Flyer01

Essentially I would like to spend a year or so in Europe with my current (EU) girlfriend. During this time if it's possible I'd like to try and find a way to flight instruct and make money. I'm currently an FAA CFI, with my commercial MEL/SEL and IR add-on. Is anyone familiar with the requirements to obtain my EASA FI license (or if it's required?) In short, what would be required for me to make the transition over to Europe and flight instruct for money under EASA rule?

Thanks!

TiredSoul

Without getting into specific detail that would be a giant pain.
You’re better off getting your CFII and advertise your services for Flight reviews and IPC’s.
Understand that a customer still needs to be within their 24 months because you cannot act as PIC in anything else but a N-reg.
You can conduct FR’s and IPC’s in EASA reg as long as the customer is PIC.
Find some European forums and be willing to travel.

You’ll spend your entire year on the EASA conversions.

TiredSoul

Enjoy, try not to cry

https://epicflightacademy.com/convert-pilot-license-easa/

Flyer01

Okay so this is most of the information I've read before. I wasn't sure if all of this applied just for the FI conversion. I had assumed this was setting up for the ATPL frozen etc

zondaracer

You will be extremely limited in what you can do with just an FAA CFI. Back around 2011, EASA came down with new rules saying that pilots based in Europe needed EASA licenses, regardless of the registration of the aircraft. This meant that if you were flying an N registered airplane but were based in Europe, you needed both an EASA license and FAA certificate. There were a bunch of FAA only certified pilots, including CFIs, who underwent the license conversion to comply with this new rule.

To instruct with your FAA CFI, you’ll pretty much be restricted to just N registered aircraft and there’s just a handful in Europe. You’ll mostly just be doing a flight review here and there. If you get the EASA FI, it’ll be a lengthy and costly process. You can be an EASA FI with just a private pilot license, but you’ll still need to take a large set of knowledge tests and do the full FI Course, which isn’t cheap as it requires 25 hours of dual in an airplane.

Let’s say you go through this whole process. How do you plan on getting s work visa? Although not impossible, it’s not easy either.

I’ve been through the whole EASA conversion process and even got the FI rating. Got the work permit too. My recommendation is that you bang out your hours in the US and get hired at a regional. You can visit your girlfriend couple times a month with those flight benefits. That’s really the best advice I can give.

TiredSoul

Just to show you how tight that market is, they have one N-reg and 4 CFI’s.
May still be worth getting in touch with them:
http://www.flydfc.com/

And I think he meant to say bang your girlfriend....