Convert Canadian CPL to EASA

[mimister]

I currently hold a Canadian CPL with multi IFR. I'm interested in moving to Europe, specifically Poland. What would be the process of obtaining
an EASA ATPL ?

[digits_]

Contact some different flying schools in different countries. They might give you different answers due to slightly different regulations in each country, but they will all lead to the same EASA license.

You most likely have to write all 12 atpl exams and do a bunch of checkrides. It won't be cheap.

[twa22]

First step is writing all 14 exams to be issued a frozen atpl... Once you've gone through that process you're looking at around 15 hours minimum dual for the cpl if you're between 250-499 hours, followed by a minimum 15 hours (10 can be in the Sim) for the multi IFR as you are given 40 hours credit of the total 55 required. Not sure exactly about the actual multi rating but that might be credited depending on the country. What I listed is based on UK CAA rules that I've researched. The atpl exams can be done via distance learning and you only have to do something like 40 hours in class in Europe since you are credited majority of the ground school time from here.

Although you are given an easa license, each country has it's own rules on obtaining a license issued by that specific state. You can write your exams in the UK but you can do the flying in Spain and have Austria issue the license... It's honestly very confusing, time consuming and most importantly, extremely costly... You're looking at about 70 pounds to write each exam in the UK and to rent a 172 in Europe its around 200 euros an hour, a twin likely around 400 an hour. You'll likely not get the recommendation for flight test in the minimum time either so plan for extra costs... These are rough numbers, you could probably find cheaper. Minimum I'd budget for is 15000 euros to be on the safe side but it could easily be more.

It's a long road, and a very hard one considering the European exams are brutal, the current question bank for easa exams is somewhere over 15000 questions... I tried it, and quickly realized that it's not worth the money.

If you really want Europe, my suggestion is this; if you have a European passport, look into a cadet program... It's more money but they provide the funds at 0 interest and you start repaying only after your hired and they can take it out of your salary

OR

Build your time here, get your atpl and then easa license is just a matter of writing the 14 exams and doing a check ride in a plane you are type rated on

Hope this helps... I know when I considered it I had to dig in the deepest parts to find answers, easa is fairly messy to convert to with just a cpl and multi ifr... Also lots of schools don't explain the process in great detail, alot either won't reply or will try and lure you in so proceed with caution

Best of luck

[Dash8-400]

First of all, you need to make sure they will hire you. If no eu passport you might be out of luck.

Second your starting from scratch.

14 exams
And then sim.

[MD11]

Has the original poster managed to succeed with this conversion? I'm also curious about the conversion to recruit with LOT.

[av8tour]

First step is writing all 14 exams to be issued a frozen atpl... Once you've gone through that process you're looking at around 15 hours minimum dual for the cpl if you're between 250-499 hours, followed by a minimum 15 hours (10 can be in the Sim) for the multi IFR as you are given 40 hours credit of the total 55 required. Not sure exactly about the actual multi rating but that might be credited depending on the country. What I listed is based on UK CAA rules that I've researched. The atpl exams can be done via distance learning and you only have to do something like 40 hours in class in Europe since you are credited majority of the ground school time from here.

Although you are given an easa license, each country has it's own rules on obtaining a license issued by that specific state. You can write your exams in the UK but you can do the flying in Spain and have Austria issue the license... It's honestly very confusing, time consuming and most importantly, extremely costly... You're looking at about 70 pounds to write each exam in the UK and to rent a 172 in Europe its around 200 euros an hour, a twin likely around 400 an hour. You'll likely not get the recommendation for flight test in the minimum time either so plan for extra costs... These are rough numbers, you could probably find cheaper. Minimum I'd budget for is 15000 euros to be on the safe side but it could easily be more.

It's a long road, and a very hard one considering the European exams are brutal, the current question bank for easa exams is somewhere over 15000 questions... I tried it, and quickly realized that it's not worth the money.

If you really want Europe, my suggestion is this; if you have a European passport, look into a cadet program... It's more money but they provide the funds at 0 interest and you start repaying only after your hired and they can take it out of your salary

OR

Build your time here, get your atpl and then easa license is just a matter of writing the 14 exams and doing a check ride in a plane you are type rated on

Hope this helps... I know when I considered it I had to dig in the deepest parts to find answers, easa is fairly messy to convert to with just a cpl and multi ifr... Also lots of schools don't explain the process in great detail, alot either won't reply or will try and lure you in so proceed with caution

Best of luck

Great info here. I think you pretty much summed it all up!

[mixturerich]

Lemme guess you wanna work for Wizz Air and smash Eastern European flight attendants? It’s okay. So do I.

[Zlip]

Also;

You have to pass the FCL 0.55 which is the english test exam. At this time, only UK provide the most higher score since it's the only (ex) EU country to speak english. Others will mark you 4 or 5 and you have to renew it.

MCC: Multi Crew Coordination. You have to pass an MCC... Even if you have 500h on multi crew aircraft in Canada. OR if you can prove you have 500h on mutli crew airplane with an EU registration. Since you want to have an EASA licence, I don't know how you can prove you have such experience... EU law... It's stupid.

Class 1 medical: made by an EU doctor.


