Originally Posted by
NoelEvans
All those who hold or 'are able to get' a CAA licence do so by putting in the effort to sit those exams.
From the CAA itself: "Theoretical knowledge examinations completed prior to 1 January 2021 may be credited within the validity of FCL.025 (i.e. for 7 years from last validity date of the IR on the EASA licence as of 31 December 2020, subject to you submitting application to us within that 7 year time period of this IR. We are unable to provide any credit toward the examinations, where an instrument rating on an EASA licence, was initially issued after 31 December 2020 or was renewed after this date. In all instances, we will require evidence of valid IR on EASA licence on or before 31 December 2020."
This is the CAA admitting that essentially, there is no difference in examinations taken. Any pilot who earned an EASA ATPL theory pass before Jan 1 2021 can right now simply swap their EASA license for a CAA one (with some paperwork and a hefty fee). Yet anyone who passed exams after that date magically is not competent and must resit the exams. Whilst I'm not arguing that, as it stands this is the case and if you want to work for a G-reg airline you have no choice but to resit exams if you fall on the otherside of this cutoff, I still think it is both both unnessecary and ridiculous to demand it. I also think it would be in the best interests of British airlines and the CAA to remove it... IMHO.
Originally Posted by
Brian Pern
Richpea, we work in the second most regulated occupation in the world, the first, Nuclear.
It is up to the regulator to decide what they require from prospective license holders. The USA you have to sit the exam. Same with CASA in Australia.
Of course this poses a problem for your employer, Ryanair, who have a majority of Third Country Registed aircraft based in the UK, this will change at some point, meaning UK license holders will be in demand.
There is no level playing field, there never was, if you want to work for a French/German/Spanish etc airline you have to be fluent in the local language.
It's the way of the world
Sure, but as mentioned above, if I want to work for Emirates, Singapore, Cathay, Korean Air etc etc etc., I do not need to fully requalify myself. At most I need to sit 3 or 4 exams. Given the arbitrary nature of the CAA cutoff date and the fact that they will still convert EASA licenses to CAA ones if you passed before a certain date, one can't help but feel like its a bit of an exercise in pointlessness.
Anyway, this is turning circular.... I'm not coming back to this, so I'll just finish with saying its a stupid situation that needn't be, it only makes it more expensive and complicated for early career and new pilots from the UK entering the profession. Especially it punishes a small number of pilots whose training and exams were impacted by the effects of COVID. But it is what it is. I think it's in the interests of UK airlines to push for some kind of relaxation of the demands for conversion, fair play if you don't.