Converting ICAO ATPL to NZ CAA ATPL

[get_involved]

Hey All,

I am an American 121 pilot who has recently married to a New Zealander and we're trying to make a decision on whether or not to pursue flying down in NZ.

I hold a FAA ATPL and have accrued nearly 5000 hours of 121 flight time over the last 10 years. All of my flight time has been in the right seat of a Regional Jet however. My kiwi wife and I have talked off and on the past 12 months about the potential of moving my career to NZ and having just come back from NZ earlier this year and meeting a few pilots I decided it’s time to really look into this:

I've gotten myself familiar with the Flight Crew Recognition PDF file: http://www.caa.govt.nz/pilots/Flight_Crew_Recognition_Info.pdf

I meet the hour requirement of 1000 hours of co-pilot in multi crew operations in multi engine aircraft on commercial IFR operations since my ATPL was issued. (I have ZERO FAR 121 PIC turbine time however!)

This form also says that the applicant must meet the minimum flight experience requirements as prescribed in AC61-7:

Looking at AC61-7 I have a couple questions in bold about whether or not I meet the various hourly requirements including:

250 hours in aeroplanes as PIC including 100 hours of cross-country navigation of which 25 hours is to have been at night. Does General Aviation PIC count toward this? If so, I have 600+ hours of PIC in reciprocating single and twin General Aviation aircraft.

250 hours in aeroplanes consisting of 150 hours or more are PIC and additional command practice flight time as required. Does any of my GA PIC or SIC time at a 121 carrier qualify as “command time?”

100 hours of cross-country navigation of which 25 hours is to have been at night. 50 hours of night cross-country navigation time command practice meets this 25 hours night cross-country requirement. How can I satisfy this? Does any of my SIC time at a 121 carrier qualify as “command time?”

I’ve got the 200 Hours of co-pilot time (4500+ actually) in an aeroplane required to be operated with a co-pilot.

Got the 100 hour Night Time requirement. (1000+ hours)

Instrument requirement of 75 hours is met. I have 100+ hours of solid instrument logged.

This concludes the Total Flight Time Experience requirement for the ATPL flight time experience requirement.

Next on the Flight Crew Recognition PDF in step 2 it says that when the ASL has been confirmed I will have to do a Med Class 1 certificate, pass the NZ ATPL Air Law exam and then a ATPL flight test with a CAA or approved Flight examiner. Questions:

Do I need to come to NZ to get the Med Class1 certificate? If so, who in Auckland can administer the medical exam?

For taking the NZ ATPL Air Law exam I looked at AC61-7. This Advisory Circular is absolutely stuffed with subjects that’ll be tested. Can the Kiwi ATPLs here recommend anything to help me get a grip on the best way to prepare for this exam? Where is it administered? What to expect?

Finally, the Sim ride. Do I just call up Air New Zealand reservations and tell them I want to buy a ticket in the sim? ;-) … No, honestly, how does an American go about setting this up?


Again, I'm a yankee up here looking to explore my career options before my Kiwi wife and I settle long term and raise a family. She’s very keen on coming back to New Zealand and having been down 4 times myself I could definitely get comfortable living in your lovely country.

Any information you can send my way would be greatly appreciated! (And Please excuse my naivety and ignorance. This is entirely new territory for me.)

Would having PIC Turbine hours improve my chances of getting hired directly into the jet fleet in NZ? Or is SIC Turbine just as valuable down there?

[banjodrone]

Hmm nobody has replied to this yet. Maybe it belongs in the appropriate regional forum for NZ. Most of the posts on this thread are to do with primary flight training for the most part.

With all that experience and those boxes ticked, I'd imagine that should go very smoothly but as with anything in life, there's always a chance you'll come up against someone with a point to prove so be ready for that. Good luck.

[scroogee]

Answers from memory, you could email ASL directly with these and they'd probably answer them.

250 hours in aeroplanes as PIC including 100 hours of cross-country navigation of which 25 hours is to have been at night. Does General Aviation PIC count toward this? If so, I have 600+ hours of PIC in reciprocating single and twin General Aviation aircraft.

Yes, so long as some of that PIC includes cross country. Cross country for NZ means a destination more than 25Nm from point of take off (check CAA Rules for the exact definition).

250 hours in aeroplanes consisting of 150 hours or more are PIC and additional command practice flight time as required. Does any of my GA PIC or SIC time at a 121 carrier qualify as “command time?”

Think you're covered as above. Command Practice is the same as 'P1 under supervision', 'ICUS' or whatever the US definition of that is. If all your Pt121 time is logged purely as 'co-pilot' then no.

100 hours of cross-country navigation of which 25 hours is to have been at night. 50 hours of night cross-country navigation time command practice meets this 25 hours night cross-country requirement. How can I satisfy this? Does any of my SIC time at a 121 carrier qualify as “command time?”

As above. Was any (25 hours) of your cross country time in GA aircraft at night?

Other stuff:

Check the CAA website for a list of medical doctors (Aviation Info/Medical). There is one listed in the US (Scottsdale, AZ).

Long time since I did law but there are courses and books out there. The exam is web based at specifed venues, see the ASL website for details.

You might be challeged with the ATPL check ride if the type you fly is not on the NZ register. Email CAA for advice on that. Personnel Licencing probably.