Bulldog for me - 200hp, excellent visibility, inverted oil (although only 10 seconds before out of fuel) and decent controls - but then I'm bias. But again - not sure if there are any to hire near you.

thanks all, some great advice as always, many thanks guys!

regards

Tris

Can anyone please direct me to an authoritative/official source that discusses the EASA aerobatic rating in some detail? Specifically, what are the minimum pre-qualification requirements, and what does the training syllabus entail? Furthermore, what is the conversion process for an AOPA aerobatic certificate into an EASA aerobatic rating - are there grandfathering privileges in place if the certificate is attained prior to April 2015?

EASA Part FCL, see FCL800.

AMC to Part FCL, see the AMC to FCL800.

Thank you - would it be right to assume that those documents (dated from 2011) are current and represent the latest rules/regulations published by EASA?

Has the CAA published any guidelines on the grandfathering rights/privileges of AOPA certificate holders into EASA aerobatic ratings?

I currently do not meet the minimum P1 requirements for the EASA aero rating as per FCL800, and was thus wondering if there are any suitable alternative paths (e.g. via the conversion of an AOPA certificate).

See Convert an Aerobatic Privilege held on a UK National / JAR-FCL Licence | Private Pilots | Personal Licences and Training

I presume that you can do the AOPA course and use that to add the rating until April 2015, or whatever the date is?

Also see CAP804, Section 4, part P

Excellent - as far as I am aware, the AOPA course doesn't have any minimum time/hour requirements, so this could be a suitable means of eventually attaining the EASA aero rating.

Just to be clear - I have already converted my license from JAR to EASA. So it's not immediately obvious that I qualify for this conversion path, as it only seems to extend to holders of a UK National or UK issued JAR-FCL pilot’s licences who exercised aerobatic privileges using these licences (which I no longer possess). Is this something you could comment on?