BREXIT Flight Training
BREXIT + How UK student pilots should start their commercial flight training programme
A significantly high number of student pilot's at Fly EPT Spain are from the UK, most asking us the same questions. Here, we answer your questions and offer brief words of advice how best, post BREXIT, British ab-initio student pilots should start their commercial flight training programme.
We will also summarise how to obtain a UK CAA PPL after completing an EASA PPL flying course
First question:
Do British pilots need both a UK CAA and EASA Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)?
If a commercial pilot only intends to fly for a UK carrier, a UK CAA licence is sufficient.
However, not all UK based airline operators fly only UK registered aircraft.
Watch this YouTube video, in particular 03:00-03:30, involving Mark Duffy, Ryanair Director of Talent, and Angelo Currao, Ryanair Pilot Recruitment Manager
Mark Duffy, Ryanair Director of Talent:
'My message to you is, if you have the legal right to live and work in the UK, and you are considering choosing a flight school choose a flight school where you can obtain a dual licence because if you go down only the route of a UK licence only, your options are going to be restricted ........ you could find yourself with no where to go! '
Ryanair even pay their pilots an additional £5,000 GBP per year fixed Dual Licence Allowance UK/EASA just to maintain both licences. Use an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) and Examiner that holds dual UK CAA and EASA approval, this annual Licence Proficiency Check (LPC) can be completed in one (1) simulator session and both licences can be revalidated / renewed at the same time (This in itself is one of the future benefits of holding a dual licence)
Ryanair, who are by far the largest employer of cadet airline pilots in Europe, is not the only UK airline with EU-ties to continental Europe requiring pilot's to hold a dual UK CAA and EASA f-ATPL
If a pilot wishes to widen their employment prospects, Brit's should pursue a dual EASA and UK CAA commercial pilot licence training programme.
Having only a UK f-ATPL will restrict employment options.
How can I pursue a dual UK CAA and EASA licence training programme
** Fly EPT Spain will facilitate British ab-initio student pilots into a dual UK and EASA Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) training programme **
The reason why Fly EPT Spain offers a dual flight training route for Brits pursuing a dual licence is because the ATO theoretical ground school provider in the UK holds dual UK CAA and EASA approvals.
The pathway to follow is the CPL Preparation Program which is the cheapest and fastest route to a dual f-ATPL licence.
What Angelo Currao, Ryanair Pilot Recruitment Manager, refers to in the video between 1:07 - 1:30, whereby candidates holding a 'UK CAA licence only' are successful at the pilot assessment, Ryanair then give pilots 12 months to re-do the entire ATPL theoretical course and pass all 13 EASA ATPL exams. If student pilots follow the CPL Preparation Program they will NOT in the future need to repeat nor pay for the full ATPL theory course again. Only those pilots who followed the 'UK CAA route only' will need to repeat the entire ATPL theory course.
Students who pursued only an EASA, or only a UK CAA route, will find themselves having to repeat all the training again if they decide at a later date to obtain the second licence.
If students choose to pursue the PPL with Fly EPT Spain, they should plan to sit all nine (9) PPL exams with Austro Control GmbH (i.e. EASA exams) in Luton, UK as pilots will initially receive an EASA PPL.
While there are many good EASA country state of licence issue (SOLI), we recommend Brits apply to Ireland (IAA) for their EASA PPL
If students wish to obtain a UK CAA PPL, they should also plan to sit PPL exams with the UK CAA examination authority in subjects:
- Air Law
- Human Performance & Limitations
After EASA PPL licence issue, and after accumulating 100 hours total flight in the relevant aircraft category, the process to convert an EASA PPL to a UK CAA PPL is a simple formality explained in more detail at the bottom of this page.
However, if the pilot's goal is to obtain a CPL or f-ATPL, we recommend that students do NOT sit PPL exams with UK CAA examination authority. Save your time and money. Simply continue the hour building and night rating course under the EASA PPL until the minimum requirements have been met to start the CPL modular flying course i.e. 150 hours total flight time including 100 hours as Pilot-In-Command.
The minimum eligibility criteria to be enrolled into an ATPL theoretical course is: -
- 'Any' ICAO PPL(A)
This includes FAA, ICAO and of course EASA
After obtaining an EASA PPL(A) with Fly EPT Spain, British commercial student pilots can then be enrolled onto our ATPL 'online' theoretical knowledge instruction course which holds dual UK CAA and EASA approval, and Brits, post-BREXIT will need to pass all 13 ATPL subjects with both examination authorities, after which pilots now have a choice and can choose to finish the MEP-IR-CPL-AUPRT modular flying courses either with: -
- EASA
Or
- UK CAA
Which? It really does not matter as the remaining professional flight training modules are all dual instruction flying anyway, and both routes can lead to a dual licence.
Finishing professional flight training modules under UK CAA
If an EASA PPL holder chooses to finish the MEP-IR-CPL-AUPRT modular flying courses back home in the UK with a UK CAA Approved Training Organisation (ATO), all the flight time gained under the EASA PPL licence will be recognised and credited towards the flight time experience requirements needed for CPL/ME-IR (f-ATPL) issued in accordance with the UK CAA. To then convert UK CAA to EASA, it is only 'training as required' plus a skill test with an EASA flight examiner in an EASA-registered 'complex' multi-engine piston (MEP) aeroplane. UK CAA f-ATPL(A) to EASA f-ATPL(A) conversion complete.
Finishing professional flight training modules under EASA
Likewise, if an EASA PPL holder decides to finish the remaining professional flight training modules MEP-IR-CPL-AUPRT with EASA, this is also perfectly acceptable. To convert an EASA CPL/ME-IR (f-ATPL) to UK CAA, again it is only 'training as required' plus a skill test but with a UK CAA flight examiner in a G-registered twin-engine 'complex' aeroplane. EASA to UK CAA conversion complete.
Whichever route the pilot chooses, there are no additional exams or ground school required because the ATPL theoretical ground school provider held dual approval and both sets of ATPL exams were passed.
Of course, the English Language Proficiency (ELP) test, Radiotelephony (RT) Operator's Licence and Class One (1) medical examination all need to be issued by the respective competent authorities, but essentially this completes the f-ATPL licence conversion process
Once the pilot passes all 13 ATPL exams, the subsequent practical flight training for the modular MEP-IR-CPL-AUPRT flying courses must be completed and the skill test passed within three (3) years. According to EASA and UK CAA, the ATPL theory exams are valid for three (3) years for the issue of a CPL or IR.
Once the IR is entered on the pilot's licence, according to FCL.025(c)(2), the validity of the ATPL theoretical knowledge examinations is now valid for seven (7) years from the IR's last validity date for the issue of the full ATPL (i.e. the ATPL is unfrozen).
If the pilot does NOT acquire the full ATPL (i.e. the ATPL remains frozen) within those seven (7) years, the pilot simply needs to renew their IR in order to maintain the validity of the theory exams.
Note: After passing all 13 ATPL exams, and having passed the skill tests for CPL and ME-IR, the pilot is issued with a frozen ATPL(A). To unfreeze the ATPL, the pilot must have 1,500 hours total time, including a type rating on a multi-crew aeroplane with more than 500 hours on type and passed the ATPL skill test, which is essentially a 2-hour Licence Proficiency Check (LPC). The first 1,000 hours can be made up from flight time accumulated while flight instructing, flying smaller single engine piston (SEP) aeroplanes.
How should I finish my commercial flight training modules after finishing the CPL Preparation Program with Fly EPT Spain
We recommend graduates of the CPL Preparation Program who plan to join the airlines finish their professional flight training modules with a Future Ryanair Flyer Academy where the MEP-IR-CPL-AUPRT can all be finished in 3 months. Even if pilots have no aspirations to join Ryanair, the standard of training at these academies is outstanding as pilots are trained to airline standards and procedures and the training will place them in good stead for any airline, and Fly EPT Spain will prepare students very well for the handover to the academy.
Why should I complete the CPL Preparation Program
Not only can the CPL Preparation Program lead to a dual UK and EASA f-ATPL, there are other notable advantages of completing initial flight training with Fly EPT Spain.
