Booking Exams

[k77]

Hey!

I was wondering where I can book the CAA ATPL exams? And what options are there?

Can I pick a location to sit the exams at?
Can I pick which exam to do or do I have to do 7 in one sitting?
How much does each unit cost?
Can we track the status like the DVLA website for driving licensing etc?

Thanks

k77

[Leezyjet]

Each exam currently costs £62.

As far as I'm aware, you have to be enroled with an approved training organisation before you can sit the exams. You cannot just apply off your own back, although someone might have more info on this than me.

You can do as many as you like in one sitting, however you don't have enough attempts/sittings to just do one at a time.

You have a total of 6 sittings and a max of 4 attempts at each exam.

:)

[k77]

To get a PPL one needs to pass:

1. Aviation Law & Operational Procedures
2. Human Performance & Limitations
3. Navigation & Radio Aids
4. Meteorology
5. Aircraft (General) & Principles of Flight
6. Flight Performance & Planning
7. JAR-FCL Communications (PPL)But it says in all the ATPL courses that you cover these:
Phase One Subjects

Principles of Flight
Aircraft General Knowledge – Systems
Aircraft General Knowledge - Instrumentation
Human Performance
Meteorology
VFR Communications
IFR Communications Phase Two Subjects

General Navigation
Radio Navigation
Flight Planning
Aircraft Performance
Mass & Balance
Operational Procedures
Air LawSo are the they the same exams or different?

[pilotincommand]

There is a vast difference between PPL and ATPL exams. The PPL written exams can be done in a week or two if you get your head down. ATPL usually takes a minimum of six months are the content builds upon the PPL material. You cannot enter the ATPL exams unless you have a PPL from somewhere although it doesn't have to be JAR. You also need to complete an approved course of study unless you have an ICAO ATPL and a significant amount of airline experience.

[bajadj]

integrated students don't have PPL's.

[pilotincommand]

Integrated students are an exception but the PPL exams vs ATPL exams issue is only relevant to modular students. I assumed from the original question that k77 was not talking about these courses.

[k77]

I don't completely understand though regarding the units.

Air Law is a ground school exam required for the PPL. If I pass and get a PPL done privately and say I want to get my CPL, I do my ATPL at Oxford Aviation, will they skip the previous exams, so in this case, Air Law. I would not have to Air Law again as I already did this during my PPL? What are the differences? Sorry but can you put it in lame mans terms

[bri1980]

Simple for modular:

You do all the 7 exams required to get a PPL (assuming JAR here).

Then, you do all 14 for the ATPL. Even though some of the modules at ATPL level may have the same names as ones you already passed for your PPL, they have very very different contents!

If you only want a CPL (not ATPL) then you only have 9 of the 14 ATPL examinations to pass.

JAR requires that you do 10% of the course time with an apporved training organisation in a classroom environment-so you can't simply book yourself in.

There are also only 4 centres where you can take the ATPL exams.

Hope this is useful

B

[AlphaMale]

K77 is this a wind up? :}

As pilotincommand said, you can get your PPL exams done in 1 week if you get your head in the books and study 1 exam per day.

If it took 14 days for 14 exams for the ATPL's there would be a hell of a lot more people with fATPL's waiting for jobs.

If the ATPL exams take 6 months to complete from studying full time surely there is more to it than the PPL level?

Here are some of the people you can study with;

Bristol Ground School (http://www.bristol.gs/atpl_course_structure.php)

CATS (http://www.cranfieldaviation.com/uk/atpl.html)

London Met (http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/depts/bssm/aviation/courses/prof/home.cfm)

And of course Oxford Aviation as mentioned above.

I've read that your PPL knowledge is worth about 30% of an ATPL. If you can get 100% in all your PPL exams then you've got the basics.

Good luck.

[Whirlygig]

I've read that your PPL knowledge is worth about 30% of an ATPL.

