I'm looking to convert a Canadian CPL Multi-IFR so I can work in Europe. Can anyone tell me what's required (experience, training, cost involved) or at least point me in the right direction...
Also: What does it take to be legal to live/work in Europe? Anyone with info, it would be helpful.
Thanx!!
DC
foghorn
4th Oct 2002, 21:16
Hello Pilut,
This might be best asked on the wannabes forum.
I'll quote prices fo a conversion done in the UK, since this is the only country in JAR (that I'm aware of) that gives credit to non-JAR Instrument Rating holders - the rest make you do the full (expensive) 50hour Instrument Rating training course
You'd be looking at minimum £10,000 (C$25,000) to convert here, most likely more. This would be excluding living costs.
Firstly, you'd get the full set of ATPL theory exams. Few people here bother with the CPL theory exams as you can get a CPL off the back of the ATPL written exams. You're looking at 6 to 10 months study (depending on whether you do it part time or full time) and 14 exams. The exams are by no means easy and are usually done in two blocks to make the work more manageable.
Then you are looking at training for both the CPL and IR skills tests. The training to convert the CPL is 'as required' - I think 5 hours is an average figure. Converting your ME IR has a mandatory minimum 15 hours training of which 10 hours can be a sim.
Finally, most airlines here are making the MCC course an entry requirement - a two week classroom / multi-crew simulator course CRM and LOFT course.
On the work front, immigration policies vary from country to country within the EU, however all EU citizens have work rights in any country across the Union. I'm assuming that you don't already hold an EU passport.
Being Canadian, I'll also make a wild guess that you're most likely to have British heritage. On this count you might be in luck: if you have at least one grandparent who was born in the UK, you can apply for an ancestry visa for the UK. They're fairly easy to get and give you full UK work rights, with the promise of full UK citizenship at the end of a four years. The British High Commission in Ottawa will advise (and is very efficient - a friend's Canadian girlfriend got her ancestry visa issued in three working days). If you have any other European heritage, other European countries may or may not have similar visas on offer - check with the respective consulate.
If you don't qualify for one of these, you're faced with an uphill battle, I'm afraid, at least where the UK is concerned. There are three ways of getting a work permit. Firstly you could marry a Brit. The second involves getting a UK-based company to offer you a job and sponsor your permit. Unless you are taking up a job in a very narrow range of careers that has a shortage of in the UK, that company will have to prove to the Immigration Department that it can't hire a local for the post. Finally, you can try your luck in the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme which offers work permits to people who score a certain number of points based upon education and work experience criteria.
Anyway, take a look at the immigration website www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk
Best of luck,
foggy.
redsnail
5th Oct 2002, 14:12
G'day,
I have posted a lot of stuff about converting an Australian ATPL to a JAR one. I am sure it is a similar process.
The sum up is on my site. Look under "flying" (http://www.mccannhj.flyer.co.uk). One point, the hours etc for the IR has changed. It has gone from 50 hours to a min of 15 hours.
Go to the CAA (http://www.caa.co.uk/srg/licensing/fcl/document.asp) site and get the latest info from them.
You can do a search in "wannabes" or "dununda" for more info.
Unless you have 500 hours + multi pilot time (ie 2 crew or more) it's a very expensive process.