio and i suggested is to contact th CAA.

Horation i think the 1500 P1 time and then do Air law and human Perf. is no longer applicable. I think all examinations are not done to JAA standards and requirements. the only thing you can get with such qualifications are a validation for a couple of years i believe but in the end you would still have to write the 12 examinations and a skill test.
cheers
AC100

[jackalope]

I guess what I should be curious about too for the lads in the UK is whether or not I am going to be competitive with those hours given the current job situation worldwide. I have of course been emailing companies directly (EasyJet, etc.) but they give me the pat politically correct responses (well, you meet our requirements, so send a resume....etc.)
I guess my question is leading to:
What kind of qualifications do new hires at the airlines typically have these days in England?

[Tinytim]

Just a little thought for you Jack.....

There are plenty of people I know with better experience than yourself holding CAA licenses who would love a job in the country in which they were born and grew up.............

Join the queue please when all our boys and girls have got jobs!!!

[AA717driver]

Kudos to the European Bureaucrats! They are the envy of regulators and paper-pushers 'round the world!

No one can build a regulatory maze like European Bureaucrats.:p TC

[redsnail]

Hate to give you bad news Jack....

You'll have to do the 14 exams again. Groundschool either full time or Distance learning. Full time = min 6 months study.
Flying, since you don't have 500 hours in multi pilot ops you'll have to do the IR again. You'll get 5 hours off. (Course is 55 hours).
To find out all the fun facts look at CAA FCL (http://www.caa.co.uk/srg/licensing/fcl/document.asp?groupid=189) and you are after GID 25.

[buffalowing]

Jack,
Do try to achieve 500 hrs on a multi-pilot aircraft as this makes the conversion process a lot easier and cheaper.
With a European passport you have every right to fly in the UK and all of the EU for that matter.
Do a search here on pprune to get a broader picture.
Fell free to e-mail me, I'm in the conversion process now, my experience is similar to yours.
Good Luck!

[email protected]

[jackalope]

Tinytim: I do believe that since I am a British citizen that I have just as much right as your 'boys and girls' to pursue employment in the UK. Thanks. I am not trying to push my way into the queue, merely stand were I may get an opportunity not currently available. My Dad is not the CP of BA or Virgin, and I don't have any contacts over there, so there are no unfair advantages you have to worry about. Having said that, I appreciate (sincerely) what you are saying, and realize that the grass may not be greener "back home". It sure is brown here!

Thanks for the advice everyone, I am off on the right paw now, and looking into it...

Jack