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Old 15th Feb 2020, 08:21
  #9 (permalink)  
rudestuff
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Originally Posted by avtomaton
First of all, Cap 804 is for UK only. Moreover, it's marked as a 'reference only' since 2015. Secondly, the funny thing is that you mentioned "take the exams and receive required training".

Do you know pilots who got EASA license with 'just a checkride'? If you do, please share that experience, I suppose it will be useful. I shared mine after studying the docs and consulting with a person from Czech CAA, not from 'something I've heard about', and I did it myself. Probably there is a faster and easier way, but I do not know about it, I was describing my experience.
Probably you do, or you're talking about ATP pilots with 1500+ hours. In that case it can all be different, but I specially mentioned it.

And regarding the rest of your post:
"take the exams" - for IR and CPL you need IR and CPL exams (or ATPL), and you cannot take it without theoretical training in an ATO (unless you have 1500+ hours, at least according to EASA FCL). Show me the authority which will allow you to sit the exams without a document of completion of a theoretical training (as I know, the very min is 400h). I suppose that it makes more sense to take ATPL exams - they're good for both IR and CPL.

"training as required by an ATO" - I described what exactly is required according to EASA FCL https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/def...u/Part-FCL.pdf (subpart D, section 2, subpart G, subpart H and the appendixes) for issuing the license and ratings.
And here're those requirements:
- NVFR rating (which requires 5 hours training, FCL.810);
- CB-IR (if you don't have 50 h IFR PIC, you need 25 hours of training, FCL.615);
- CPL (15 hours of training, FCL.315 and the appendix);
- ME (6 hours of training, FCL.725);
- ME-IR (5 hours of training).

You can do your CPL training in a MEP aircraft, of course, and eliminate SE-IR part, but I believe that it can be even more expensive.

You need a night rating if you want to fly at night under your EASA license, it's again in the Part.FCL (probably you don't for a local UK license, I don't know). Or, if you don't have a night rating, you need not 15 but 25 hours of training for issuing your CPL (again, it's mentioned in the FCL). 5 hours for NVFR seem better than additional 10 hours for CPL.

So from my understanding it is not 'just a checkride'.
It's a theoretical training (at least 400h, most probably 650h) and practical training (at least 36h of training plus skill tests). I described it in details. Correct me if I'm wrong or there's an easier way, some ATO can provide 'training as required' below EASA FCL minimums, and the UK CAA can issue UK license, which can be easily converted to EASA. If there's such route, it can probably help a lot of people not wasting time and money undergoing the process which I've recently completed.
I'm from the UK, still an EASA member so I use their interpretation of things. Other EASA members are available. As VFR Seek and Destroy posted - the CAA website has most of the info. Cap804 whilst a reference only document, is still the go-to document for the CAA for want of anything better.

I certainly didn't say you could get a CPL with *JUST* a checkride. The fact that you need to pass all required exams should really be a given - I thought everyone knew that!

The thread (your thread) is about converting between FAA and EASA, so don't get confused between the requirements for initial issue and conversion, they are different.

To convert you must already have a CPL - so the requirement for theoretical training now rests with the head of training. There is no requirement to complete a full course of theoretical training as long as the equivalent ICAO licence is held. So in your original case an FAA CPL holder could do theoretical training as required for a CPL but would have to do a full course for ATPL - which is the only logical choice of you want to fly multi crew aircraft. So in most cases there is no way to avoid the cost of an ATPL course, but you can avoid actually doing the course by going distance learning because you essentially self certify that you have studied the prerequisite number of hours!

Having passed the required exams, an FAA CPL holder would need to do flight training as required by the head of training at an ATO. The CAA publish guidelines on this which can be reduced further on application. Don't get confused by FCL.315 and appendix 3 which refer to initial training courses, not conversions, which means there is no requirement for a Night Rating (An FAA CPL holder already has more than 5 night hours)
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