Where to go for ATPL license?

[UnderneathTheRadar]

Hi all,

Am planning to go for a rather late career change (I'm 31) and turn my ol'PPL into an ATPL like I should have done all those years ago.

My PPL was from Oz, I live in London, have citizenship for both and don't really mind where I live.

So - on a time, cost, weather, ease(!), job prospects, usefulness basis am I best off:

-Convering PPL to JAA PPL and then continuing a modular course in UK?
-Going home to do CPL then converting? (with/without Multi, IR etc)
-Going right through ATPL theory in Oz then converting if I decide to see work in Europe?
- Or some other option I can't see yet.....

Any opinions or personal experiences appreciated.

UTR.

[BEagle]

You will not be able to 'convert' your Oz PPL into a JAR-FCL PPL unless your Oz licence is 'current and valid in all respects'.

Suggest you follow the following sequence:

Obtain your JAA Class 1 medical

Reactivate your Oz PPL

Convert your Oz PPL to a JAR-FCL PPL(A)

Build up whatever balance of PIC time you need, including the cross-country time and long cross-country, to achieve the 100 hr PIC needed before your CPL Skill Test

Add a Night Qualification to your PPL(A)

Achieve a minimum total flight time of 172 hours, including 100 as PIC.

Enrol on a Modular CPL course which includes multi-engine conversion (20 SE, 8 ME Pu/t hours including 10 hr IF training)

Pass the JAR-FCL ATPL exams.

Pass the CPL Skill Test on a ME aeroplane. (You will have the 172+28=200 hrs TT required, including the specifics)

Enrol on an IR course on a ME aeroplane.

Pass the IR Skill Test on a ME aeroplane.

Do the MCC course.

Apply for a job with a fATPL.

[UnderneathTheRadar]

Thanks BEagle,

Any particular reason why I wouldn't do the CPL test in Oz where the hours are cheaper and the weather better? Or does the added cost of conversion later on make it not worthwhile?

One other question regarding modular courses - does anyone know if I HAVE to have my JAA PPL before enroling or can I start now and convert later? Reason for asking is that I'd like to start groundschool now.

Cheers,

UTR.

[BEagle]

You have to hold a licence which is valid.

"The holder of a PPL(A) issued in accordance with
ICAO Annex 1, with at least 150 hours flight time as
a pilot, may commence an approved JAR CPL(A)
Modular Course"

But there's no need to convert your Oz PPL (when reactivated) into a JAR-FCL one; the main reason for wanting to do so might be that you could then add a Night Qualification and (perhaps) an IMC Rating to a JAR-FCL licence, which might make 'hours building' easier in our lovely weather.... Whereas with the Oz licence you'd be stuck with Day VFR only.

I'm pretty sure that you can start groundschool whilst building up for the modular CPL course entry crtiteria; however you need to check with the relevant school.

[Send Clowns]

I'd say:

Reactivate Aussie PPL.

Decide where you want to work (Aus is a large exporter of pilots at the moment, btw).

Do groundschool and flying in preferred order, flying at least some in country of choice (get used to it!), on your Aussie licenceor a JAA conversion. Full-time groundschool if you can afford to give up the job. No need to fly 172 hours, 150 is fine. Your IR will bring your hours up far enough for licence issue, as long as you get to 200 hours within 6 months of passing the CPL skills test. You could do the MEP as part of the training, but remember to get to at least 98 hours P1 (you'll get a minimum of about 2 hours P1 on skills tests, if you partial both with short retests, as you count any pass as P1(s)).

Fly the CPL where you have some recent experience, but if you want to do anything other than airline flying in the UK, then do it here. You won't get anyone to let you fly their aircraft VFR in the UK without some flying experience here. Certainly if your going to fly here do it JAA. Otherwise conversion costs make it pointless, and the time and effort of doing CASA groundschool is wasted.

Fly the IR where you intend to work unless money is so tight you have no choice. Don't get a foreign IR just to convert to JAA. The conversion course is really intended for experienced pilots. Those that try to convert in 15 hours from a shiny new FAA IR are likely to spend more money in the end, either extending the course or on retests!

Yes I work for a UK FTO, but we really do want to see you out on the line with a new licence and a job! We (and I) would like to help you to that point, but we do keep in mind the final purpose.