My little predicament Where to do the IR??

[PA-28 CLOUD SURFER]

Hello fellow PPRUNErs

I am currently in the US and have just obtained my FAA and JAA PPL. I have 120 hours with 40 hours PIC. I am en-route to becoming an airline pilot, i hope. I do however have a few choices to make. Firstly the route i was going to take was to do my multi and an IMC (by choice)over here in the states and then return to do my ATPLs and then on to the CPL and IR. This seems to be the expensive route.

I also have the opportunity to do the FAA IR instead of the IMC and having returned to the UK and finished the ATPLS i will convert the FAA IR and then do the CPL. As i understand it the FAA IR hours will also count towards the 100 hours PIC needed for the issue of the CPL and also if done before the CPL cuts the number of hours need for the CPL. By the time i get back to the UK i will have enough hours to commence the CPL/IR.

Any advice would be greatly welcomed especially if anyone has already gone through the same predicament!!

Surfer :ok:

[Chinchilla.612]

Hiya,

Each to their own, but from personal experience I can tell you that I did the FAA IR this summer, and converted it easily back here in the UK. Is a 15 hour convex followed by the Skills Test over here, and if I can do it, I reckon anyone can :o)
Was certainly a much less expensive option for me.

If you want any more info from me, please feel free to message me.

Regards,
Chinchilla.

[englishal]

The route me and some of my friends have gone is to go and get an FAA CPL / IR first. The reasoning behind this is that if you have the FAA IR then your JAA IR requirements drop to 15 hrs, and if you already hold an FAA CPL then you are excempt from a formal course for the JAA CPL. In theory if you do the right training in America you can convert in the UK in a grand total of ~8 hrs in an aircraft, the rest being done in an FNTP2 sim.

The key is the "right training" in the US. The place in the US my mates and I used has FAA instructors who are also JAA instructors, and although not a CAA authorised FTO (becasue they specialise in the FAA ratings primarily and not JAA stuff) they train you for the FAA CPL / IR to JAA standards and requirements in anticipation of licence conversion, so you should be able to convert in the minimum time.

If you go this route, the CAA IMC rating and JAA ME ratings are not required and are a waste of money. The ME ratings will be converted in the CPL conversion, and the IMC rating will be issued to you by the CAA for 64 quid by virtue of the FAA IR.

Good luck,

EA:D