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3 Answers

FAA TO EASA?

Asked by: 4437 views , ,
Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, Flight Instructor, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

Hey guys,

So to start out, I have been interested in becoming an airline pilot since childhood. I recently obtained my PPL. I am a Dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, but reside in the States currently. 

I am currently enrolled in a combined instrument/commercial 141 training program in Florida. As I’m working on my instrument phase, I am obtaining my commercial hours and cross country requirements as well as practicing commercial maneuvers. This is to ensure having the CPL checkride soon after the instrument checkride. 

Recently after speaking to an American pilot for an Irish airline (Aer Lingus), I am very interested in working for Aer Lingus for a few years. It sounds like I would only need my instrument and commercial multi ratings to start as well as 500 hours commercial experience. Would these A320 hours I obtain in Ireland count if I wanted to transfer back to the States later on? How does all that work? Should I be focusing on my commercial multi-engine instead of commercial single? I am planning to sit down with my school director Tuesday and wanted to gain more insight before changing my program around.

 

Thanks for the help! 

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3 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    LTCTerry on Oct 01, 2018

    Licensing and airline flying are quite different in Europe than here. In Europe you can be first officer with 250 hours and a type rating. These pilots are flying on what is called in EASA-land a “frozen airline transport pilot license” – fATPL. The fATPL requires all the training/testing associated with the ATPL except for total hours. Essentially you have a commercial license with ATPL written and checkride passed but on hold until you get to 1,500 hours.

    If you go to Ireland with your FAA Commercial ticket you will need to take the 14(!) written exams, which require 400 hours of ground school to get the sign off to take. You will have to do a Multi-Crew Cockpit course. And you’ll need the commercial and ATPL checkrides. Probably an instrument checkride as well. These will also require dual preparation.

    If you really want to do this, there are schools – mostly in Florida – that do the EASA training and the FAA training in parallel. At the end of this you will have both sets of paperwork with little or no extra work. If this is the way you want to go, seriously consider a school that can do both – they know the rules.

    To be an ATPL pilot in Europe requires an extremely thorough initial first class medical. Most people do this before they do their training to be sure they can pass before spending a ton of money. Renewal medicals are then simpler.

    Time logging rules under EASA are different. In the US, a rated pilot can log PIC and dual received at the same time. Under EASA rules if an instructor is onboard you are not PIC. “Safety pilot” time as we know it doesn’t work. Are you doing a Part 141 program with instrument/commercial in 190 hours? None of your dual flying for IFR training or commercial will count towards PIC totals in Europe. Be prepared to sort out PIC (“P1”) time by their rules…

    Under 14 CFR, all flight time “counts” towards totals for advanced certificates, unless otherwise specified. Under EASA that’s not true – as an example, only 10 percent of total glider time can be counted towards a private ticket, up to three hours!

    You asked if A320 hours in Europe would “count” towards the 1500 required for an ATP here. Absolutely. You could do what you are suggesting, start in Europe with 250 hours, fly 1250 in an A320 and “unfreeze” the ATPL, then pursue issuance of an FAA ATP based on your EASA ATPL.

    With the right to work/live in both environments, if hired overseas, you could be readily employable back in the US.

    In Europe there are roughly five new fATPL graduates for every vacant slot at an airline. Competition is high. I’d encourage you to also plan for the “American Model” of being a CFI until you get to 1,500 hours just in case. I think you’ll find getting hired in the US a bit less competitive. If you’re in Europe waiting for the elusive airline job, you’re not building flight time in the US…

    So, why the vastly different approaches? Europe does not have the history of General Aviation we do. There are not lots of people learning to fly to provide a source of flight time for someone to accumulate 1500 hours. That might never happen for some instructors. In the US, on the other hand, we have a fairly vibrant pilot/flying community. Models develop based on society as a whole.

    Take a look at http://www.pprune.org in the section on professional training. You will find everything you need to know about becoming an airline pilot in Europe. Good luck!

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  2. wharrington20 on Oct 02, 2018

    Terry, that was a phenomenal answer. Thank you so much for that information as well as the link you provided!

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  3. awair on Apr 18, 2020

    The best advice (I never received) is to get on the ‘best’ seniority list as early as you can.

    Don’t worry about types, hours or upgrades – they will all come in due course.

    A seniority-based airline that honours it contract, and doesn’t go bust, is what you need for a life time career!

    You’ll only know if you made the correct decision when you retire.

    However, if you can’t join a US carrier due to age/hours for an ATP, most (all?) of the A320 hours will count towards a US ATP.

    If you plan on returning, keep an electronic logbook that will easily let you check any required hours that may be counted differently under FAA or EASA regs.

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