Rotary to fixed wing conversion
 

I hold a commercial helicopter licence from the UK with 193hrs total time. Being pretty disillusioned with the industry in both Ireland (where I am from and live) and the UK, I am thinking about converting to fixed wing and trying for airlines. Just wondering does anyone know an approximate figure for how many hours I would be allowed to carry forward into the fixed wing training?...

Any help on the matter would be much appreciated.

A long while back I converted an ATPL(H) to ATPL(A), although with a few more hours than yourself (4500).

I contacted the CAA and discussed it with one of their FCL guys who was very helpful. I needed to do a CPL and a multi/IR. I did the multi IR in 10 hours and the CPL in 15. Quite a 'compressed' course!

Check with the CAA as I don;t think your total is high enough to get away with the above schedule.

Thanks for your response wirbel. I have a feeling I won't get away with that either! Did you have an IR(H)? Also where did you do your conversion?

Thanks.

Yes I did have an IR (needed for ATPL(H)).

I did the conversion at Exeter flight training. Very good they were to. Not sure if they are still there, I'm going back a fair few years.

Thanks again!

Yep, they are still going! Here you go.

Airways Flight Training

Speak to Brian, a top bloke and he might be able to answer your questions as he is very used to rotary to fixed wing conversion.

Cheers, will do!

Anyone done this lately? Would be interested in recent experience? What's the job market like for someone recently converted?

Lively, I would say. After all, instruments is instruments.....

Bridging for theoretical knowledge involves only 5 exams.

Have you made the jump paco? Any guestimates on costings?

I've been AC/DC for years :)

All I know is that BA (for one) seem to be after a lot of pilots, and N Sea veterans are looked upon favourably.

Thanks! :ok: