How long are your ATPL ground exams valid?
 

I completed the JAR ATPL's back in November 2001 but have not yet commenced my CPL/IR.

Can anyone tell me what I have to complete in order to stop these exams from expiring and how long I have to do it ?

Can I just do a CPL and an FI rating or do I have to have a full CPL/IR ??

Any info would be most appreciated.

You have to get the CPL and the IR within 3 years of passing your last exam otherwise you gotta take the whole lot again! Joy of joys!!

TB

So in that case if I wanted to keep my day job for a few years and be a part time instructor in the evenings and weekends I would have to have a full IR or i'd lose my exams?

Surely that cant be right ?, having to spend £15k on an IR to instruct part time ?

Give the CAA a call just to be sure but if I have read the JAR-FCL correctly, then yes, you need to have an IR even for part-time instructing.

Unusual Attitude,

The JAA assume that anyone taking the ATPL writtens will obviously be going on to an IR, despite the fact that the CPL and IR written courses weren't available separately until recently. Therefore, they haven't catered for people like yourself, who wish to instruct for a while. That's just the JAA for you!

TB

Madness !!!

So basically within the next year and a half I would have to undertake a CPL and IR along with an FI rating if I only wish to instruct part time ??

This will cost me in the region of £25-30k but more importantly how on earth am I expected to get the time off work which would probablly need in the region of 2 months or more ?

I'm basically forced into a corner, if I dont want my exams to expire then I have to leave my job and spend up to £30k!!

Since when do you need an IR to instruct???? :confused:

You have to do the IR within a certain timeframe before the exams become void. If this timeframe passes, you need to re-do the exams before you can do the IR. But you've never needed an IR to instruct.

FFF
-------------

UA - The second part of your question wasn't answered:

Yes, you can just do the CPL within the three years. Or you could just do your IR. Or you could do both. But you won't be able to get either once your exams have expired.
You don't need to have completed your ATPL to keep the constituant parts valid.

You do not even need an IR or CPL to instruct... you just need to have completed the CPL/ATPL exams and passed the FI course. You just can't earn money by instructing without the CPL.

Unusual Attitude,

No offence, m'duck, but perhaps it would have been worth finding out these details before you did the ATPLs? Then you may not be in this position. Anyway, a lot of us are in the same boat, so there's no point complaining about it - it's just the way it is,

TB

Thanks all for you replies.

Token Bird - At the time I started my ATPLs my intention was to go straight on and do the CPL/IR and then hopefully either instruct for a while or if I was lucky get a job with one of the Turboprop operators in ABZ.

Unfortunately after completing my ATPL's a lot happened, Sept 11 came along and made the chances of a T/P job look very slim.
My financial situation changed due to separating with my ex who took everything and I'd also give up my previous career to study the ATPL's
I also lost my 33 year old Brother which shook me up a lot and took me a while to get over, as you can imagine, flying wasn't at the forefront of my thoughts at that time.

I'm fortunate now however as I've landed a very good job which would allow me to pay for a CPL/IR and FI rating out of my end of year bonus which I get next Feb/March.
Given the fact Id lose my exams however I'd have to then quit my job straight away after getting my bonus and start on training.
This is all well and good but when I finished I'd probably only have 300 hours and perhaps not a very good chance of employment. I'd also have no chance of getting back into my old industry as its a small community and everyone would know I was just working until I got a job flying.

I ended up down and out for a year pursuing this career once already and I'd like to avoid doing it again if possible!!
This is the reason I'd like to keep my current job and instruct part time until I could get a full time flying one but it seems that the CAA make that very difficult.

Ho hum, I knew it was never going to be easy.....!

What if Unusual Attitude completed the CPL and FI before the expiry of his ATPL theory credits, then if 3 years lapsed after exam passes, to gain the IR retook JUST the IR exams which I believe are now available in isolation? Would he be able to gain Frozen ATPL?

A similar problem is faced by those that may become CPL holders and have no means to upgrade to ATPL without starting from scratch with the exams.


