zuutroy wrote:
Just thinking of a potential snag…If I pass the exams and get the EIR, then I want to upgrade it to the CBIR, is the 36 month validity of the theory exams still a concern when I go to do the upgrade? I don’t want to fly EIR for 3-4 years and then have to do the theory again to get the CBIR. I haven’t seen that addressed anywhere.The theory exams are valid as long as you have a rating which require the exams. (And then for some additional time if you let the rating lapse.)
Airborne_Again wrote:
The theory exams are valid as long as you have a rating which require the exams. (And then for some additional time if you let the rating lapse.)
I just double-checked this with part-FCL. The requirements actually say that if you have a particular license or rating, they you get certain credits for theoretical exams required for another license or rating. Unfortunately, it seems they forgot that the EIR and CB-IR have the same exams, so it is possible that you do have to retake the exams. But it really doesn’t seem reasonable, so check with your national authority!
I did my 7 exams in two days. It is quite feasible, the only real problem or hassle is the actual preparation for the exams, the homework. I must confess that the kids went upstairs immediately after returning from school and my wife did not like the “silent home” environment either. We have had quite a celebration after passing my tests; I was not the only one who was happy that this period finally ended…
I did the 7 exams on two consecutive days. On the first day, I was finished so early that I asked if I could do the remaining modules straight away since my computer in the test center would be available anyway after I left. Wasn’t possible to change the prescheduled dates though, so I had to come back the next day.
Good to read the experiences from an other flying Dutchman. I did my exams spread out over a year, in four or five sessions of one or two exams. Worked fine for me, with the benefit of hindsight, I think I should/could have done it more quickly. But it’s a hobby, not a job. I’ve penned down my own experiences about flying and my IR training on my weblog (in Dutch)
CBIR Theory Workload
From what I can gather, the full IR requires 150 hours theoretical training (according to the UK CAA website…my local ATO says 200, not sure why the difference)
The CBIR is touted as 80 hours. I am doing the distance course with Bristol Ground School and after following their syllabus where they basically give you the full IR course and tell you what to leave out) I am up to 80% complete. I’m not sure how it’s touted at having less than 50% of the theory requirement by EASA when the learning objectives end with you doing 80% of the course.
This is aside from the fact that so much of it is pointless. About 1/3 of Air Law is based on knowing how be an ATC controller.
In fact as an ATCO I don´t know much about conventional separation, and we´re not supposed to, since it´s pretty much useless in our congested airspaces. But as a pilot it´s even more useless, since you do what you´re being instructed most times anyway. Maybe someone should tell EASA?!
Different ground school FTOs have negotiated different credits towards the “regulatory number”, it appears, for (a) classroom time and (b) distance learning. Consequently nobody seems to be doing the regulatory number, exactly.
Also most students want the absolute minimum classroom time (because it is a huge hassle e.g. airline flights and hotel stays, for many or most, and most of the lecturers think a KNS80 is a state of the art navigation tool – literally in the case of one I had – which makes the classroom time particularly worthless for anybody who already flies) and want to load the extra onto the distance learning part which can be “helped” by hammering the computer question bank.
I suggest a search on “CATS” (a popular UK FTO) and have a read e.g. here.
Of course most of the syllabus is bollocks – for some amusement you can read these notes from 2011. Especially the ATC content which belongs to an ATC course.
You just have to grind through it, get the IR, and never look back 
Yea I’ve got the boxes ticked now in terms of time sat at the computer so I’m going to hit the question bank for a month (currently only scoring about 70% average) and then do the 8 hours classroom time in Bristol with a round of exams the following day. I’ll probably do it in two trips as the volume of information is just too much for one run. Am I right in saying that you just book a series of ‘slots’ at the exam centre and you can do whichever exam you want in each slot?
I’m thinking Met, Law, HPL and IFR Comms in the first round and then the rest along with a possible repeat in either Met or Law the second time.
I did the whole thing in one day with CAPT, and then used AviationExam question bank.
I passed the whole lot in two sittings on the first go – I’d just recommend doing the minimum classroom time and then bang through the question banks. It’s much more productive that way, particularly as the EASA exams don’t really test understanding.
