But there is no Training Course required for someone who holds a non-EASA ICAO IR and the relevant experience. The Candidate can go straight to an Examiner and take the Skills Test (and oral TK Check).
As there is no 'Course' there is no need for a 'Course Approval'.
Since when? The poster was talking about an FAA IR > EASA IR
The regulation states:
(2) Applicants for Part–FCL licences already holding at least an equivalent licence, rating or certificate issued in accordance with Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention by a third country shall comply with all the requirements of Annex I to this Regulation, except that the requirements of course duration, number of lessons and specific training hours may be reduced.
(3) The credit given to the applicant shall be determined by the Member State to which the pilot applies on the basis of a recommendation from an approved
training organisation.
Therefore the law requires an ATO to make a recommendation. The ATO must be approved to make that recommendation - that's just common sense.
Also FCL.030 requires a recommendation for test:
Except for the issue of an airline transport pilot licence, the applicant for a skill test shall be recommended for the test by the organisation/person responsible for the training, once the training is completed. The training records shall be made available to the examiner.
The UK recognising that the volume of conversion requests will be huge has released an AMC :
IN-2013/134: UK Alternative Means of Compliance for conversion of ICAO Pilot qualifications issued by Non-EASA Member States | Publications | About the CAA
The problem lies that you are flying a turboprop. You will find the number of ATOs across the whole of Euroe with a Single engine turbo prop approval will easily fit in one hand.
Now that's a lot of regulations for this time of night
