easa - faa atp
Well, I have new found respect for the FAA licensing sort of , its a lot of hoops - a lot , I did my SA ATPL big deal, then the EASA big deal, FAA not so big deal? Hmmm...I required a ATP check ride on my Jet type based on a foreign license verification..Think that's straight forward. It is not. As the company was paying for most of it, I couldn't possibly afford to do it how I will outline it below. Not to mention the time involved from submitting the first TSA application to walking out with what I needed was almost 10 weeks. The FAA have really made it quite awkward to get this these days.
1a. Submit TSA (for the CAE in Dallas (in my case) a 1 week long ATPL ground school course, it, it is a one full week sun - sun classroom based.
1b. Within that week 10 hours on a jet sim mine was a 737-800 whatever they give you, enjoyed it, ''constructive play'' no test.
1c. Then pass the 120 question multiple choice exam at one of the designated testing offices - ONLY int he US. they closed Farnborough at FSI for it. I spent 6 weeks doing the online stuff you can get and doing 1500 questions I did.
1d. License Verification from your relevant CAA to FAA small fee, 2 months of waiting in my case - this what held it up a little bit.
2a . If you have not some prior experience (100hrs) on type to have the ATPL ''check ride'' it has to be in the last 18 months - mine was 20!!! I had to do another recurrent on that type (33,000USD)
2b. submit another TSA for the EASA recurrent
3. Submit TSA for FAA 61.58 prior exp course, thats an identical recurrent (1 week) in the sim doing all the pre requisites for the 5.5 hr check ride ( i was with my buddy) and then the 1-2 hour oral exam.
So all in all, anyone that says its just micky mouse I have a tendancy to disagree. Its a process, requiring patience, a bit of study and lots of money in my case.
Thats just my experience of having just done it a year ago for a UK EASA - FAA ATPL with prior experience. Thats said coming from SA ATPL doing 15 exams and 1500hrs years ago, then to goto the EASA and do 14 more exams and 25hrs flight training and a year off, Im slightly jaded by it all. However stick at it if thats what you want to do. DD