This whole UK CAA license being best, kind of irritates me. Personally, I've got an Irish license, and it was gained through sitting the exact same amount of exams, and with the same stringent application of the rules in Part 66.
If anything the Brits have a lot to answer for in the way the route to a Part 66 license has gone. Seen guys in Norwich not too long ago paying thousands of pounds to get "experience" and that probably after paying thousands for their basic training course as well. Then suddenly before they've hair on their balls they've a B license and their parents bank account is empty.
In all fairness, the exams are important to insure a theoretical standard during your initial training and it's good that there's an attempt at having a standard. However the real training towards being a licensed engineer is surely the experience you gain on the job as a technician being mentored and critiqued by a licensed engineer on each job you do till you understand the high standards required, and have a broad range of experience. This is why I think that an apprenticeship with a company who has a vested interest in you becoming a professional engineer (not in how deep your pockets are) is the way to go.
In relation to conversions from the older systems what's the point in a guy who's already certifying on aircraft having to sit 12 or 13 modules to convert his old license/approvals to an EASA license? Are they going to gain a whole amount of knowledge required to do their job that they don't already have? The only real gainer in that one is the National AA's and the 147 schools sitting the exams, screwing more €€€'s out of people.
I've met excellent/rubbish engineers from all over Europe and some of the best ones I know have got their licenses in a cereal box and some of the worst ones I know got them in them in the UK and vice versa.
Moral of the story it's your experience on the job that matters not how many airmech questions you've memorised.
With regards to AF, if half the story's are true, then wouldn't do your apprenticeship there.
