Bizarre CAA ruling
I hold a JAR CPL(A) and a JAR ATPL(H)/IR (both converted from UK licences)
I enquired of the CAA what theory exams I need to sit for a frozen JAR ATPL(A) and what credits I would be given.
I have been told that I must sit ALL the ATPL exams and will be given no credit!!! I have been a professional pilot for 26 years and I'm qualified to operate fixed wing and helicopters anywhere in Europe but to upgrade to ATPL(A) level I am treated exactly the same as Joe Bloggs off the street with no flying qualifications at all!!!!!
Their reasoning is that because I passed UK exams at CPL level they don't count. Yet they were good enough to allow me to convert to JAR licences. I never knew that the old UK qualifications were so useless and that I would have to be taught principles of flight and meteorology from scratch! (Amongst others). How is it that they allow me to operate with my JAR licences yet consider that I have not proven my theoretical knowledge at all?
As Jim would say "AAARSE"