Purpose of Frozen ATPL

[lcr2011]

Hi everyone,

Can someone explain to me what is the purpose behind Frozen ATPL and why does someone have to fly at least 1500hrs in order to "unfreeze" it?
:confused:

[Tinstaafl]

There is no such licence as a 'Frozen ATPL'. The term is used in (mostly) UK/Europe as shorthand for someone who has gained a Commercial Pilot Licence, Instrument Rating and passed all theory exams for the Airline Transport Pilot Licence. Increasingly, completing a Multi Crew Co-operation course is being included in the mix. By then the pilot will have logged a couple of hundred hours flight experience. A CPL allows the person to work as a pilot in public transport operations but does not allow the person to be the Pilot-in-command ie Captain, of an aircraft that requires two or more pilots. To be PIC of a multi-crew aircraft type in public transport operations you must hold an ATPL.

Over time the CPL pilot can accrue more hours until eventually reaching the minimum experience required for the issue of an ATPL ie 1500 hours with various sub-totals within the 1500 hrs. On satisfactory completion of a flight test or similar recurrency training, and with the requisite flight experience the pilot may then apply for the issue of an ATPL. This is referred to as 'unfreezing the ATPL'. Not that they had an ATPL to 'unfreeze' in the first place but that's colloquial English for you....

[LH2]

Congrats to Tinstaafl for what must be the most precise and accurate yet brief answer I have seen here in a long time! Really, his reply says it all :ok:

[Tinstaafl]

Aww....shucks. <kicks toe in an embarassed manner>


lcr2011, I suppose I should add that you might benefit from reading this thread I wrote (http://www.pprune.org/professional-pilot-training-includes-ground-studies/134076-some-general-background-info-frequently-asked-here.html) - but was far less brief...

[captainsuperstorm]

years ago, it was not required to have a frozen ATPL.
copilots were doing the course, when their airline ask them to go for captaincy.

this has changed a few years ago, when flight schools asked the CAA for more cash resulting in thousand of wanabes coming to flight schools for their 14 useless exams. nice work CAA and flight schools!!! what's going to be your next move to tax more money from these poor wanabes?

[Adios]

I'm not sure the flight schools bear the majority of guilt here. The 14 exams emerged from the Joint Aviation Authority's attempt to harmonize Europe. Every wannabe still has the option to undertake a PPL with 6 exams and an RT test, then undertake about 9 CPL exams, then add an ME written test and some IR exams and 3 or 4 check rides along the way. Then once they get to 1500 hours and want an ATPL, they can take the 14 ATPL exams since no credit is given against them for the lot of exams they already took.

As painful as the 14 ATPL theory exams are and as irrelevant as much of the material seems, a strong case can be made that this is still the better option. 'Option' is the key word here. Any wannabe who shares Captain Superstorm's opinion can still do it the old way!

What? No takers?