Europe has no course of study to the ATP
News to the integrated ATP schools ?
They get you to the 13 “ATPL” written exams, and a CPL/IR.
This is called a “frozen ATPL” to make the customers feel good about the 80-100k they spent 
But it isn’t an ATPL.
To get an ATPL you need 1500hrs TT including 100hrs at night and 500hrs in a multi pilot aircraft.
One airline pilot told me that when you have reached the 500hrs (has to be RHS because the LHS needs a full ATPL on a passenger jet) you do an LPC and then they upgrade the CPL/IR to an ATPL.
I see, but PPL theory is already 6 exams on paper (it’s just 6 different questionnaires, I think you can do up to 4 in a single day), so doing 13 (or however many are required in IR theory) does not seem that excessive. I feel like the difficulty with getting an IR comes down to how many schools offer IR training (because of how few pilots actually want to get IR).
The EASA IR is IIRC 7 exams now. I did an earlier version, the JAA IR, in 2011 here and that was 7 exams too. The IR theory is several times more work than the PPL theory although most people just bang the computer question bank (QB)
There are indeed factors like FTO (now called ATO) availability in your local area, because most PPL schools can’t do the IR. You also cannot organise to sit that many exams on one day; details vary around Europe.
The 13 exams is for the CPL/IR; it is called “ATPL theory” and is needed if you are doing the CPL/IR.
Does anybody know (who has done his IR theory recently) which QB comes closest to “reality” at the moment:
AE, BGS, ATPL-Q,… others?
Peter wrote:
They get you to the 13 “ATPL” written exams, and a CPL/IR.This is called a “frozen ATPL” to make the customers feel good about the 80-100k they spent But it isn’t an ATPL.
To get an ATPL you need 1500hrs TT including 100hrs at night and 500hrs in a multi pilot aircraft.
The 13 exams is for the CPL/IR; it is called “ATPL theory” and is needed if you are doing the CPL/IR.
CPL+IR theory is not the same as ATPL theory, There is a fair amount of Learning Objectives for the ATPL which are not among either the CPL or IR Learning Objectives. Some examples are APU, IRS, Cat II/III, GPWS, turbojet engine performance, transport category aircraft performance, parts of global climatology, ETOPS…
My impression is few ATOs offer actual CPL theory because the demand is low. This also means that few ATOs would offer an upgrade course to from CPL+IR to ATPL although such a course is possible. So most actually do offer only the full ATPL theory (and separate IR theory for those who do not wish to be professional pilots).
None of the major ATOs in Sweden offer CPL theory. Maybe it is different in Britain. I wouldn’t know.
None of the major ATOs in Sweden offer CPL theory. Maybe it is different in Britain. I wouldn’t know.
How do FI remove LAPL restriction? ATPL
I had the impression CPL TK is only useful for LAPL FI to PPL FI, there is not much crop dusting or arial tours as far as the eye can see and instructing, towing, paradroping can be done on PPL
and instructing, towing, paradroping can be done on PPL
No. You need at least CPL theory. Many previous threads here.
CPL+IR theory is not the same as ATPL theory
I didn’t say it was.
Note that the 14 “ATPL” exams are now 13.
But this seems totally off-topic.
Chris wrote:
Does anybody know (who has done his IR theory recently) which QB comes closest to “reality” at the moment:
AE, BGS, ATPL-Q,… others?
@Chris, done it last year in the UK – closest was (or maybe just more useful?) was AE – some exams were out by a large marging (HPL), but AE makes you remember enough for a pass. Radionav was the worst for me – too few questions. Plus some questions are for the ATP aircraft instruments, which is irrelevant for you.
And for the FPL – please use the real paper Jepp learning charts, it takes MUCH more time to find things on those during the exams if you don’t know where to look.
