Losing ATPL credits ?!?! Help me.

[Airmagnet]

After 9 million phone calls and emails to the UK CAA, I still have no idea how to resolve the following issue. Your opinions will be appreciated, hopefully they will help me to make a decision. So here it is...

1. My ATPL Exam Credit will expire on 5th September 2013, I have a UK CPL / No IR. I also hold a CASA CPL / IR and I'm Based in Australia flying twins for a charter company. I don't want to lose my ATPL theory so I located a CAA flight examiner in Australia (which took 2 months of phone calls and emails) who can do my IR test before the exams expire.

BUT

He tells me, the initial UK IR must be done in a EASA state, Australia is not one obviously. He also say's that the prerequisites for the issue of the UK ATPL licence must be gained in a EASA state (I.e. all the multi, night time etc I have been getting in Australia doesn't count??) WT.... I though time was time?

What I want to do is apply for a UK ATPL once I have the prerequisites. Then I want to convert that licence to an Australian or CASA ATPL.

Am I trying to do the right thing or should I just let the UK ATPL credits go expire, get off my a*se and do the 7 CASA ATPL subjects and save myself $1000's of dollars in pain killers and alcohol trying to get to the bottom of this?

[giggitygiggity]

The examiner is right that you have to do the initial in an EASA state. Your previous time does count as far as I know. I did the training in NZ, gained the CPL in NZ but had to come back to the UK for the initial IR issue. We were scheduled about 6 flights to get us up to speed with the UK airspace/atc etc. Unless you can get to an EASA state and complete the IR by September I should imagine it is your only option unless you want to redo the ATPLs. For what it's worth, I'd go back as I am not sure I could bring myself to re-doing the ATPLs. As I understand, the UK ones are much more straightforward than the CASA ones so it's up to you (that was just from hearsay as opposed to CASA experience as I have none).

[Transsonic2000]

(I.e. all the multi, night time etc I have been getting in Australia doesn't count??) WT.... I though time was time?

This can't be! I'm currently in the process of doing the conversion FAA to JAA and all my FAA time counts and is fully accepted by all JAA member states. This has been confirmed by the German LBA, the Swiss BAZL, the Austrian Austrocontrol, the polish CAA.

Furthermore you can do the practical (flying) part (IR and / or CPL) in any JAA member state, it does not necessarily have to be the same state in which you took the exams. For instance, I'll be taking the JAA exams in Switzerland and the practical part (IR/CPL) in Poland. Advantage of Poland is, there are no minimum time requirements as compared to many other JAA states (e.g. Germany minimum 15hr IFR) and in Poland they don't have the Euro yet, so it saves money!

In your case, I'd suggest get in touch with Bartolini Air (polish flight school) explain them your situation and I'm confident they will be able to help you, in the end this might involve a trip to Poland, but still better than doing the exams all over again.

Hope I could help and good luck!

PS. By the way, the JAA license will be issued by the same state which issues the JAA medical.