I know two guys who did it with Greece because it's cheaper. They were all 705 crew (FO or Captain). Regarding the kinds of questions asked in the 14 exams, it may be easier for airliners than 702/703/704 guys (like me). I bought the 14 books (ebay, PDF, cost me 15$), each contains between 400 to 800 pages. I'll be blind before finishing the 7th book for sure, so has an advise, I recommand you to subscribe to AviationExam. Each questions are explained with note (right or wrong), and update more than a month; available on Apple and Android.

Since you have to pass a check ride and it will probably cost you some money, you can ask an EASA TRE to be in the sim when you have to do your reccurent here. Will the company accept it ? That's an other story.

[Captainlegia]

I currently hold a Canadian CPL with multi IFR. I'm interested in moving to Europe, specifically Poland. What would be the process of obtaining
an EASA ATPL ?

Hey man I'm in the same situation as you back when you wrote this, any updates on the whole process if you went forward with it?

[golecchr]

I'm currently almost done with this process. You will need to have completed an ATPL course, then go pass all 13 exams at your CAA of choice. You only get 6 exam sessions to complete them, 18 months max to finish all 13 from the date of your first exam, and a maximum of 4 attempts on a subject. Failing to do so will result in a forced rewrite of all 13 exams again. Then, you will need to obtain an EASA CAT 1 medical, and complete the English proficiency exam (if you want to achieve an ICAO Level 5 certificate or higher). You can get the English proficiency certificate based on your Canadian license, but you will only be granted a Level 4. Most airlines require 5 or better. Getting Level 6 (which is the highest level), is good for life, where as Level 4 and 5 have to be renewed every few years. With these things completed, a flight school will accept you and plan an individual fast-track plan of training you for the flight test for your CPL and ME/IR, based on primarily your experience and skill level. You can choose the option to take one flight test for your CPL and ME/IR in one shot, OR you can choose to do them separately. It's also very important to note that the flight test examiner on the day of your flight test will want to see a check flight report of your Canadian IR no later than 1 year old. So if anyone is planning on coming here, do an instrument check ride or renew your IFR (if it is expiring), before commencing the flight training portion in Europe. This is really important, you will not get admitted into the flight test. Once your flight test is complete, you file the applications at your CAA, and get issued an EASA CPL + ME/IR with ATPL Theory credit. This is what they call your "Frozen ATPL". Then typically, you'd go work at an airline as an FO, and once getting 1500 hours total time logged, you'd go to your CAA, file some paperwork, and get issued the actual ATPL license.

Cheers!

[skybluetrek]

Is the process any easier if you already have a Canadian ATPL?
Thanks.

[twa22]

Is the process any easier if you already have a Canadian ATPL?
Thanks.

It is, to summarize in short, all you need to do is write the 14 exams (or 13 now, I think they recently consolidated two of the exams in one) and then do a check ride on an aircraft you're type rated on in the sim with an examiner, along with the CAT 1 medical and all the other good stuff. As far as the exams go, you don't need to do an approved course, just study for the exams and then show up to write them.

It's a simpler process, but still not easy...

[digits_]

Is the process any easier if you already have a Canadian ATPL?
Thanks.

It is, to summarize in short, all you need to do is write the 14 exams (or 13 now, I think they recently consolidated two of the exams in one) and then do a check ride on an aircraft you're type rated on in the sim with an examiner, along with the CAT 1 medical and all the other good stuff. As far as the exams go, you don't need to do an approved course, just study for the exams and then show up to write them.

It's a simpler process, but still not easy...

Are you sure you can just write them? Do you know which country allowed that?

A few years ago an FAA ATPL holder had to follow a course before being allowed to write the exams. But that info's a few years old.

[twa22]

Is the process any easier if you already have a Canadian ATPL?
Thanks.

It is, to summarize in short, all you need to do is write the 14 exams (or 13 now, I think they recently consolidated two of the exams in one) and then do a check ride on an aircraft you're type rated on in the sim with an examiner, along with the CAT 1 medical and all the other good stuff. As far as the exams go, you don't need to do an approved course, just study for the exams and then show up to write them.

It's a simpler process, but still not easy...

Are you sure you can just write them? Do you know which country allowed that?

A few years ago an FAA ATPL holder had to follow a course before being allowed to write the exams. But that info's a few years old.

As far as I know, you don't need formal ground school and my understanding is you can just self certify, but having a look now online, various flight schools seem to offer differing opinions, with some saying you do need formal ground school and others you don't... so with that said, seems like even someone with an ATPL won't have as easy of a time...

[LotsOfGravy]

https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comment ... a_to_easa/

You will find the link above very helpful. It is FAA ATPL to EASA but it is the same as TC.

[dumbbell daddy]

I was just looking into converting to a UK CAA PPL (so I could fly private GA, G reg) a few months back. I remember reading about the ATPL that you need to go through a “provider” but there’s no requirement to do the six hundred or so hours of ground school if you hold a foreign ATPL.

[RoAF-Mig21]

I recommend getting an EASA Class 1 medical... You'll be surprised how much more thorough they are and you can get denied one for things that you'd never get it (denied) here...

[RoAF-Mig21]

Lemme guess you wanna work for Wizz Air and smash Eastern European flight attendants? It’s okay. So do I.

Hahahaha. That had me chuckle a bit.