U.S. pilots in Oz?

[MayFly135s]

I'm ex-USAF, have chosen a life in the southern hemisphere with my Aussie, and just completed a FAA ATP to CASA ATPL conversion. Here’s the scoop…

2 main issues facing an expat pilot wanting to work down under presently:

Immigration: if you want to fly jets with the major players i.e. QANTAS, Virgin Blue, Jet Star you MUST hold Australian Permanent Residency with either a visa, Oz passport, or citizenship (most all the regionals also have a similar requirement). Presently pilots aren’t on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) but are on the Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List (ENSOL). The short of this is that Oz won’t just be giving you a visa to come work as a pilot. You’ll either need to get a visa on your own merits (birth, spouse, family) or be nominated by a specific airline employer (QF/VB/J* don’t nominate to my knowledge). If the regionals do go down this road, know that this is a position specific visa and you just can’t quit one airline and join another - you’ll need a new visa.

Licence Conversion: while it is not the traumatic experience Starskate presents, I wouldn't call it an easy or inexpensive process either. My back ground is USAF, nearly 8 years of world wide heavy flying experience, and I hold numerous jet type ratings on my FAA ATP. In order to convert my licence I was required to pass 3 written exams:

- Instrument Rating Exam (IREX): 3.5 Hour Exam / 70% to Pass
- CPL Flight Rules & Air Law (CLWA): 2.0 Hour Exam / 80% to Pass
- ATPL Air Law (AALW): 1.5 Hour Exam / 80% to Pass
*NOTE: some airlines want credits in ALL ATPL Theory subjects (that’s 7 written tests).

Also unless you have formerly flow in Australia, you will have to do a flight test for the initial issue of a Multi-Engine Command Instrument Rating (MECIR) which is separate from the ATPL. I know it is odd for North Americans, but you can have an ATPL and not be instrument rated in Oz.

The flight test isn’t some quick "All ATPs" course where you show up, get ‘the gouge’ and fly a few quick flights. To get all the NAVAID endorsements on your initial MECIR you will need to fly an ILS / NDB / VOR / RNAV (GNSS) / DGA (DME or GPS Arrival – Aussie procedure) and HOLD, all while doing the usual run of single engine, circling, and missed approaches. I liken it more to a full route check and was expected to fly to another airport, utilize airways, and really know and operate under Australia’s vast expanse of Civil Aviation Regulations and Orders (CARs/CAOs). In my case that equated to a 3 hour flight test and covered 4 different airports to get all the endorsements.