Tinstaafl,
An excellent post!!!
If this could be made a sticky, and as long as people read it, it should answer a large proportion of "newbie"-type questions.
Just a couple of minor things to add, and both of these are specific to the JAA system:
- The "frozen ATPL" or "fATPL". This is a phrase which is used, informally, in JAR states (and especially the UK) to mean a CPL/IR, with the ATPL exams passed. It also often includes a Multi Crew Course. There is no offical license called a "frozen ATPL", it's just an informal phrase, but it's often used as a minimum requirement for airline entry in Europe. Can be obtained by either the "integrated" or the "modular" (non-intergrated) route as Tinsaafl describes.
- Under JAR, there is an additional requirement for the ATPL, and that is 500 hours of time on a multi-crew aircraft (presumably as co-pilot, since you can't operate a multi-crew aircraft commercially as captain before you have the ATPL).
Now, let's get this sticky'd please!!!