FAA to EASA conversion

[dylanhk]

Working as a Captain at a regional in the US, 3500TT, what’s the process behind converting?

I know there are other threads outlining how you can do it, but I’ve heard you don’t need to take 14 exams if you have jet time and a multi crew license. Could someone clarify this?

[Flyfede80]

Hi Dylan, it's not true. To convert an ICAO ATPL licence you have to pass the 14th subjects theoretical exam...and after, have to perform an ATPL Skill Test on a simulator with an EASA Flight Examiner. You need to do the theoretical exams before...

[Boldpilot2000]

You still have to do them but you are exempt from the ground school part and can go for the exam whenever you ready. I believe Ireland gives you a validation for 1 year but you still need to do the exams unfortunately there is no way around it.

[dylanhk]

Thanks for the info. Will your FAA ATPL knowledge be sufficient or are there extra UK things that should be studied?

[Climb150]

Hmmm you haven't really looked into this have you?😁

[dylanhk]

That’s the whole point of asking :)

I’m aware that there is some redundant information on some of the 14 exams which you need to study for, just not sure where that info is.

[rudestuff]

Most of it unfortunately. Realistically you'll need about 6 months full time study. The great thing about having an ATP is you can self certify. If you want to know how hard they are, just take a couple.

[dylanhk]

That’s good to know. Let’s say I study while at my current regional job, would that be possible? Given the seniority I’ve attained I’m sure I can allocate lots of time towards it with my days off. And in the event of passing all 14 exams and passing the sim check (I think someone said there’s one in Florida?), could you keep your US job or are you immediately disqualified? Thanks.

[gerpols]

Have a look at www.aviationexam.com
You will soon find out how tough EASA exams are !

[dylanhk]

Climb150

Having a bad day buddy?

I don’t mean to turn this into an argument, but you really need to go spread your negativity somewhere else. Everyone else on this thread has been happy to provide answers to my questions while you, trying to “make a point”, insist that I use google to find generic answers that do not specifically address my questions. Trust me, I HAVE researched tenfold. I didn’t realize we needed internet police to dictate whether a thread should be posted or not - seriously, is that your job? Your comment regarding my use of “redundancy” was portrayed in the wrong manner. I was referring to the redundant information that you need to learn to pass the 14 exams, not the information provided on pprune.

If you need a break from the Internet, trust me, I get it. We’re all stuck inside from this virus and nobody likes it. But that doesn’t mean you need to vent your anger out on me simply over a question. I’m getting the feeling that you think just because someone doesn’t know as much as you, you feel the need to degrade them. I have yet to find a single thread that pertains to my exact situation.

I’m guessing you’re an adult. Come on, you should know better.

Edit: Turns out OP decided to back out and delete their original post! :)

[Climb150]

I actually deleted that post 30 seconds after putting it up. It was a bit harsh. You must cut and pasted it the second it went live.

​​Back to the point. This subject has been done to death on pprune, airlinepilotcentral etc. Most EU training providers offer guidance on what exactly you need to do and when you need to do it.

Remarks like "will it be about the same difficulty as FAA ATP" makes me think you have done little research into the matter as EASA ATPL theory is long and expensive (and mostly pointless).

So sorry for having a shot at you (I did take it straight down) and if you have any detailed questions put them up.

[dylanhk]

No I understand, we’re all in a mood sometimes. I get it, and I appreciate your apology. All of my questions so far have been pretty much answered so I’ll leave it at that.

[rudestuff]

Shouldn’t be a problem, with the appropriate study technique (and by that I mean hit the question banks hard!).
You’ve got 6 sittings in which to pass all 14 exams and up to 4 attempts per exam, with an 18 month time limit from the first exam to pass the last. Bust any of those limits and it’s back to the start. A sitting usually means a 4 day period. Sign up at the CAA online portal and you should be able to book your exam dates. You can take exams in any order, most people on a full time course do it in two sittings of 7, or 5,5,4 but personally I chose to do it over 4 sittings. 4,4,3,3 leaving 2 spare sittings for resits. If you fail an exam on sitting 1 you can just do it again on sitting 2 with the other subjects, which is why it’s good to do the harder ones first. There are plenty of decent question banks, I went with bgsonline. The best way to approach the EASA exams is to pay for and book the exam date before you set eyes on a single question. Now you’re focussed. If you wait until you think you’re ready you’ll never take them. Obviously in your case the name of the game is to do as little work as possible to scrape a pass - 75% is all you need, so a week per subject should be enough. Try a couple!

[dylanhk]

Wow, thank you for such a detailed response. I’ll look more into it, thanks.

[captainhawk]

Hello all,

I am on the same boat as dylanhk. I have an FAA and TC CPL ME IR but I do not have an ATPL and much lower total time than him. My question is that if I have a TC IATRA (Aeroplane Type Rating for Two-Crew or Cruise Relief Pilot), does that count as a Multi-Crew License? I understand that I still have to do the 14 exams and the medical, but do I have to do an "approved ground school" regardless since I cannot recommend myself for the ATPLs? There are conflicting answers on the internet over this. I also heard that you have to be 21 years of age to write the exams if you are converting. Is this true? If so, I simply cant write the exam unless they make an exception.

[Duchess_Driver]

You can write the exams at any age - but you cannot sit the check ride until you meet all of the criteria (hours, exams, age etc...) for the issue of the ATPL itself.

[Flyfede80]

Dear Captain...if you have an ICAO CPL you need to be presented by an approved ATO to the EASA ATPL exams sessions. About the 21 yo, it's just the limited age to perform the practical (skill test) EASA ATPL exam, about the theory it's the same for the CPL, 18. Ciao.

