EASA CPL(A) requirements
 

Hello everyone,

I am a holder of an EASA PPL(A) license with an IR and MEP rating, I finished my modular CPL training and soon I will have my skill test, but I still have a doubt about the requirements.

The minimum total flight time is clearly 200 hours, but for an holder of a valid IR(A) rating, up to 5 hours of instrument ground time in a simulator (FNPT, FTD or FFS) can credit towards the 200 hours TT.

This means that the actual total flight time required is 195 hours, right?

I am asking this because I received different answers, everyone told me that simulator time doesn't count at all in that total flight time and Part FCL doesn't seem really clear about this topic, so I was wondering if anyone could explain the exception related to these 5 hours of instrument ground time.

Thank you

Part FCL is very clear. A holder of an IR(A) shall be fully credited with the dual instrument instruction time. That doesn't mean total time. You still need 200 hours flight time.

You do need actually 200 hours in aircraft (dual time counts of course), the time on sim does not count. So you do actually need more than 100 PIC hours if you did not have to do very much more for PPL(A) than the required hours.

Also thought SIM hours counted in some way, but found out more than 100 PIC had to be done in order to get to 200 hours in order to apply with my papers for the licence. Just for clarification: you need 150 hours to be eligible to start CPL(A) training and 175 hours to attend the skill test with examiner (300NM+ crosscountry included with landings at 2 different airports). So you can actually fly after the skill test before you submit your papers to the ULC (CAA).