Hello everyone,

I wanted to have some advice on my planned path, whether it is feasible, or whether a different option might be better.

I am currently taking a PPL in Malaysia, I am a UK National but have been living and working in Malaysia for a number of years.
I have a long-term visa and was initially planning to take a fully integrated frozen ATPL in Malaysia until i received some information that most of the airlines in Malaysia will not hire foreign 2nd officers or 1st officers, only captains.

Therefore, I've been considering a different approach;

1. Obtain my PPL in Malaysia
2. Build hours in Malaysia
3. Get my CAAM PPL converted to a CAA UK PPL
4. Complete the rest of my training in UK until I have obtained a CAA UK CPL/Frozen ATPL

My main uncertainty is regarding the conversion, is it better to convert a PPL and then continue the rest of the training in UK? Or perhaps it would be better to obtain a CPL and then convert that in UK?
I understand that there will be differences in terms of cost and the overall time taken with the conversions, but I am not sure of the details right now.

Any clarification would be appreciated, thanks

If you are planning to get a CPL then you don't need a UK PPL your Malaysian one is sufficient. You can turn up with the hours, do the ATPL exams and go straight to the CPL/IR course.

Thanks for the info. So a flight school will not need me to convert a Malaysian PPL?
Does this also have potential for any issues later down the road? Having a Malaysian issued PPL but having IR ratings and CPL issued from UK?

I guess the logic that any ICAO PPL can qualify you to take the exams and the flight tests is that all the training for IR and CPL is dual - so you won't be PIC and therefore don't need the licence. Of course that assumes you turn up with all hour building, commercial XC etc already done. You'd end up with a UK CPL/PPL/IR but nothing would be added to your Malaysian PPL.

I see, that certainly makes things easier later after i complete my PPL. I am assuming that this isn't the case once you obtain an IR?
Meaning, if i then obtained an IR in UK, I wouldn't be able to use that IR back in Malaysia when i want to do my hour building?

To make use if the Malaysian PPL you'd need to do all your hours building on it before you get the UK CPL/IR.

An IR is a rating so it needs a licence to attach to. You can only have a UK IR on a UK PPL or CPL.