FAA vs EASA License Conversion

[iTechno8]

Hi everyone,
Hope you're doing well. I need some advice, if anyone can weigh in it'll be great.

I'm currently holding a ICAO CPL/SEIR in a country with very limited opportunities due to political issues. I'm looking to convert my license to either an EASA CPL/MEIR or FAA CPL/IR. I have throughly gone over both routes, I even started a distance-learning course for the EASA ATPL exams. However in light of the recent COVID situation, I'm still debating the pros and cons of each. I'm planning to do the conversion around June 2021. The goal after that was for an airline job (somewhat possible pre-COVID in Europe), but now I'm realistically looking at any job that can help me gain more flying experience (most probably CFI).

I hold a UK passport which initially compelled me to go for an EASA license, however with Brexit looming and EU airline opportunities most probably reducing for the British in the long run, I'm now favouring going down the FAA conversion route. I've read and heard there is much more GA flying in USA, which should ideally offer more opportunities for instructing. For me instructing looks more realistic post-COVID rather than getting into any airline at the moment. Another reason for not going for the EASA route at the moment is the abundance of type-rated qualified pilots still looking for a job in Europe. On the other hand, some US cargo airlines have started hiring again, which means the market is somewhat improving.

A conversion to EASA is more extensive, both theoretically and monetarily. FAA on the other hand will cost cheaper, but I'll need a work permit after license conversion (which I believe no one can guarantee) in order to start working there.

Any thoughts? Advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

[Climb150]

I would absolutely go FAA. The problem is, I don't think the pilot market would have improved by 2021 in EU or the USA. I know of some people who did their flight training in the USA and then stayed on for 12 months after and worked as CFIs. It's usually only for colleges grads but I know of 2 people who did it after flight training. I think the programe is called OPT.
Another problem is alot of instructors and too few students at US flying schools atm.

[iTechno8]

Thank you for your advice!

[rudestuff]

Hold your horses... Do you have the right to live and work in the US? If so, then go for it. If not then you need to go EASA. It's a LOT easier and cheaper than you think if you're starting from an ICAO CPL/IR.

Ok, so maybe not the exams - you'll need to do them unfortunately, but depending on your experience level converting the CPL could be as low as 5 hours, and converting the IR could be about the same. Add on an FI ticket and wait for the market to change ...

[Climb150]

He doesn't have the right to live and work in the EU either. He is a British passport holder.

[rudestuff]

People can have more than one passport, but ok - change EASA to UKCAA if you prefer...

[iTechno8]

Yes, I don't have the right to live and work in the USA for now. Similarly due to Brexit, I think I'll also lose the right in the EU. UK has a really bad situation for now with regards to flying opportunities. That's what's got me confused the most lol

[rudestuff]

Well you've got to work with what you've got. That means going for a CAA licence. How many hours have you got, and are you current on instruments?

[pedrothepilot]

Hi there,
I've been in your shoes. Your choice of licence should be dictated by where you can work. The EU/UK thing is of course a clusterF so not sure what to advise you there.

I can say that you will absolutely not get a green card or work permit in the US as a pilot. Unless you have any other plans to get US residency (marriage etc.) You have absolutely zero chance of landing an aviation job in the US.

the one exception is to do a zero to CFI course at very few pt141 schools who will issue a student/work visa. This will allow you to instruct for 12months, but after that it's back to your home country and you will not be able to find a company to sponsor your residency in the US. They legally can't and wouldn't waste their time to sponsor you especially with so many furloghed pilots. Then you will be back at your starting point and unable to get a job with out converting. Check any job requirements for any US job, they all say "Right to live and Work in Us"

on the other hand both EASA and FAA are equally recognised in Asia, middle East and Africa. I would say FAA is cheaper and easier to maintain than EASA.

Finally my best advice would be to hold off on any training and investment for at least 12 months due to the situation. Even if you had a work permit for any of these places, there will be no jobs for a long time and plenty of jet experienced pilots in front of You.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I would look at options to do UK and EASA in parallel, I think they'll exist before too long, as schools are shopping around for licencing authorities, as you'll be far from the only person to want that option. Your priority however is to do it in the UK if that is the only place you have rights to work.

Once you have an EASA (or UK) CPL, converting to FAA is easy - took me half a dozen hours of learning how to fly "the FAA way" (they have a lot of funny manoeuvres that the rest of the world doesn't include) then one written exam and a checkride. Going the other way will be a pain, as the written exam load in Europe is much heavier than in the USA.

If you have an ICAO IR and sufficient hours (Europe it's 50hrs PiC IFR, in the USA more complex but similar) you can present for the IR skilltest / checkride either side of the Atlantic without any mandatory training and only the one written in the USA (none in Europe), although will need to put the study hours in for the two relevant regulatory regimes as both will put you through a strenuous oral on all that.

Incidentally, I got too busy to pursue this myself, but there is definitely work in the UK for people who can instruct in the FAA system, for the various people who need flight reviews and the like. How much work, I'm less sure, but more than none.


(UK, EASA and US CPL/IR, mostly done the hard way, but with a bit of system gaming to minimise the exam loads)