Anyone actually done the FAA -> CASA thing?
 

Looking for someone who has actually done an FAA to CASA conversion recently. Found several other threads where people just barf back the CASA regs but no one actually has any good info on the process.

I'm at the point where they've opened my ARN to take the AOSA, AHUF, and IREX exams, but there's not much info out there other than the several week long courses that cost ~$2K or more! If I have a good understanding of how the FAA does things, and how instrument flying flying works, and the basic physiology they teach us stateside, how much studying and materials do I actually need?

I ask this in all seriousness, besides flying jets now, I am an instructor at one of the major training centers in a midsize business jet. Am I really going to need to sit through what I can only imagine is a class that is supposed to take someone who has never done this type of flying up through the test?

-Texan

Yes you have to do the whole Instrument exam and check ride not sure on the ATPL these days. It is not easy in AUS as the FAA work in the real world and CASA the theory trick question world. I would suggest you go do a course for the instrument rating and pay for it at a flying school who conduct exams or prep all the time. You will then pass as there all mates down there thats how AUS works in all aspects including Aviation. Maybe get a private license validation with the instrument rating attached then move up from there.

I did it some time ago from FAA ATPL to CASA and EASA... Try to stick with the FAA flying the others give grief every time you turn around from Medicals to renewals etc etc.

If the IREX exam, you should already know enough to do the questions not related to legislation but you will need to know the Oz air law side, procedures etc which are a major part of the exam and that won't be the same as US. Maybe just buy a book (eg Bob Tait's Instrument Rating, or similar) and study it - you don't have to do a course, you can self study. There is an example of typical IREX questions on the CASA web site https://www.casa.gov.au/standard-pag...tion-questions that will give you an idea of what is in it. Where most people come undone in the IREX is not their lack of knowledge but not carefully reading the questions to see what bit of knowledge they are actually testing, the questions often seem to be worded to deliberately lead you astray so you think you know what they are asking about but on careful reading and teasing it apart you realise it is something quite different.

The questions on the CASA website seem to be just the open ended question. Are they actually open ended or multiple choice like most tests? The whole process so far seems silly, but open ended questions for something like this seems REALLY silly to me. ???

Get the Bob Tait IREX Text book. It's the best for passing the exam, he also has an extensive question bank of very accurate questions (like the ones in the exam). There are some good practice exam question sets available. Ground Effects practice exams are excellent.

I have no relationship with either company. I just use their stuff.

I'm going through this process now after being overseas for a while, however I held an Aussie CPL and Instrument Rating so I didn't need to do the IREX Exam. That said, Bob Taits IREX theory book is probably the go to book for that exam, about $100 I recall. Your IFR experience will help and really just need to learn the rules/regs for IFR in Aus. The exam for this when I did it many moons ago was difficult and believe it is still this way.

As for the AOSA and AHUF exams get the Nathan Higgins (AFT) ATPL Air Law, Meteorology and Human Factors notes ($220 each from memory) as well as the Bob Tait CPL Air Law Book (Online version would suffice given the amount of question in the actual exam, which is very little). Self study those books and go through the practice questions/exams and you will be in a very good spot for the exam.

In all including the cost of the books, exam fess and CASA fee I paid no more than $1000 and just self studied everything. I was also able to get up to date versions or the manuals/charts through a buddy at the local flying school so saved some coin there.

With regards to our horrendous manuals (CAR's, CAO's and AIP etc) there is a list of the "required" sections (on pprune somewhere about FAA to CASA) that you can pull out and place at the from of each manual to save you from flipping through hundreds of pages of dribble. Works out to be 1/2 inch of pages for the CAR's and about 3/4 inch of pages for the CAO's. If you cant find it then let me know and i'll go out to the back shed to dig it out.

Once all the exams are done you can go sit the ATPL flight test. I am fortunate enough to be employed by an operator here and as such this will be carried out in my next recurrent training however, I believe if your doing it on your own dime then it is quite costly, there are 2 places I am aware of that can do the flight test, One on the Sunshine Coast in a Citation Mustang and Ansett in Melbourne in there Sims which are very expensive compared to the US/EU. Being type rated on something they have may be beneficial.

I also had previous multi-crew experience before they brought in the requirement for a Multi-Crew course and as such didn't have to spend money on that, Speak to CASA as they may be able to recognise the ATP CTP course if you did one of those or use , i know they are able to recognise some EASA MCC courses.

the actual test is multiple choice unless it involves a calculation (eg how much fuel required) in which case you have to enter the value. Those questions just give you an idea of the type of material tested.