European definition of Cross Country time for ATPL

[Victo]

Good morning. Does anyone knows the definition in Europe for the "Cross Country" flight time? For the flight experience for the obtention of the full ATPL it says that "200 hours must be cross-country time, of whom at least 100 will be as PIC or as PICUS".
I know that for the USA ATP Cross Country means that you landed at more than 50NM from your take-off point, or that you flew more than those 50NM before returning to your T/O point in certain type of operation. But I can not find an exact definition for the JAA ATPL. Can someone help me with this? Thanks!

[AdamFrisch]

As I recall, anything further away than 3nm from your departure airport using a "pre-planned" route is a cross country.

[what next]

The current definition, as by this document http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:311:0001:0193:en:PDF is:

‘Cross-country’ means a flight between a point of departure and a point of arrival following a pre-planned route, using standard navigation procedures.

[Victo]

Thank you very much Adamfrisch and Whatsnext. Do you know how to demonstrate this flight time for the ATPL? Is it enough with the logbook entries? Or is it necessary a certification from the operator? As the definition is so general I see some difficulties proving the flight experience. Thanks again.

[what next]

Or is it necessary a certification from the operator?

Something like that. The form by which you apply for your ATPL requires your signature and the signature of a competent person who testifies that he has verified your flying hours. This can be for example the operations manager of an AOC flying company, the head of training of a flying school, an examiner or any flying instructor. At least here in Germany (I have done it numerous times as flying instructor and there have never been any questions). Usually you go to someone you know and who knows you and he will sign without even looking at your logbooks. If you are a complete stranger to them, they might browse through your book and ask a few questions, especially if the callsigns and airport codes in your logbook look very exotic.

[Victo]

Many thanks again Whastnext. I still need some months to get all the required flight experience for the ATPL (still need to increase my multipilot time), but with the info you've just given me I'm gonna ask my last company to certify my "cross country hours" on paper. As now I'm not flying any more as PIC (I was flying single-pilot piston) I need those 100 hours Cross Country PIC hours to be certified, and I presume it will be easyer for the person who signs the verification of my hours to have a document from the company stating that this is true. I have 2700h as PIC, so I think they will easyly believe that 100 of them are cross country, but just to be sure...

[Dufo]

When I did atpl skill test in november last year, I put 'at least xxx hours' in the xc box. The number I used was all commercial, A to B flights, lowered by conservative 10 hours.

This was accepted without a question and atpl license issued a few days later :ok:

[Victo]

Thank you for telling you experience Dufo. I hope can get my full atpl at last this year... It will have been a long way...