Re: FAA IR Conversion to JAA Multi IR in UK
I had of course considered doing the IR conversion in Spain and I could have done the CPL at the school I worked for in the US. This would have been in the airspace I'm used to and the exact aircraft I was flying on a daily basis. The examiner had a repuatation for never failing anyone so a pass was pretty much in the bag. So why do it in the UK knowing full well the CAA's reputation and the insane costs?
Well, I'd never done any flying in the UK and if I did the conversion elsewhere I would be applying for UK jobs with no time in UK airspace. If you were a turboprop or air taxi operator would you want to take me on? At the end of the day, it 's not about obtaining a cheap CPL/IR, getting a job is the aim of the game! Getting a job is going to be tricky enough as it is without having to persuade operators that my Spanish and US converted ratings were issued on a fair basis.
If you are converting and are not very instrument current get some Frasca time. 10 hours in the Frasca is the best way to get that scan back up to speed and get you comfortable with how they like to do things over here. Do only 5-10 hours in the FNPT2 and increase the time you spend in the actual aircraft. I can promise you though that the cost will still make you weep.