That's it... I give up. I'm off to the live in the USA...but knowing my luck, the DfT would throw a spanner in the works for me there too!
It's a farce...somebody has looked at the increased revenue that can be sucked out of all the N reg operators by making them switch reg's and thought (in a Homer Simpson tone) "Hmmmm Revenue!". N reg for owner/operators tends to be done for the FCL issue.... and plenty of other pilots!
I know several FAA CPL/IR's flying N reg aircraft for individuals/companies, who are in a position whereby they need to take considerable time off work to wade through the 14 JAA ATPL exams. This is because there's no point just doing the JAA CPL/IR..because if you decide to change to JAA ATPL later on...you have to sit ALL the exams again, even the ones that you've already sat to get the JAA CPL/IR!!!!! Why is this? Why make it difficult for good pilots to get into flying jobs? I'd rather sit in the back of an Airbus with a guy in the right seat who has a few thousand hours flying BizJets/large twins/fast complex singles..than with a 21 year old, 250 hr number cruncher who can't fly for toffee. Doing what i do, I've flown with CAAFU examiners, BA training Captains, RAF display pilots right across the board to Joe Bloggs fresh PPL. Believe me....having a JAA pro licence doesn't neccessarily make you a good pilot!!! One guy I know has 12000 hours on BBJ's for Gawd's sake and flies his N reg "toy" at weekends. He's a cracking pilot...but....he needs to sit 14 exams to fly the same aircraft on a different reg? Madness...it really is utterly stupid!
Knitting...that's it....take up knitting!