Does Germany have many FAA-papers-only pilots?
Historically, yes. There are basically two groups: 1) pilots with a German PPL, who went FAA for the less onerous IR. There used to be many of these. But they have had over 7 years now under the CB IR rule to convert the IR with very little effort. And most have done so. 2) Pilots who got their PPL in the US (some during a vacation or so). Many of these have no IR. But most these have >100h, so they have converted over the years. Now with BASA, it‘s even easier.
I still detest that there are many pilots who CAN get an FAA 3rd class medical but CAN‘T get an EASA 2nd class medical. These numbers will be very low, in the overall picture.
Most of those who have not converted have done so out of laziness, or better, inertia, or just because they did not need it so far (if flying only N-reg anyway). The only valid reason for not converting an IR is the pointless IR renewal every year.
France certainly does not have many FAA licensed pilots, due to the language barrier.
I don’t know anyone with just the FAA licence despite there being several N regs in the area.
Me, me, me!!! But only because I just arrived earlier this year. Currently trying to figure out exactly how BASA will be implemented in France, so I can get on with it.
France certainly does not have many FAA licensed pilots
That may be true for St Tartempion Les Trois Vaches International, but here at Cannes there are more N reg (small stuff, not talking bizjets) than F. And lots of other EU stuff too – T7, OO,… I’m told life is a lot simpler if you have a non-F EU reg plane.
Anecdotally and not quite on topic, ran into the owner of a very nice SR22 on the ramp yesterday. It was ES when he bought it, which apparently is complicated to maintain. In February he started the process of switching it to F reg. It has been unflyable since then – yesterday was his first chance to fly it since (legally).
That may be true for St Tartempion Les Trois Vaches International, but here at Cannes there are more N reg (small stuff, not talking bizjets) than F
Which proves my point. Cannes is quite different from all the rest of France. More like an outpost of Florida or so.
Many N-regs in Europe are flown pilots without FAA licenses. Either because
Yes, switching aircraft regs often ends in a lot of downtime.
There are so many gotchas with registry transfers. There is a guy who used to be on EuroGA years ago who bought an SR22 and somebody told him to put it on the 2-reg, and last I heard it was stuck there with no way to get it to where he actually lived (central Europe). The CV19 situation meant he could not find an engineer willing to travel to Guernsey and for all I know he may have had to abandon it. The 2-reg was seen by some as a solution for UK N-reg pilots too (because 2 accepts an N-reg without an Export CofA, and accepts any ICAO pilot papers+medical, which is validates for that specific airframe, and accepts FAA mods (well, usually)) but you get shafted by the requirement for a 2-approved maintenance guy, so most 2 owners end up flying to Guernsey all the time, which is ridiculous.
I don’t know how that guy in Cannes managed to ensure the engine didn’t go rusty, over nearly a year…
By far the least-crazy way to deal with this EASA FCL measure, and with the UK version of it is to obtain the European papers. And for those who don’t want to do the IR, the aforementioned link discusses how one can trivially fly to the mid-Channel border and pick up the IFR/CAS clearance from France 
It just doesn’t help with flying Shoreham to Ireland or Scotland, some of which routes are absolutely ripe for an infringment, which is why I do have a current UK IR. Then there is the SRGxxx validation route which should be good for another year. You probably want the IMCR for returning to the UK on a legal IAP.
Doing the Euro IR will cost thousands but not as much as the 10k+ I spent on my JAA IR conversion in 2011 where I was doing the “15hr conversion” which was a blatent excuse for an FTO to fleece you for 20-30hrs of flying. One Spanish school, run from Austria, was doing this in 5 days but they would not do it in your own plane 
With the 50hr-IFR-PIC route you don’t need to find an FTO willing to put your plane on their books (a big geographical problem for most); you “merely” need to find a CAA examiner willing to do that one flight, which should be easy because he is legally PIC under FAR 61.3 in his own country.
