This is a really sticky one. No ATO is going to put you forward for test unless they are happy you are going to pass as it reflects on them with the CAA. This means you are going to have to do some training with them. I now have approval to do this and send you for test but again I would not sign you off unless we had verified you were ready.
I have yet to fly with a single ICAO IR holder wanting to convert to an EASA IR that would pass the test without training regardless of how current you think you are. The EASA IR test standard is not like anything you have experienced before and the CAA take no prisoners when it comes to testing. This means that if you book with the CAA and fail it is going to be a very expensive exercise. The current test fee is about £935 and the CAA will only test in your aircraft if the Head of Training of an ATO has signed it of as suitable. Suitable means that it has to meet EASA requirements for IFR which includes the carriage of an ADF as substituting GPS for ADF is not currently permitted.
Anyone thinking they can just pitch up in their aircraft knock of a quick test and walk away with an EASA IR is seriously deluding themselves.
I hold an FAA CPL IR and UK EASA CPL IR and have trained hundreds of candidates for both initial and conversion IR and have yet to see any who could convert with out training.
I look forward to hearing the bragging rights of the first person to do so.......
