JAA ATPL into FAA ATPL

[lotuslash]

Dear Friends,

I did the search function and i couldnt find exactly the case i am looking for.... but maybe you can help me.
I have a JAA ATPL License with 5800hours on it. I am still current on my Aircraft.. (i do not wanna spend 25000 usd for an additional recurrent)
What would be the cheapest way for me do get an FAA ATPL??
Is it possible just to join a flight school in the states and do some instruction flight on a seneca or sooo?
Would it be possible to do the FAA even in europe?

Many thanks for your advices....

best wishes
Lotuslash:ok:

[PPRuNe Towers]

What is your current type?

If a standard type - B737/A320 there's a big choice and, if definitely current, possible for around 10,000 euros including flights and (basic) hotel.

Some of the main steps:

Pick school and get official title of short course ATP check/Type rating and the official category it goes under on the TSA paperwork.

Begin application to TSA for entry and pay a fee of approx $140

Get your license authority and FAA talking to accept your license - In the UK for instance there is a fee of about 50 euros for them to answer the request from America.

When initial clearance from TSA comes through you go to a local centre to be fingerprinted before final approval comes through - approx $140 for the fingerprinting.

US embassy contact to check what visa is nesc. In many cases they'd want you to have a full B1/B2 visa. A crew visa can be tricky especially for entry as a passenger to Miami - home for a large proportion of these schools.

Arrange to do the FAA written ATP exam either at one of the, now very limited number, of European centres or do it on arrival in the States. Ball park cost $150.

There's a cluster of these schools in the Miami area so reckon on popular aircraft type costing $5,500 - $7500 including test. If not an existing pilot of 737/320 it is not much more money to do full ab initio on one of them but a completely different ball game stresswise as it is very much self study with a couple of staged tests before being thrust into the FAA oral exam.

The greatly respected/feared FAA oral becomes a different thing entirely when done in a busy type rating school as a group exercise.

One tip - if doing a short course for experienced types there will often be a CBT course for you to do before arrival. If it say 40 hours please don't rush it - the time on line is recorded and there's a minimum number of study hours for the FAA before you can be tested. Guess how smart arse found out:O:sad::ok:

There are cheaper, light aircraft based alternatives but you have to carefully consider whether they offer anything useful for work in Europe when an airliner type rating runs in at a third or a quarter of an American biz jet type rating and ATP. If you root around you'll find people doing courses for Lears and so on at well under Gulfstream type prices but the airliner sims are generally far better and hugely competitive compared to 'bleed them dry business' aviation centres.

Rob

[lotuslash]

Hey Rob,

Thanks very much.
my case is the following,
If do have a CL30 and a G550 rating on my JAA license. i do not wanna do a recurrent because i am still current until the end of 2011. (because of costs)
i already did the FAA theoretical exam, still valid until january 2012... (2 years from date of test?!)

My thing is that i wanna add a helicopter commercial license to my JAA/FAA license, and it would be muuuuch cheaper if i go for training to the states and i would already have a FAA Aircraft license......

best regards
Lotuslash

[fernytickles]

If all you want to do is get the checkride out of the way, consider these guys - ATP Flight School: Airline Pilot Training & Pilot Career Development (http://www.atpflightschool.com) I went there a few years ago and did the whole thing in 3hrs of flying - 1.5 review & sign off, 1.5 checkride. All in a light twin. Total cost then was about $1000 - hotel, review, checkride. They have bases all over the country.

I have no idea if they will be able to help you with the TSA hurdles. Fortunately that was not something I had to contend with.

[Tinstaafl]

If you don't need a type rating added to your FAA ATP then do as Ferny suggests. It'll be the quickest way & close to cheapest.

As an ICAO CPL or ATPL holder there isn't a requirement for training nor an instructor recommendation prior to the flight test. Do the test in a light twin** is all you need to do. Find an aircraft to use & you could book your test with the FAA or an external examiner yourself. Nonetheless, unless you're already familiar with how the system works here, I'd strongly recommend some amount of prior training.

No matter what way you do it you'll have to jump through the TSA insecurity bull**** and qualification check

**Bear in mind the US segregates licences by category *and* class. Category covers airplane (sic), rotorcraft, glider et al. Within the airplane category, class covers Single Engine Land, Multi Engine Land, Single Engine Sea & Multi Engine Sea. A test for a licence in one category/class combination will not cover another category/class. Do a licence test in a Multi Engine Land will not give you privileges in a Single Engine Land. You would have to do another licence test to add another category/class combination.

[mad2fly]

If you do your recurrent in the States, you might be able to combine an FAA ATP Checkride with your JAA recurrent. Flightsafety and SimuFlite both have JAA approved examiners on staff and may be able to work something out with you.