FAA compared to JAR

[Carbon Cristal]

I am about to start studying again to get back my pilots licence. But on reading a little and talking to one or two people I am now very confused. Why would I want to do a JAR qualification? It appears to me that for all practical reasons The FAA licence seems to be better in just about every way.

For instance I am getting my licence back after some years. I now have to sit all my papers again, believe me a lot more than I did sixteen years ago. I might like to move to an instrument rating, I understand that it is very difficult to get as a private pilot.

This is very sad as I would generally chose European in every way.

[Whopity]

I appreciate that you are in Ireland which is not the same as the UK but why would you have to do all the exams again to get your licence back? Under the JAA rules all you have to do is hold a valid medical certificate and pass a Class rating Skill Test that takes about an hour.

Who issued your original licence and when did it expire?

An FAA IR is no use to you in an aeroplane registered in Europe!

[Carbon Cristal]

I have been told that as my licence expired over ten years ago I would have to sit all the exams again. Absolutely you need an FAA registered aircraft to fly IR in Europe. But is it not a lot less demanding to have an FAA registered aircraft than a JAR registered one?

My original licence was issued by the IAA rather than the JAR type but apparently I still need to do all exams and flight test, again. the only thing that I don't need to do again is the hours, which of course is the only thing that I would truly look forwards to doing.

[AdamFrisch]

Double check that, because the rules in Sweden (also a JAA signatory), stated that anyone who's had a valid national license before the state joined JAR, gets grandfathered in and does not need to redo the exam. I hadn't flown for 14 years and all I needed to do was get some up to speed training and do a checkride.

[Carbon Cristal]

Did you originally have a CAA licence. Do you need to be able to speak Sweedish?

[sternone]

If you are in for renting planes get a JAR-FCL licence, if you are in it for private ownership or joining a group that runs a N-regged plane go for the FAA licence.

The FAA will make you a better pilot than the JAR-FCL. The EASA will make you know a few more calculations while the FAA is more heavier on the flying itself.

[Radar]

Cristal,

Who have you spoken to regarding the procedure?

[Carbon Cristal]

I spoke with the IAA our version of the CAA. But that is the answer that I was given. Apparently it is in black and white over here. I might be prepared to travel in order to get the qualification elsewhere. For instance I am going to contact a couple of the schools in Sweeden as was stated above. Maybe they could help. I know that getting back into an aircraft would be my chosen method of regaining my licence again.

[Whopity]

If the Irish CAA were complying with Appendix 1 to JAR-FCL 1.005 you would not have to retake the exams.

You next alternative is to obtain a JAA licence on the basis of an Expired ICAO licence in which case you would have to retake the 7 ground exams and take the skill test.

You could obtain a FAA licence where again you would need to take their theoretical exam (probably easier) and pass the Skill test and then convert it to a JAA licence. If you have over 100 hours that would reduce it to 2 exams but you'd still have to do the Skill Test.

[Carbon Cristal]

What is JAR-FCL 1.005 and who does comply with it?