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CPL(A) : Ground school in one european country & skill test in another one ?
Hi there,
I was just wondering, with that new EASA laws, have I got the right to do my ground school/written exams in one country (let's say France) and the flight training/skill test in another one (UK) ?
With that new regulation, I guess so but is that really the case ?
I know for Poland that this is already accepted. I know that the place where I did my training now also has a UK CAA approved examiner, so not just the training for ratings, but also for the CPL license can be done there, while the UK will issue your EASA CPL based on the training and testing done in Poland.
And why an ME/IR on a PPL - didn't you get a CPL done at the same time ? Otherwise an IR theory pass would have been sufficient ?
I understand that the only condition is that the Licence must be issued by the state which issues the medical.
Other than that, ground exams and flying training can be done in any EASA state. Although all ground exams, for example, must be passed in one state.
It was always possible under JAR to add Ratings to a licence. I had a mate who added a Spanish IR to his UK CPL. Although he later wished he hadn't bothered - he ranked the standard of what he did as lower than that of an IMC Rating. Didn't stop him getting a job though.
ground exams and flying training can be done in any EASA state. Although all ground exams, for example, must be passed in one state.
So, if I got you right, I can do, for example, my ground school in France and my skill test in England or my ground school in the UK and my flights in Spain ?
Indeed all the theory exams, and as far I know your groundschool, need to be done in one state. You can then do the practical training in any EASA state. So you can shop around for the best ATO where you want to do the training. PM me for advise on places East of Berlin.
We have had several students take exams in their own country having studied in UK (Poland springs to mind, as does Iceland). It seems to be an individual thing. If both countries have adopted Part FCL you can mix and match, but where, say Sweden does not adopt it until April 2013, it is a problem. The problem after that date may be a practical one, where the State may have adopted it but the flight schools won't be ready anyway (got one with just that problem).
Location: UK, Oregon/US and soon OZtraileeyaaah baby
Age: 30
Posts: 761
doing ground school in one country and then exams and practical flight test in other (same one for both exams and LST/checkride) isn't as big deal so long the CAA of country where the exams take place, is OK.
I have personally checked with both Czech and Slovak CAAs in the past, for UK ground school.
Where problems might arise, or quite likely, is the situation of wanting to get practical test done in different country to your written exams. Any such thing would have to be explicitly approved by BOTH CAAs, if there is such thing. I don't count UK CAA approved examiners conducting flight tests in Spain, for example. Again, with some paperwork ahead, possible, but less likely.
I would definitely avoid UK for written exams and LST due to the 'admin' racket, ehrm, cost. Unless you need UK CAA issued licence for the prestige of it for future job hunting.
is it correct that all the CPL / ATPL exams are written in English, irrespective of which EASA country ? Or if you are in say Poland, they can be taken in English, or the local language as requested ?
I am thinking here of all the people who are stuck with Shuttleworth or Gatwick only (you can never get into Oxford) for exams in the many parts of the country where it would be quicker and cheaper to just fly from their local airport and do the exams in another EASA country.
Depends on exam cost. I used to think that the UK was bad at £69 per exam but the charge in Ireland by the IAA is £100 per exam.
Does anyone have information on the cost of exams in other EASA countries ?
Also - do you know if we are unique in the UK on the PPL exams in not requiring them to be done at a local CAA exam centre ?
MartinCH - under EASA you can do ground exams and the flight test done in different countries. It does not require the agreement of different CAAs. By being part of EASA they have in effect already agreed to it.
Am interested to know how you would say do groundschool in the UK and then the actual exams in say Czech Republic - is it not the case an FTO has to put you forward for exams ?
So long as your medical was issued in the UK you can be issued with a UK licence.
The question of if an employer would take someone from a place he has never heard of is one that only they could answer, however.
In Poland you pay €250 for all the exams. You can retry all exams 3 times, all for this price. Where I did my training the entire ATPL theory course was € 2250, including the exams.
Where problems might arise, or quite likely, is the situation of wanting to get practical test done in different country to your written exams. Any such thing would have to be explicitly approved by BOTH CAAs, if there is such thing. I don't count UK CAA approved examiners conducting flight tests in Spain, for example. Again, with some paperwork ahead, possible, but less likely.
This is one of the freedom's under EASA.
There's no need for coordination between authorities. The examiner must have received the training from the NAA under EASA FCL which may incur a fee and then they have a reporting burden.
I understand that the only condition is that the Licence must be issued by the state which issues the medical.
Not quite. The licence (and any rating or certificate attached to it) must be issued by the state that holds your medical and licensing records. This need not necessarily be the state that carried out the medical.
Location: UK, Oregon/US and soon OZtraileeyaaah baby
Age: 30
Posts: 761
BillieBob, OK, if UK runs derogatory period and honours all the EASA FCL regs. I'd have to dig deeper to be sure, but both Slovakia and Czech Rep signed up for the transitional periods.
Still doesn't remove the exorbitant licence and exams related fees by UK CAA, although some may avoid some of them. I'm all up for it.
Slovakia hiked the ATPL exam fees. Now it's bloody 10 (ten) EURO EACH. Licence issue about 50 or so now. Czech Rep 30-50 eur for the WHOLE LOT of ATPL or CPL exams and not much more for licence issue. The current price list of Slovak fees is bit cumbersome to browse. They had simple chart before, then referred to specific law. Anyway..
BUT, Class 1 initial in Prague is now comparable or bit more than in the UK. As of about 2-3 years ago. Renewal is third of that, at least.
After a long campaign by AOPA, Denmark is now on its way to restructuring its aviation fees, abolishing annual charges and replacing them with a ‘less than €1* safety charge’ on all passengers flying on larger aircraft. Jacob Pedersen of AOPA Denmark says: "If the law passes as proposed, there will be no annual fees for anything to do with aviation in Denmark – no annual fee for the pilot to hold a licence, no fee for an aircraft owner to own an aircraft, for a flight training organisation, maintenance facility or airline to exist. Instead, Denmark will finance its safety oversight with a safety fee for all passengers leaving on larger aircraft. The new proposal has the backing of the entire Danish aviation industry including GA, airports and the airlines and according to Jacob Pedersen it could mark a very important turning point both for GA and the entire Danish aviation sector.
Either way, it is a step in the right direction. I always support lower fees for general aviation, although someone else is paying for it (common fare paying passengers who mostly don't use general aviation)
