It is overwhelmingly obvious that almost nobody is doing the conversion to an EASA IR.
The law has been on the books since end of 2011. OK, at the time the whole thing looked so Kafka-esque that few people believed it was for real, and there has been much debate about the stupid “operator EU resident etc” wording, with some encouraging national variations, but now there seems to be a general realisation that this monster isn’t going to go away, and that at best we are going to get some years of FUD, which will serve the polical goals of whoever was behind this quite nicely.
So why is almost nobody doing EASA IR conversions?
I did mine in 2011/2012 but obviously nobody is going to be doing that one now (because of the CB IR announcement) even though strictly speaking that is still the only option currently on the table.
Are people waiting for some magical FAA-EASA treaty? IMHO it is 100% guaranteed that any EASA IR “admittance process” will involve (a) checkride and (b) medical and (c) annual revalidation (flight or sim test). If I am wrong, I will burn my set of Yes Minister DVDs and will eat my oil filter 
I know some people are waiting for FTOs to come up with a package – even though FTO training isn’t theoretically required for the conversion.
But back to my original Q.
I think there are of the order of 1000 in the UK, of whom maybe 300 are really active in IFR (and virtually all of those will be owners or part-owners). Any offers?
Delay is NOT avoidance.
On the positive side, IF there is a possibility of:
- More ‘examiners’: IRI’s instead of just IRE’s
- Therefore more convenient locations
- A possible £150 fee rather than the oft-quoted £850
- The opening up of genuine competition on the Continent
then ‘waiting’ might have some advantages.
The one ATO I have approached replied that they are “awaiting instructions” about the conversion course – not least on the ‘oral’.
It would be hoped that (via this forum?) there could be an exchange as to what actually is going to be required of us.
With, rightly, the genuine possibility of ‘failure’ which applies to all tests there is a limit as to how many £850’s (+ aircraft costs + preparation training) one can do before the bailiffs need to be called in!
I heard 30000 in all Europe
Hmmm….
30000 x £850 x 1.2 = €30.6M. All just to change one piece of paper into another. Who said EASA is a waste of time and money?
I would be amazed if there are 30k pilots actively using FAA papers in any form.
The UK purportedly has only 20k GA pilots with valid medicals! One assumes most of them are active pilots but you never know, because the incentive to keep all your papers in order when you cannot fly for e.g. financial reasons is massive. A lapse means a re-visit of the school/FTO system which most people view with dread.
There might be 30k pilots in Europe who at some time in the past obtained some FAA license, even a 61.75.
But active FAA IR holders? No way is it 30k. Maybe 3k.
IAOPA and N-FLYERS claim 10,000 IR pilots needing conversion in EASAland.
10,000/28 countries works out at about 350 per country: a more realistic figure.
But still, overall, a huge number to get through the hoops by next April.
But still, overall, a huge number to get through the hoops by next April.
I don’t think so. Knowing some of the affected personally and also the general demographic (read: baby-boomers) of these pilots I’d venture to say that a huge portion will simply chuck it in. Carry on VFR for a couple of years and then hang up the headset. Of course the ‘carry on VFR’ part is really, really conducive to safety – not. Thanks, EASA.
PS: the above said, I wonder how many FAA IR holders actually use and maintain it in Europe. I know a few who got it ages ago in the US, then used it a bit in Europe and today either don’t fly at all anymore or just do some local VFR bimbling.
Given that baby-boomers are now in their 70s I suppose that is true….but people like me in their 40s (for a few more months at least!), who have already invested so much rime and effort in getting so far will likely do whatever it takes to keep going….we do this because we love flying….that’s what sets us apart from rational people!
In their 70s? Some, yes, but the common definition is broader than that:
From Wikipedia: Baby boomers are people born during the demographic Post–World War II baby boom between the years 1946 and 1964.
Peter, other than the licensing debacle – what will happen to the N-reg planes themselves? Is one forced to bring them as well on the national register?
