JAA conversion process
Hello there,
I just finished the conversion from a Canadian ATPL to the U.K. issued JAA ATPL last month.
The proces in a bit complex and very expensive. I have the required 2 crew time so what I had to do was the 14 written exams, radio practical exam, multi proficiency check and both an IR (IFR to us) and a commercial flight test. Both were done on a multi. To convert the IR a minimum of 15 hours is required prior to the flight test and for the commercial there is not mimimum requirement but I would count on at least a couple of hours. It sounds like you may also have to do the multi crew course to but I would contact the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) directly and ask them. You can find prices for it on many U.K. flight school web sites.
The whole thing is pricy. Each written exam costs £60 to write and you can either do a distance course (I did) if you have enough hours or an in class course. There are many schools that do that in the U.K. and in the U.S.A My distance course cost approx. £3500 including books. The flight training is very expensive if done in the U.K. I was paying close to £400/hr. The commercial flight test can be done in Canada with Moncton Flight College and the IR training but the IR flight test must be done in the U.K. I'm not too sure about the schools in Florida etc. Each flight test also has a £690 fee that goes to the CAA.
In total the conversion with out the multi-crew course and doing the minimum hours cost me close to $30,000 Canadian (£15,000). It is also a great deal of work. I did the whole thing in 7 months but I quit my job and went at it full time. The other thing with the exams is that you can only write them on the first 4 days of every month. Each exam has a set day and it never changes. The normal procedure is to write 7 exams in one go then the next 7 at a later time(this equals two sittings). You are allowed 6 sittings in total and a maximum of 4 attempts at any one exam. The exams must be written in the U.K. and one of several exam centers. It also takes 3 weeks to get your results.
I'm not too sure how easy it is to find work, I had an offer before starting the conversion. From the rumours that I hear someone with your experience should be in a good position.
The groundschool I delt with was Ground Training Services in Bournemouth U.K. It is a distance program and they were excellent. They prepare you very well for the exams. Other popular schools are Bristol and Oxford but there are many options. Moncton Flight College does the flight training in Canada and there are also schools in the U.S. and U.K.
Best of Luck