Presumably the CPL or ATPL theory credits have to be valid (ie passed less than 3 years ago) to commence FI course? So what if a Frozen ATPL holder has been flying for 5 years and then decides to become FI - must they then resit CPL or ATPL theory?

To get a fATPL, you need a CPL, an IR and to have completed a Multi-Crew Cooperation course.

The ATPL exams are just an amalgamation of the CPL and IR exams, where candidates can cut down on the amount of duplicated study and exams.

If you choose to do a CPL separately, then 15 years later do an IR and MCCC, you could still apply for an ATPL.

If you've got your CPL but not got your IR by the time your exam credit expires, then you should just be able to do the IR exams at a later stage.
Once your CPL is awarded, that is it. It's yours.
The ATPL exams just prove that you've done all the ground school required for a CPL and an IR.


I'm not sure about the FI rating though... do you just need a CPL, or do you need to have completed the exams within a given time...?
Of course, there is no mention of the FI rating in the FCL section of the SRG website...:confused:

How long is the ATPL theory valid for?
 

Yep I know its a short & sweet question but just how long is the ATPL theory valid for?

Some one told me it was 3 years somebody else told me 1 year?

:}

Cheers.

I think it is three years before they become invalid, should be long enough for most to get the old CPL/IR.
Small issue of funds though:(

Well thats good news 3 years, guess its time to start saving then.

;)

Just to confirm - it is 3 years from the date that you first put your bum on a chair at ther CAA exam centre. If you 'no showed' at your first sitting then the clock would still be ticking.

You have 3 years from when you complete the 14 exams.

From the CAA's website, LASORS Section J

A pass in the ATPL theory examinations will be
accepted for the issue of a CPL or IR during the 36
months from the end of the month of the date of
the final pass in the examinations. Provided that an
IR is obtained during this period, a pass in the ATPL
theoretical knowledge examinations will remain
valid (for the purpose of ATPL issue) for a period of
7 years from the validity date of the most recent
renewal IR entered in the CPL. However, if a
professional licence with IR is not gained during the
36 month period, the ATPL theory credit will lapse.
Candidates would have to re-pass the ATPL or IR
theoretical knowledge examinations before an IR
could be granted.

Be familiar with the LASORS, in particular Section G and J.
You can find them here.

How long are the ATPLs valid?
 

Hi,

Having some financial problems with my training at the moment and so having to pause for a while to earn some money. My question is how long do the ATPLs exams stay valid? 3 years? Is that from date of first exam taken or last exam passed? Also what happens if the exams do runout - do they just revert to CPL, or do they go completely, meaning you'd have to do them all again?

Thanks in advance

Foz

The ATPLs are valid for 3 years from your last pass. During this time you have to get both a CPL and an IR if you only get one then after the expiry they revert to the relevant exams for that one ie if you get a CPL only after 3 yeas they revert to just CPL exams. Also if you let them expire with only having obtained one of either a CPL or an IR there is no 'upgrade available back to ATPLs so you would still have to do them all again to get back the ATPL credits.

Once you have a CPL and an IR your ATPL exams are safe as long as you do not let your IR lapse by more than 7 years. It is only once you have your full ATPL issued (ie 1500 hours 500hrs multi crew etc) that the exams are safe.

Hope this clears it up, unfortunatley it really is this complicated.

How long are your ATPL ground exams valid?
 

Hi founts of knowledge

I was convinced that my ATPL exam passes would expire this February but now I'm not so sure. Like many modular studes I did them in two batches but they were also one year apart, first set passed in Feb 2003 and second set passed in Feb 2004. I just read in LASORS

"A pass in the ATPL theory examinations will be
accepted for the issue of a CPL or IR during the 36
months from the end of the month of the date of the final
pass in the examinations. Provided that an IR is
obtained during this period, a pass in the ATPL
theoretical knowledge examinations will remain valid
(for the purpose of ATPL issue) for a period of 7 years
from the validity date of the most recent renewal IR
entered in the CPL."

Now has this acceptance period changed in the latest version of LASORS ? I always thought that the validity date was taken from the first set of passes and not the final set of passes. If it is the final set then YAHOO I have enough time to do a CPL/IR if I get my skates on.