I started the D/L course in May06 and finished my last brush up and all assignments etc by the end of October 07 when I entered for the Jan 08 exams.

I met the requirements for completeing the course within 18 months which the school confirmed and when passing the final exams in Jan 08 (previous lot done in Jan07) finished the exams within 12 months.

Overall, just under 2 years from start to finish.

A friend who started at the same time as me has expired on the 18 months to finish the course and having passed 6 exams is about to lose them as he is coming up to the exams lapsing limit.

Is that what the CAA have told him? Or the groundschool? I took, from enrolment to completion, 32 months. However, I did the exams within the last 9 of those months.

Some schools may well impose a time limit since study material becomes out of date and the fee paid I8 months ago is not worth so much to them now when you're sitting the groundschool.

If it is a JAA/CAA rule, then there must be some discetion allowed given the time I took. If it's an individual school's rule, then they should certainly allow some discretion especially if aided by some extra remuneration for up to date material (although I personally think that's "off").

Cheers

Whirls

You say you did your first lot of exams in 01/07, despite starting the D/L in May '06.

If your mate started at the same time as you, did he do his first lot of exams 6 months earlier than you? Which in turn might bring him close to the CAA limit, hence the problems he is now facing.

Whirlygig, I can beat 32 months.

I took 36 months from signing up to completing my last exam, must be because I am not very clever.

Dude! Relax!
 

EGCC4284, am I right in thinking you are still currently occupying a RHS, despite being at the upper end of the FO age spectrum, after training modular for ages while driving trucks? (Read your story btw, one of the first things I did on this site. Mint.)

If so, I suspect there are many, many people who could do with being as "not clever" as you!

Maybe you took 36 months 'cos you had to, oooh, I dunno, feed your kids?

You do yourself a disservice IMHO. (or maybe I'm missing the irony :E)

Regards

JR

Normally I would say get straight into the ATPL exams, but with the current job market, and the 3yr time limit post exams to IR, best delay.

Build hrs, get a night rating, consider the IMC or MEP rating as a foot in the door to the IR and look to take the exams towards the end of the year if there are signs of an improvement. At the moment, as you will already know i'm sure, there are virtually no jobs for low hrs pilots and even flying instructors are having a tough time. Things will improve on the job market, but at the moment its a matter of timing!

Hi All,

Thanks for the continued responses.

ewsd02:
I'll be doing ATPL by distance learning and will be aiming to take module 1 exams towards the end of 2009 and module 2 exams around Easter time 2010. That's the plan anyway. There are other factors in play as to why I can't push the exams back any further. By the time I've done CPL/IR (and possibly ME/FI etc.) it's going to be into 2011, by which time I hope the job prospects have improved.

Rish

Hello all, I got my PPL in August last year im still at college so I cant go straight into my ATPL, however I have been advided to take it easy and just enjoy the PPL and not to go rushing into anything. However im getting to the point now where i am looking to start my ATPL's later this year after enjoying myself last year.

with regards to the 18 month thing I believe you can start revising the ATPL's as soon as you want, there is nothing stoping you walking into Trasnair and revising it at your own leisure, however as soon as you enroll onto a course for example Bournemouth, Cabair, Oxford etc that is when your 18 moth clock begins (after you have sat the 1st exam anyway)

Although slightly off topic I a looking to do my ATPL groundschool with Atlantic Flight Training at Coventry, I have had a look on the forum but can't find out too much about it. does anyone have any feedback about their training, if so it would really help me.

cheers all.

James :ok:

James - the 18 month rule was covered earlier in the thread (see post by Alex Whittingham of BGS).

The (official CAA) 18 month clock starts ticking from the sitting of your first exam, not when you enroll on the course.

Tim

ATPL before PPL?
 

Hi folks,

Ive actually been thinking about starting my ATPL's now via distance learning and once they are done (in 10 months i hope) I will go to the US to do my PPL/150 hours.

Just wondering what you think about doing ATPL exams before JAA PPL? Has anyone gone this route? The main reasons are

1. Once exams are out of the way I can focus solely on flying without any breaks. JAA PPL/150hrs in US followed directly by JAA CPL/IR in Europe (most likely Spain)
2. I can hour build in the US rather than Ireland saving a lot of €s
3. I can work a little during my 10 months of study to save some cash for my licences.

Thanks a lot

As far as I know the only pre-requisite for starting the ATPL exams is a PPL. So I think you have to do the one before the other.

Happy to be corrected on this if I'm wrong.

Regards

JR

You cannot do this.

There are only two qualifications required to start an approved JAR ATPL THeory Course. These are.

1. You must have an ICAO PPL.
2. You must be able to pay for the course.

If the CAA find that you have started a course before obtaining your PPL they will often get very shirty.

I am aware of one student who started his ATPL ground school having completed his PPL exams, PPL flight training and skills test and applied for his PPL.

But he had not actually received his PPL. There was a delay in processing the application and when the CAA found that he had started the ATPL course with having been issued a PPL, they threatened to declare all of his ATPL training invalid. It took a lot of arguing to change their minds.

I have also known other occasions when the CAA have been asked if it would be OK for a student to start the ATPL course while his/her PPL application was being processed and they have agreed. But even when they are in their best of moods, they will never agree to let a student start the ATPL course before he/she has qualified for the PPL.......Unless of course the student is on an Integrated course, in which case they will never get a PPL at all.