Converting Australian License to UK License

[lloyd2580]

Hi all,

I have recently moved to Australia from the UK on a VISA to train to be a pilot, the course takes me right from PPL to ATPL all issued by CASA (Australian Aviation Authority). It is the only way I can afford to do it as I have some family here that can give me cheap accommodation whilst the cost of flying is far less for me than in the UK. At the end of this course I should have all my CPL completed (200 hours flying experience and all 7 CPL exams passed) and also my 'frozen' ATPL.

My predicament is that although I am training and attaining all my licenses here in Australia, I really want to live and work from the UK, and all my tutors and other students are scratching their heads when I ask them how it is that I convert my CASA issued licenses to UK licenses. From my own research i've found nothing, only confused myself more, especially with the CAA licensing being handed over to EASA in July this year.

I've been told that I will have to return to the UK after getting my CPL and hours here in australia, then sit my all my ATPLs in the UK and then do a foreign license conversion too! (expensive since I will have just spent $60,000 training and 2 years studying already!)

I've also been told that I can get right up to ATPL's here in Australia, then return to the UK, simply sit just the Aviation Law ATPL exam and then I'm fine to work from the UK. BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW FOR SURE!

Can someone please, please, please tell me the process of getting my UK CPL and frozen ATPL after already having had done it here in Australia??

[AppleMacster]

It's all in LASORS. Section D1.5:

Conversion of Non-JAA Professional Licence

[lloyd2580]

That was very helpful thank you. I noticed it states a non JAA license can be converted to a JAA license provided an agreement exists between the JAA and non JAA state. Do you know if Australia and England have such an agreement or will I need to undergo the procedures stated where there is no such agreement?

[AppleMacster]

The search engine is your friend:

http://www.pprune.org/dg-p-general-a...l-jaa-cpl.html

You need:

1. Class One Medical issued by the CAA at Gatwick (initial one can't be done anywhere else)
2. All 14 ATPL Exams (the Aussie ones don't count if you've only got a "frozen" licence)
3. Flight tests for CPL and IR.

They don't make it easy (or cheap).

[lloyd2580]

Thank you, now I know the process I need to undergo, I really appreciate your help!