Converting Aussie ICAO CPL to JAA

[Aviator500]

Hi,

I have recently completed my Australian CPL/IR and am looking into the prospect of either getting work here in Australia as an instructor/charter pilot or converting the license to JAA and returning to the UK (I am a dual citizen).

I do know a couple of pilots in the UK that have mentioned that the market for F/O jobs is quite good at the moment. It is possible to convert the license at a school in Perth and do the IR flight test and MCC in the UK. Has anyone gone down this conversion route before?

Do the airlines in the UK take pilots with only the min hrs - 200TT? I was told that Flybe, Eastern were such airlines that may take F/O's with low hrs. What about age - I am 29 and looking to get into the airlines asap. Is age an issue in the UK or do you often find people pursuing flying as a second career? In Australia, most regionals require a min of 700hrs TT but also at least 250 hrs multi time - obviously gaining the multi time is the issue over here.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I am at abit of a crossroad at the moment:ugh:

[CBS]

Hi I am from your part of the world and converted to JAA about 4 months ago. I would definately do it if I were you as long as you have the right to work in the UK and can front the £££. Expensive but going to fast track your career. Don't think your age is too much of a problem over here.

[Luke SkyToddler]

Normally I'd say go for it but from what I can see it's never been so good in Oz has it? Regionals taking people with well under 1000 hours at the moment. Bear in mind that it's gonna cost a bomb load of money to come up here and convert your licence (conversion probably costs more than it cost you to get your Aus CPL/IR in the first place), and it will take quite a few months and a lot of blood sweat and tears particularly on those ATPL subjects which are quite frankly so irrelevant and unnecessarily difficult as to be laughable.

If I was in Oz/NZ right now I'd take a punt on a single engine job (instructing or bush flying or whatever), give it a year to get those hours up, keep on networking, and have faith in the fact that something multi engine related will come up.

[CBS]

Would'nt let me PM you back Aviator 500, Rejected it??

[redsnail]

Aviator 500,

The cost of converting your license to a JAA one is pretty expensive. (I did it a few years ago and I had 4500 hours then). At the time (2001), it made sense to do it and it's worked for me.

At the moment, Australia is positively booming with jobs. I have never seen the folks in the Kimberley advertising for pilots but they have now. This is for a C206 job!

You're looking at a minimum of 6 months to do all the theory, exams and flying tests in the UK.

If all you need to get a look-in at a regional is 750 hours + 250 twin then I'd get myself a SE job any where. Once you've got that, the twin job or hours won't be too far away. It wasn't that long ago that the regionals wouldn't look at you until you had 3000 hours with 1000 hours twin and turbine time.

As you'll no doubt find out, the minimums versus reality will be a lot different. That's the same in the UK too. From what I can gather, most of the guys getting the jobs with v/low hours have done an integrated course. Most low houred guys in the UK struggle too.

For what it's worth, have a go in Australia for a year "oop north". You can do the distance learning modules via Bristol Ground School. So, if you decide that Australia isn't for you and you'd prefer to take a chance in the UK, hopefully, you'll be coming here with 500-1000 hours and at least a good part of the theory done.

good luck.

[porridge]

Also you can do the JAA ATPL theory study & ground school at WAAC in Perth, plus the CPL skills test, then you only have to do the 15 hours IR conversion course in Europe. That might save you a bit of money!