Australian Conversion
 

Hi Everyone,
My mom is an ausi and i will be getting an australian passport soon.
My question is...
All of my ratings are FAA
What do i have to do to convert all of my paper work?
How extensive is the proses?
Realistically how long will it take me if?

Any inside information will be greatly appreciated
thank you in advance
feel free to pm if you like

best place to look would be on their aus dgca web site.
i think it would be a simple matter of getting an aus class
1 medical and show them your log book showing your time
and take the atp written and flight test. with an aus passport
you also have the right to live and work in nz. also you could
apply for the new us/aus free trade visa and come work
to the usa as a "foriegner" . you may have better luck finding
a job in the usa as an australian than an american...
lol

3 Green

Depends on what you mean by 'paperwork'. It also depends a bit on what you plan to do once you get here. Some airlines require a pass in the australian subjects. Post a bit more info regarding what quals you have, and future plans, and there are a few of us who can help with more info......
Cheers,
TDK

Here's my spin on the whole thing...

You will have to 'sit' the:
1.) IREX exam (Instrument Rating Exam)
2.) Commercial Theory exams (I believe there are 7 sections)
3.) Commercial Law Conversion exam

Flight Practical in a Single Engine, and Multi Engine, and then take your MEICR (Multi Engine Instrument Commercial checkride)

The CFI, CFII, MEI over there are different. I haven't inquired about that stuff yet.

I have been in contact with Australian Wings Academy (Australian Wings Academy - Airline Pilot Training Academy). I have been emailing the Director, Phil Sweeney, off and on for the past few months, and he has been very helpful.

You are extremely lucky that you are able to obtain your passport due to your mum's citizenship. You are one step ahead of me already...

Laxrox, and everyone else
thanks for the replies
also i will shoot phil and email

still waiting for KoruPilot to give his input :)

Try to shoot Mayfly135 a PM. He went through the process recently. His wife is an Aussie. From what I understand it wasn't real cheap.

Laxrox was almost right:

IREX
ATPL Airlaw
CPL Airlaw
Command IR Flight Test.

However, a huge caveat to doing the conversion is that you bypass the other 6-7 ATPL exams, which everyone else has. Most airlines other than Sunstate and QF won't bother with applications from those that don't have all the ATPL exams and have a converted license. Unless you converted from a JAR license.

Total cost 6 years ago was around US$4000.

Someything else you might want to factor into the cost, is that other than QF, you'll probably end up having to pay for your type to get a job. The DHC8 type was around AUS$12000 and I think Jet* was charging around AUS$20k for an A320 type.

Kenny!!!!!!

It seems like every airline (except QF) make you buy a type...kind of sucks i dont have that much money saved up...

What about converting everything in NZ? would it be cheaper or maybe take less time? I read somewhere that after submitting paperwork, the govt decides what you need to do in order to convert your certificates. Based on your experience they tell you how much training you need. Is that true? and how difficult is it to get the visa? Thanks

It's not so much whether it'd be cheaper or not but more the fact that the airlines in Oz don't like CASA ATPL's that have been converted off the back of an FAA ATP. Too many guys took the easy way out in the past; they did a quickie ATP here in the States and then converted them to Australian licenses.

The Airlines were surprised that these ATPL holders didn't have the theoretical knowledge they'd come to expect. Hence they now all ask on their apps if you have converted from a foreign license and which country it was issued in.

As it would be illegal for them to discriminate against converted ATPL's they also ask if you have passes in all the ATPL subjects and require you to show your transcript at an interview.

I won't rehash it all here but if you go over to PPRUNE and search for MayFly135s you should find my experience with an FAA ATP to CASA ATPL conversion about 2 years ago. It is quite details and broken down by event, cost, passing marks required, etc...

MayFly

Good to hear from you MayFly. Hope all is well.

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