You can do the ATPL(H) GS course/ exams at GTS in Bournmouth too.

There is also a CPL(H) course with AFT at Coventry.

Glasgow N College have a AT course also.

There are other courses in JAA-land where you may (legally) not be required to pay VAT :ugh: unlike here where it is all VAT-for-Gordy

1a. If you intend to complete a IR (H) within 3 years of finishing the GS exams take the ATPL course. If you do not then take the CPL.

1b. -deleted-

2a. If you are in a hurry then the CPL exams are easier and shorter, as is the course.



h-r;)

Do a quick search on here for 'Dragon Helicopters' then another for 'Bristol Ground School'. The results will help you make up your mind!


Otherwise, this topic (ATPL or CPL groundschool) has come up many times before. Another search will produce the thread. Essentially, if you are going to go to the effort of sitting the exams, you might as well do the full ATPL syllabus.

And Dragon are not the only CPL providers. Off the top of my head, Atlantic Flight Training @ Coventry and GTS @ Bournemouth also do it.


HTH,

B73

One more thing to mention - the ATPL exams will include the Instrument Rating theory, while the basic CPL will not.

Depending on where you are thinking of ending up, an IR may be important.

I did mine with Bristol GS some things to note

1) Their course (as of 6 months ago) contained a lot of fixed wing specific information (e.g. the FMS on 737, how to navigate across the Atlantic using NATS etc). All interesting stuff btw! but some people found (or perhaps better, made) it hard going since it was easy to discount the information as not appropriate for helicopters.

2) Distant learning is a hard slog. I did it full time (i.e while not working) and it was still a lot of work and effort. For the people there who did it while working, for the most part they took around 2 years to get it done (and I suspect there was a fair percentage of "dropouts" - especially those with other commitments at home)

3) The way the course works, you do the studying yourself and get 2 weeks "refresher" (or cramming if you've been slack in the studying). I did it having about a 1000 hours of mainly instructing time, with some other flying (including fiuxed wing), plenty of flight simulator time and having read around the subject a lot.

However, there were those who turned up with a PPL and minimum hours who had even less exposure to aviation (particularly the fixed wing world) than I had and it was an up hill struggle for them.

Finally, there's no way of avoiding it, 2 weeks in a class room to revise ~8 subjects is not a lot of time. If you think you might be a bit slower than average at picking up the information, you may well find it difficult to get everything covered in such a short period.

BG

TimBrad - check yer PMs

Phil

ATPL(h) or CPL(h); Best prospects???
 

Hi Guys, Be gentle it's my first thread....

I am about to finish my Flight training to CPL(h), I have taken the ATPL route with a view to working offshore, having reflected on the course, being mainly a fixed wing course will this go against me in finding employment?

:eek: I perhaps should has asked this prior to spending my entire life savings lol lol lol....

Both CPL and ATPL exams are mostly fixed wing based (although I believe there is a new course which is more helicopter oriented) so everyone's in the same boat, having to learn stuff that's irrelevant and possibly missing out on more relevant stuff.

However, if you don't get an instrument rating in three years, you'll have to do the exams again.

Cheers

Whirls

If you got a fixed wing IR and kept it current would this mean you wouldn't have to do the exams again if you didn't complete your heli IR within three years?

helispy - I believe you are correct. It should mean that you only needed 10 hours' helicopter training, assuming the IR was a JAA one.

Whirls - The new helicopter course (modular, distance learning, ATP or CPL) should get its approval around mid-May, I am given to understand.

Phil

Heli Spy

If you kept your fixed wing IR/CPL current and went over the 3 years for the rotary IR - you would only need to do the heli exam again (POF).

Does anyone know if the proposed heli performance exam (ATPL):O has been bought in yet???

Torquestripe - if they need a bum on a seat and that bum has a licence, it won't matter!

Phil

Many thanks to those who replied to my question.

The helicopter performance exam is not in yet (and you dont have to sit the fixed wing performance exam) so ONLY 13 exams to do.

The 'interim' course was due to come to an end in January and is still the only option for ATPL(H).

Heli-spy,
The performance exam for helicopters has been in use for full helicopter
ATPL(H) since mid 2004. The same with JAR-OPS 3 Ops Procedures. Surprisingly the helicopter operators have not pushed for the end to the fixed-wing exemptions.

Hi Pofman
I'm just coming to the end of a full time ATPL(H) course here in the UK and did not have to do a Performance paper of either helicopter or fixed wing nature as my training provider has opted out.
I'm currently doing a fixed wing PPL as the CAA will not let me do the fixed wing ATPL(A) Perf or PoF paper until I have my PPL(A) and I want all options open in order to actually earn some decent money!

opting out?! eh? how does that work? i thought there was a heli performance paper. there was when i did bristol groundschool in 2006. 13 fixed wing exams and 1 heli performance paper.

plus... cpl/atpl, i dont think it matters. employers know that the exams are just an expensive hurdle to join the old boys club and everyone forgets it all the moment the results hit the doormat.

what would a current JAA ATPL A holder need to do in terms of hours and exams to get a JAA CPL H if they had little or no heli flying experience?
Thanks

Not much more in terms of exams; Helicopter Principles of Flight and Performance. However, I would think you would have to gain a PPL(H) first and 155 hours total helicopter time before being eligible to take a CPL flying course. LASORS will have the answer.

Cheers

Whirls

Its only 105 hrs if holder of an ICAO cpl (a), then the extra exams, a cpl course and a 10 hr IR conversion (if JAA IR (a) holder) if you want the frozen atpl.

Thanks. I CBFA to look it up :} since it's not a route I would do and if it was, I would look it up!

Cheers

Whirls

ManfromUncle
My course consisted of 12 fixed wing exams and one Priciples of Flight Helicopters.
What were the 13 fixed wing exams that you did?

Re CPL(H) to ATPL(A) Frozen;

I take it if you have a CPL(H) and want to get a ATPL(A) frozen you just need 105 hours total fixed wing time before statring the CPL(A) course?
Wow only 98 hours to go!

CPLH or ATPLH?
 

Hi
I am looking at undertaking the CPLH. Can anyone tell me what advantages there are of undertaking the ATPLH? Wouldn't the CPL be sufficient to work as a flexible commercial pilot? Am I missing something here?
Thanks in advance