[rudestuff]

captainhawk

There are three separate issues: taking the exams, converting the licence and converting a type rating.

Exams: You need to attend an approved ATO either full time or distance learning (costing $$$) UNLESS you hold an ICAO ATP, in which case you can self certify (saving $$$) So if you're close to ATP minimums it's probably better to get that first and self certify. In all cases you still have to take the exams.

Licence: You need to have the ATPL minimums, chiefly 1500 hours and 500 multi crew It's not like the US where you can get an ATP on a single pilot aircraft - this is the licence you need to command multi pilot aircraft so you need at least 500 hours multi crew and a Type Rating.
If you don't have the minimums you get a CPL/IR.

Type rating: To get a multi crew type rating you need to do a full TR course and license skills test LST, unless you have an ICAO type rating and 500 hours on that type. If you have 500 hours on type, you can simply take the LST in a SIM.

So depending on whether you have an ATP or not, 500 multi crew or not and 500 all on one type or not, as far as the theory course and type rating courses go - you might need one or the other or none or both!

[paco]

"xams: You need to attend an approved ATO either full time or distance learning (costing $$$) UNLESS you hold an ICAO ATP, in which case you can self certify"

I believe you also need a certain minimum PIC hours on an aeroplane that requires 2 pilots

[Climb150]

Fixed-Wing Aircraft LicencesTo be issued with an EASA ATPL(A) you will need 1500 hours flight time, including:

500 hours on multi-pilot aircraft
250 hours pilot in command (or 500 hours pilot on command under supervision; or 70 hours pilot in command and 180 hours pilot in command under supervision)
200 hours cross country
75 hours instrument time
100 hours night flying

Nothing about multi crew PIC.

All this info is already on here. Search is your friend.

[Flyfede80]

Climb...you can't have PIC hours in MCC aircraft before the EASA ATPL licence;)...this is the reason why the EASA ATPL exists!To act as PIC in MCC...;)

[paco]

I was talking about self-certifying.......

Under CAP 804 Section 4, Part Q, and Sub -part 2, for the ATPL(A) you need 1500 hours as PIC on multipilot aeroplanes - 1000 for the ATPL(H).

[rudestuff]

That's not what it says, sorry 😉

[paco]

Actually it does, if you look at the table underneath. That link was straight from the CAA

[rudestuff]

Except that it doesn't :ugh:
Maybe you could share the page number?

[selfin]

That table is applicable only to licence validations. It comes from Subpart A of Annex III to the Aircrew Regulation: see latest consolidation dated 8 Apr 2020 (link (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02011R1178-20200408)). The table is presented on PDF p 591 of 930 in CAP 804 which remains correct for aeroplanes (the only one I checked). There is a separate provision for conversion of a third-country ICAO Annex-1 compliant ATPL to a Part-FCL ATPL: see article 8 para 4:

"Holders of an ATPL issued by or on behalf of a third country in accordance with Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention who have completed the experience requirements for the issue of an ATPL in the relevant aircraft category as set out in Subpart F of Annex I to this Regulation may be given full credit as regards the requirements to undergo a training course prior to undertaking the theoretical knowledge examinations and the skill test, provided that the third country licence contains a valid type rating for the aircraft to be used for the ATPL skill test."

[paco]

OK - but it's still not terribly clear. If you don't have a type rating....

Applicants for Part–FCL licences already holding at least an equivalent
licence, rating or certificate issued in accordance with Annex 1 to the
Chicago Convention by a third country shall comply with all the requirements
of Annex I to this Regulation, except that the requirements of course
duration, number of lessons and specific training hours may be reduced.

[our training manual says 400 hours]

The credit given to the applicant shall be determined by the Member State to
which the pilot applies on the basis of a recommendation from an approved
training organisation.

A holder of an ICAO CPL seeking to convert to an equivalent Part-
FCL licence must comply with all the requirements of Part-FCL. They may have their
training course requirements reduced as per 1(2); but they must pass the Part-FCL
CPL theoretical knowledge exams and pass the Part-FCL Skill test as set out in
Appendix 9.

Applicants who wish to attempt the ATPL(A)
examinations must undertake the full 650 hour course of approved theoretical
knowledge instruction and pass all Part-FCL ATPL(A) examinations.

This is from the UK CAA website:

You need to be in current flying practice on your ICAO ATPL, medical and multi pilot rating and meet the experience requirements under Article 8.4 and Annex I, Part F, Article FCL 510A (b) and H (b).

There are no credits available if the rating you are using to convert on your 3rd country ICAO licence has expired, even just for a day. If the rating has expired, you should renew it.

You will need to complete all of the theoretical examinations, but are exempt the ground training course as an ICAO ATPL holder in current flying practice.TheoreticalFull credit towards the requirement to complete a training course prior to undertaking the theoretical knowledge examinations may be available if you hold:

a current and valid ATPL issued by or on behalf of a third country that is ICAO compliant (see Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention).

a validating medical for your third country licence.

a valid multi pilot type rating on your third country licence for the same type of aircraft that will be used for the ATPL skill test (an EASA approved multi-pilot type (https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/product-certification/typeratings-and-licence-endorsement-lists)).

[crj100200]

Hi everyone!

I am wondering if I can take the 14 theoretical exams in any EASA country member (for example Poland), and then go to any other EASA country (for example Spain) to do the Medical and do the flights in order to do the conversion. Is it possible?

Also: does anyone knows what is a "valid" type rating means for EASA? 12 month after last LPC... or 6 months after last LPC?
Thank you in advance!