Advice on FAA to EASA conversion !

[Cristiandan]

Hi !

I'm from Romania, currently doing my training in USA. I'm an Instrument-rated Private Pilot and I'm doing the time-building to meet the EASA CPL requirement of 200 hours of Total time (I'm at 180 TT).
I would love to become an airline pilot in Europe and I would like to ask your opinions on which is the best way to convert my licenses.
Should I continue to do the time-building and get my FAA CPL ( Part 61 , with 250 TT required ) and convert my licenses to EASA after that OR should I just get to 200 TT and go to Europe ,convert my IR-PPL and then doing the EASA CPL with 14 ATPL exams?

Thank you !

[paco]

Finish the CPL - I'm a great believer in getting pieces of paper if it takes little extra effort. You still have to take 14 exams either way.

Phil

[Cristiandan]

Thanks Phil !

I will like to hear more opinions :)

[mothboy]

This is purely my opinion given that you state your objective is flying in Europe.

So stop and prioritize what is going to achieve your goal the quickest. Remember when it comes time to interview they may very well ask why you selected to do the training the way you did. You want to show that your focused and driven to achieve your objective. I would suggest you do it in a manner that shows your efficient, clinical and logical in decision making. An interview question like: Describe how you were able to prioritize your workload and make the best use of your available resources? Well now you have an answer for that.

I would stop flying and start doing the 14 EASA exams and get them out the way. Contact the relevant schools in the states that offer the EASA Licence and spend the time and money flying for the EASA CPL which will count towards your FAA Licence requirements of 250TT anyway.

You should focus on what the requirements are to gain your EASA CPL if you want to fly in Europe instead of just burning a hole in the sky. Once you have achieved your goal you can assess if it is still viable to pursue the FAA or the best way forward for you.

Hope it helps...

[Cristiandan]

It helped :)

Thanks a lot !

[paco]

Equally, the US hours count towards the EASA licence as well (make sure you are the sole manipulator). Certainly I would always recommend that if you don't need an EASA licence don't bother with it.

You can study for your EASA licences right now - the rules say that you can train while you are studying but you cannot take the skill test until you pass the exams. There are study materials around that allow you to do that - see this thread http://www.pprune.org/professional-pilot-training-includes-ground-studies-14/.

phil

[mothboy]

Correct me if Im wrong,....

Does the EASA not require a formal ground school. Unless you have 500 hours on a CS25 aircraft and your converting your foreign licence and will be taking your skills test on the said CS25 aircraft?

So as you may be looking at staying in the states to finish your FAA contact someone like Bristol GS or one of the EASA schools in Florida and get onto the theory course as a distance learning or directly. You have to attend a certain time at the actual ground school before taking the exams as the air school has to approve your examination application at least with the UK CAA anyway.

Just for the record I have an FAA Licence. Finishing your FAA after your EASA would not be worthless. It also shows you finish what you start and you never know what opportunity comes up and you only wish you had finished your FAA. Expand your options....but i would get cracking on the EASA exams as a priority and work out the logistics of flying afterwards or whilst you do the exams.

PACO > if you require 250 hours for FAA and 200 for EASA as stated why would you do the FAA first and then the EASA? Am I missing something as the sole manipulator?

:ok:

[maximus610]

Hi Cristian, I took the same route: FAA PPP/SE IR, than atpl theory DL and then easa cpl with ir mep conversion from faa ir se.

If you want more info, just PM me. You can write me also in Romanian.

Mxms

[paco]

mothboy - the immigration process in the US is not straightforward. I'm not for a minute suggesting that this would happen, but all you need is a small offence against your record to exclude you, so while Cristiandan is over there, it makes sense (to me anyway) to complete the FAA licence, then there are no worries of that sort (I've had a couple of students with just that problem). In short, no need to return, because air fares add to the cost.

The FAA rules as to who can claim hours are weird to say the least, so the extra would be a little bit of a buffer.

Lastly, the easy bit is getting the licence - afterwards you have to build hours so while you can get 50 extra at a relatively low cost, I would do that too.

phil