The big gotcha for some will be the Euro medical. Most pilots can get one because they … can. Of the remainder, most can get one, but often at a huge expense; I recall some paying 5k for tests and reports. Most of those cases will already be on FAA Special Issuance medicals (which is already a difficult area in Europe since very few European FAA AMEs want to get involved with this but at least there is a process one can follow which is not all that expensive – for a Class 3). Also while most pilots can pass a CAA IR test (with practice) most dread going to a new AME, for fear of what he/she might find, and any change of AME is – rightly or not – regarded as deeply suspicious, which is why most pilots use the same AME regardless of distance and continue to do so until he is 6ft (1.5m) underground.
* they fly in say France only anyway
* they still think (or argue) that Europe is a country
* they don‘t care at all
That’s quite funny, but I agree.
Peter wrote:
There is a guy who used to be on EuroGA years ago who bought an SR22 and somebody told him to put it on the 2-reg, and last I heard it was stuck there with no way to get it to where he actually lived (central Europe).
I feel little compassion for somebody who thought he can gamble the system in the past by using what he thought to be clever regulation arbitrage to figure out now that he has not been smarter than the system.
So does EASA.
On FAA-only pilots in Germany in my view tosco got it right: Historically there have been many of them (also because FAA-licenses in the more distant past have been much less expensive than nation/JAR/EASA-ones) but almost all who still use them have converted by now.
Why do you say EASA medicals are expensive?
€75 euros is about average here for someone over 60. If you need extras like a carotid artery doppler that would be another €75 but not done at an AME.
This is class 2 of course. Class 1 you are more limited in the choice of AME an I believe it may be a little more expensive and has to be done each 6 months.
I honestly don’t see why people can’t convert FAA IR to EASA IR? the only bottle neck for anyone with FAA was “TK exams” & “ATO initial training” both were no longer an issue after CBIR route with 50h PIC (even before BASA)
I know people who have gone down the road and managed with few hours refresher and dome test, the problem is maintaining EASA ratings afterwards but with valid FAA SEL+IR renewing expired EASA SEP+IR is piece of cake…
My sympathy goes for those with multi, turbine & jet tickets, or can’t get medicals, or those who can convince US DPE or FSDO to sign “English Proficient” but will never pass a formal ELP test in Europe…
Why do you say EASA medicals are expensive?
Initial test requirements post certain procedures.
I know people who have gone down the road and managed with few hours refresher and dome test, the problem is maintaining EASA ratings afterwards but with valid FAA SEL+IR renewing expired EASA SEP+IR is piece of cake…
Europe deeply distrusts any “rolling currency” option. Only a flight with an examiner can show that you are a proficient pilot I’ve had this discussion many times; the most recent time I pointed out to the guy (an examiner, in Germany IIRC) that the US is not covered in wreckage, and why not? There was no answer. It is just the European way. Trust is vested only in organisations (who in this case license an examiner) not in random individuals. It is slowly changing.
My sympathy goes for those with multi, turbine & jet tickets
Many of these can arrange for a non EU “operator” though. The IOM caters for this specifically, with an “operator certificate”.
On FAA-only pilots in Germany in my view tosco got it right: Historically there have been many of them (also because FAA-licenses in the more distant past have been much less expensive than nation/JAR/EASA-ones) but almost all who still use them have converted by now.
Many German based N-regs are running on 61.75 papers – judging from the big trouble, years ago, when a certain gentleman was booked by AOPA DE to do a mass update (hundreds) of 61.75 papers, and didn’t turn up… A 61.75 does the PPL so these will have a German PPL and a German medical. What I don’t know is how many of these have either a German IR and did the Foreign Pilot IR Exam, or did the full FAA standalone IR.
Germany has always had a top level of compliance on the paper front, while e.g. Brits have done all they could to get around the stuff, greatly assisted by a lack of ATC services and the consequent ability to fly “VFR” in Class G regardless of VMC/IMC
gallois wrote:
€75 euros is about average here for someone over 60
Congrats. Here €200 is typical, although you could possibly find an AME willing to do it for €150. (Speaking of class 2.)
It’ll probably go up to €80 (average) in the near future.🙃
The initial class 2 is no more expensive.
