I've done number 1 except the type course and quite a large chunk of SOE for the hard to get chapters.
Some things I forgot to mention...
> The steps I outlined to getting a license are applicable to the airliner ame's, but i'm not 100% sure if it applies to GA ame's.
> There are people out there that will advise you that you are no longer eligible to sit your CASA basics. This is untrue! Even if you have not sat ANY (meaning, none at all) casa basic exam in the past, you will still be able to book and sit for CASA basic exams before the 26-ish of june 2015. Apart from taking my word for it, I also have it in black and white from an official of CASA Licencing and Rego Centre (CLARC).
Be aware, if you choose number 1 path, you better be confident that you're going to get a license before 2015, because as it currently stands, i don't think casa/ a RTO will "RPL" your casa basics, meaning, you will have to do the diploma any way rendering your efforts to complete the CASA basics a complete waste of time and money.
> About the diploma, i'm not sure if you are aware of how this runs. so i'll touch on it a little.
There are 2 things you (maybe?) and I did to get our trade, theory (class) and practical (journal). There aren't any "exams" per se, for the diploma, because your pass marks (>75%) for all your theory subjects are considered acceptable to be issued a licence. So all you have to do to get the diploma is a couple of assignments which, without going into detail, focus on management of yourself and others as a hypothetical LAME in the industry, and some additional MEA's for your journal to be done as well, not to mention a good dose of human factors training.
Easy? Yes. Cheap? No. The costs for this are in the mid to high $,$$$.
This, is probably the best way to go for you i would suggest, given that I/you don't know if and how casa or an RTO intend to recognise your/our CASA basic exams if we don't get a licence before 2015.
good luck. you're gonna need it in the current climate. Definitely take LWOP if you can, it certainly helps to have a fall back plan.
All the best mate.
