CPL vs ATPL (FROZEN) for JAR instructor licence

[aerobatic sean]

I am considering my plans - re ground studies and flight training - with the aim of future work as an instructor. I now have the choice of studying - distance learning - for either a JAR CPL or the ATPL .
I am not a future airline pilot ! - an age thing - and only wish to be an instructor and possibly iniatialy fly singles commercially in Africa.
My understanding is that one needs only ! to achieve a CPL licence to instruct with the correct amount of flight time - 250 hours?
Does the CPL allow you to instruct at the higher level of multi and instrument?
My current thinking is that in studying for an ATPL one would gain advantage from some excellent groundschools - Bristol, Ground Training Services etc - and much more student info floating around pertaining to the ATPL exams - in the form of student forums, question databases etc.
There are not many groundschool courses for the CPL.
So - if one was good enough and successful as an instructor and then got as far as instucting at multi and instrument rating level ?? - would it be CPL or ATPL ??
many thanks

aerobatic sean blue side down boys

CAA PPL with a modest 180 hours - mostly on tailwheel - the way to fly!!

[pilgrim flyer]

Did the CPL theory route myself, for rather similar reasons.

However I think that it's probably a good idea to do the ATPL's for the reasons you mention, plus there isn't that much more to do.

Also MOST IMPORTANTLY if you don't DO ATPL's and want to do your IR then you have to do another six exams (they let you off HPL). This is the position I find myself in now.

As an aside GTS got me through the last bit of my CPL (fourth sitting for 2 exams) and I'm using them for the IR.

Good luck

PF

[Cobalt]

I was in a similar situation - except that I wanted to do the IR with a CPL some time later... so could do either the separate CPL and IR courses or ATPL in one go.

I went for ATPL as there is no reasonable upgrade path from CPL and IR theory to ATPL - its all 14 exams plus all the ground school again! You never know... and I am reasonably certain that I will complete both IR and CPL in the required 3 years.

If you do ATPL theory, keep in mind that it lapses 3 years after CPL if you do not do the IR. If you get the IR, it "lives" as long as the IR is valid, and for 7 years thereafter.

If you are sure you don't want the IR later, I would not bother with the ATPL theory - saving about half of the work required, I think. GTS does separate CPL and ATPL theory with the same ground instructors and abridged versions of the ATPL materials, so course quality should not be an issue. Can't comment on other schools - as usual, you only need to attend one if it is any good...

C.

[OpenCirrus619]

I think the main decider should be whether you want an IR - if you do AND you are going to do it before your exams lapse then do the ATPLs. (I knew I was never going to get an IR before my ATPL exams lapsed - so I did the CPLs).

Have you thought about CATS (http://www.cranfieldaviation.co.uk/) for your distance learning? They do both CPL and ATPL.

OC619

[Unusual Attitude]

Really depends on whether or not you plan to both a CPL and IR within 3 years of passing your last exam.
If yes then do the ATPL's as its easier to get the whole lot out of the way at once as much of the CPL theory will appear in the IR syllabus and its better to do it all while its still fresh.

If no then you'd just be wasting your time doing ATPL's, if you've not added an IR to your CPL within 3 years of passing your last exam then you will lose all credits. In the CAA's eyes this is effectively as though you never even sat them!

This would mean that if you then wanted to add an IR at some point later you'd have to redo the I/R exams. Even if you do this however you will still only have a CPL/IR and not a frozen ATPL (ie if you wanted a frozen ATPL you would still have to redo all 14 ATPL exams once again despite having a CPL/IR!!!!)

Either way if you end up only having valid CPL theory you will have to re-sit all 14 ATPL's again to get back to valid ATPL theory and there is indeed no plans for a simple CPL or CPL/IR to ATPL theory upgrade.

With expired or no ATPL theory you are limited to flying only single crew aircraft and would also need to undergo an HPA theory course to fly high performance types. Expired ATPL theory will not even cover you for this I'm afraid.

Therefore for instructing and bush flying in Basic SE/ME Piston types you'd have no problems but it would leave you somewhat restricted should you wish to move on to flying bigger / more complex aircraft should the opportunity arise at some point in the future.....

Best of luck whatever you decide !!

Regards

UA