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What exactly freezes the 13 "ATPL" exams - the IR or the CPL?

We’ve done this previously to some extent but the answer is not clear. Would the following work, optionally for a professional career in Europe:

  • get an EASA PPL
  • get a 61.75 PPL
  • get an FAA IR (standalone) – now you can fly an N-reg SEP worldwide (subject to EASA FCL derogations)
  • fly 50hrs IFR PIC
  • get a CB IR via the oral+checkride route
  • do the 13 “EASA ATPL” exams
  • do the EASA ME CPL (this should freeze the 13 exams)

and at some later point

  • do the EASA ME IR conversion and checkride

This way you also get the biggest credits. In particular the whole EASA IR training and exam package is eliminated.

Traditionally, AFAIK, only the IR would freeze the “ATPL” exams. This was done thus to make it as hard as possible to achieve the “Euro CPL/IR” (also called “frozen ATPL”).

If the CPL also served the purpose of freezing the exams, this would enable the above route where an arbitrary amount of time can pass between the ICAO IR → CB IR conversion, and the CPL training and checkride which is really rather easy (just some VFR flying around with an FI) compared to all the rest.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

CPL is irrelevant

The completion of the airline transport pilot licence (ATPL) theoretical knowledge examinations will remain valid for the issue of an ATPL for a period of 7 years from the last validity date of: (i) (ii) an IR entered in the licence; or in the case of helicopters, a helicopter’s type rating entered in that licence.

Posts are personal views only.
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Ps in your scenario I would only do a SE CPL and then only do an MEP and ME IR upgrade prior to needing to do a MPA type rating. No advantage to doing the ME stuff earlier and having cost of upkeep

Posts are personal views only.
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

Would the following work
Yes, this would work. While you are doing the EASA CPL ME you might as well just do the additional 5 hrs. required for the IR part and you’re done (with a single checkride). But it is also not a problem to add the IR part at a later time.

Regarding the “freeze” people are mixing this up all the time:

  • The ATPL theory is valid for 36 months for the issue of a CPL and an IR. This means during this period after completing the theory you have to do the CPL (and the IR, unless you are taking the FAA-conversion route that you are describing). If you do not take the CPL within this period, you have to do at least a CPL theory exam again!
  • The ATPL theory is valid for 7 years after the expiry of an IR for the issue of an ATPL! But as you cannot get an ATPL without a CPL, this does not help you at all if you have not aquired a CPL within the 36 months after completing the ATPL theory exams.
Last Edited by tschnell at 24 Oct 15:57
Friedrichshafen EDNY

OK, so to recap, and test the edge cases:

  • do the FAA IR
  • wait an unlimited time
  • do the ICAO IR → CB IR conversion
  • wait an unlimited time (while revalidating the Euro IR every < 7 years or flying on the FAA IR)
  • do the 13 “ATPL” exams
  • within 36 months of passing the first exam, achieve the Euro CPL checkride
  • get a RHS job in a multi pilot aircraft and get promoted to Euro ATPL within 7 years* of the CPL checkride (if you don’t, but have been flying on the FAA IR, you have to keep revalidating the CPL)

* is this 7 year deadline still there if one is flying on the FAA IR the whole time?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

OK, so to recap
Exactly.
get promoted to Euro ATPL within 7 years* of the CPL checkride

There is no requirement to “unfreeze” your ATPL within 7 years, as long as you keep your IR current.

is this 7 year deadline still there if one is flying on the FAA IR the whole time?

As long as you have a valid IR, it should be no problem to get an ATPL once you fulfill the requirements.

Last Edited by tschnell at 24 Oct 16:39
Friedrichshafen EDNY

Peter wrote:

within 36 months of passing the first exam

Last exam.

London, United Kingdom

What is the maximum time one can spread the 13 exams over?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

18 months

Posts are personal views only.
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

It is more fun now: you need 26 (twenty six) exams!

No official way around it, AFAICT, having spoken to a few people close to the business.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
20 Posts
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