Theory wise, that sounds about right; practice wise, all the useful stuff is at PPL :}

However, whilst everything above is true, one doesn't actually have to sit the exams in the same format as those suggested. I've deliberately done mine over three sittings in order to alleviate workload.

Cheers

Whirls

[bajadj]

whirlygig is spot on... the vast majority of knowledge you actually use does seem to be at ppl level. The amount of utterly extranious crap involved with some of the atpl stuff is imho completely unnecessary, unless of course you fancy doubling up as an engineer, which i don't.

eg: a green fusible plug is designed to deflate the tyre if a temperature of _____ is reached?

a. 177 degrees celcius
b. 277 degrees celcius
c. 155 degrees celcius
d. 199 degrees celcius
e. i don't give a ****, where's the cute blonde hostie.

[Whirlygig]

The amount of utterly extranious crap involved with some of the atpl stuff is imho completely unnecessary, unless of course you fancy doubling up as an engineer, which i don't.


Ha ha ha LOL :} I could rephrase that .....

The amount of utterly extraneous crap involved with some of the atpl stuff is imho completely unnecessary, unless of course you fancy doubling up as an fixed wing pilot, which i don't.

LOL even more!!! :} Don't forget us rotary types sit essentially the same exams. So I'm sure you can imagine how even more useless they are!! :8

Cheers

Whirls

[k77]

Thankyou, no this was not a wind up. Thanks for the links and replies. Can you last tell me about any organisations in the UK that offer Type Rating. And I am assuming line training is Type Rating but with the airline; safety procedures, customer service etc?

[Whirlygig]

Eh? Sorry love, if you haven't even got the ATPL exams yet, don't worry about any type rating. Besides, which type????????

Line training is NOT the same as a Type rating by any means. I'm not sure I can put this any more gently but, you've got a lot to learn!

Cheers

Whirls

[k77]

What is line training though then?:ugh:

I am interested in 747 or Bombardier type.

If I go to a FTO in Europe and do 0-fATPL, would I have to do converting courses in the UK or a check ride of some sort?

And lastly, do you have the number for CAA Class 1 Medical bookings?

Thanks

[pilotincommand]

Line training is airline induction after you have your type rating.

You need CPL / ME-IR / MCC and a pass in the ATPL exams before you can even think about type ratings (and before anyone says anything, I know you can get a type rating endorsed on a PPL which is, of course, a pointless exercise unless you happen to own a very large aircraft).

Even once you get to this stage, there is NO chance of anyone employing someone with 250 hrs on any variety of B747. You might get somewhere with the Bombardier types but it is generally better to wait and see what type of aircraft your future employer is using. In most cases, they will have some sort of funding arrangement for obtaining the rating. The typical cost of a TR is usually about £25k once you include the base training.

The number for the CAA can be found on the medical section of their website. Be aware that you will have to go to Gatwick for the initial examination and it is not cheap.

[AlphaMale]

I think somebody needs to do some serious research before they get any decent answers. :\

You want to do a Type Rating in a 747 for a start? Can you imagine the cost of having a 747 to do the 6 take off and landings?

It costs £20k for a 737 / A320 TR with 6 take offs and landings.

Line training for say Raynair can be seen here: https://pilot.cae.com/Programs/Ryanair.aspx?prog=6

Line training will be provided by Ryanair from one of their many bases. The number of sectors varies with the experience level of the pilot. It is estimated that low-hours cadets will fly approximately 90 sectors, and experienced JAR 25 pilots approximately 30 sectors at a rate of 50 sectors per month.

If you do a JAR fATPL course in Spain/Greece etc then there is no need to convert for the UK. If you do FAA training in the US (tempting with their low prices) you'll need to convert FAA CPL and FAA IR to a JAA CPL and MIR.

I can't see Virgin Atlantic looking to stick you as a FO on a 747 any time soon even if you did manage to raise the cash for a SSTR.

They say 2,500-3000hrs but you need more, including comercial jet experience. Type rating a big advantage for the A340.