CMS,
OK, I'll try to answer your questions but I'm more than prepared to stand corrected if anyone knows better:
#1 The ATPLs "expire" 18 months after you sit your first exam if you havent passed them all by then so plan your time wisely if distance learning.
#2 MCC stands for Multi Crew Co-operation/co-ordination (never can remember which one it is!) and most airlines if not all require this as a basic qualification. Its a two week course comprising a weeks groundschool and a weeks sim time (the fun part) and is usually done at the very end of the ATPL "experience"
#3 Perf A was the old CAA qualification which was all about take off distance, field limitations etc.. now this is covered by Aircraft Performance in the JAR exams.
#4 As far as I am aware as a distance learner there is no minimum hour stipulation (I could be wrong)
#5 How long do they take? How long is a piece of string. It all depends on how much time you put in on a daily basis, how easily it sinks in etc... I've not done distance learning but from what I've read on this forum its taking anything from 18 months to 3 years (see bit above about planning time so that you dont "time out" on the exams)
Hope this is accurate and helps....good luck
TBL