The CPL Preparation Program is an all-in-one programme that includes the PPL, hour building and Night Rating courses as well as the PPL and ATPL 'online' theoretical knowledge courses which are both delivered from the UK.
In Spain, the CPL Preparation Program is recognised as a vocational course that qualifies for tax exemption. Spain is pretty much the only country in Europe that does NOT add Value Added Tax (VAT), known as IVA, on professional flight training modules and this will save students 21% compared to the UK. As the PPL, Night Rating, and hour building form mandatory modular courses towards a professional pilot licence, when combined with the ATPL theoretical knowledge course, the whole flight training package qualifies for tax exemption in Spain.
Not only is the practical flight training cheaper but it is also quicker to finish in Spain due to a sunnier climate offering more favourable all-year-round flying weather conditions compared to Northern Europe.
Advice on the Medical certificate while pursuing a dual licence
Pursuing a dual licence will eventually require a class one (1) medical certificate to be issued by both UK CAA and EASA and this will be required at the time of CPL/f-ATPL licence application
Initially, however, for PPL only an EASA class two (2) medical certificate will suffice. This allows the student to fly solo
To find an Aero-Medical Examiner (AME) in the UK:
https://www.caa.co.uk/
Ask the AME, 'do you hold EASA approval? And if 'Yes', 'With which EASA country state?'
Ideally for Brits, it's going to be Ireland not only because the authority is native English speaking but also because the largest recruiter of second officer airline cadets in the UK (Ryanair) will insist on an Irish (IAA) licence.
So aim to get an Irish (IAA) EASA medical certificate which must be issued by an AME registered with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)
If you complete your PPL with Fly EPT Spain, you do NOT need a UK medical. Save your money and wait until just before CPL licence application.
In the future, when you apply for a dual licence, plan to do both UK CAA and EASA class one (1) Medical examinations at the same time, to avoid paying twice. To save money over time, make sure you keep both class 1 medicals synchronised. If the medicals fall out of synch (i.e. ECG one year with EASA, but needing to do the ECG the following year with UK), there will be unnecessary additional charges. Eventually the airline will pick up the tab, at least for one (1) medical examination if not both, but until then it is down to the pilot to minimise the costs so while you obtain / revalidate / renew your medical, 'kill 2 birds with 1 stone' (so to speak) and ask the Doctor to sign off both EASA and UK CAA Medical certificates at the same time. The additional cost is only a small admin fee as opposed to a full Medical examination fee.
How to convert an EASA PPL to a UK CAA PPL
To convert an EASA (or any ICAO-compliant PPL issued by a third country) to a UK CAA PPL, the conversion is a simple formality, meaning 'no further training is required', as soon as the eligibility criteria has been fulfilled.
Eligibility criteria
Essentially, ICAO / FAA / EASA PPL holders will need to: -
- Have 100 hours as a pilot in the relevant aircraft category
- Pass two (2) PPL theoretical examinations (no ground school required) with the UK CAA examination authority in subjects: AIR LAW and HUMAN PERFORMANCE & LIMITATIONS
- Pass an English Language Proficiency (ELP) test with a UK CAA examiner for issue of the Radio-Telephony (RT) Operator's licence
- Pass a class two (2) medical examination with an Aero-Medical Examiner (AME) registered with UK CAA and hold a class 1 or 2 Medical certificate issued in accordance with UK CAA
- Pass a PPL skill test in a G-registered aircraft with a UK CAA Flight Examiner
So, if you have less than 100 hours flight time and you wish to convert your ICAO / FAA / EASA Private Pilot Licence (PPL) to UK CAA, you will need to complete the full approved UK CAA PPL course and 45 hours flight training. Even if you already have a PPL
Any hours flown, however, can be credited towards the 200 hours experience required for CPL issue.
If you have more than 100 hours flight time as a pilot in the relevant aircraft category, you can convert your ICAO / FAA / EASA Private Pilot Licence (PPL) to UK CAA. You are given a few exceptions at the discretion of the UK CAA, but you are still required to comply with the above criteria.