EASA = same hot mess, just a different label

Does the country you get the EASA license through have an impact on where you can work/live and who will hire you?

I have French citizenship and would like to live there; does that mean I should go through France for the process? Or would the UK licensing be just as good? I ask this because it seems the UK is the most common and well understood.

Also, I hold an FAA ATP but don't think the SA227 metroliner will pass for dual crew aircraft. Does that mean I need to sit through some of the groundschool?

You can get your licenses anywhere .. EASA is for all EU countries. Good luck.

So why all the emphasis on choosing your country wisely?

I did my CPL conversion in the UK, from the time they received my papers until the time I had the license in my mailbox, about 2 weeks.

A friend of mine went to Greece, he waited 14 weeks for his license.

I worked at a flying school in Spain... many guys were waiting about 8 weeks for their licenses in the mail.

In the UK, they have same day counter service at the CAA if you go in person for adding ratings and what not... let's just say this service isn't available in Spain.

I met a guy with a Dutch issued license who was flying in Spain, and he pays lower renewal fees than I do in the UK and he seems to have very good customer service like I do in the UK.

Sorry to beat this but other than customer service, obtaining my license through the UK won't affect my eligibility to work elsewhere? Or would I eventually have to jump through more hoops of the country of residence?

Really appreciate your help. It's very encouraging to not go into this blindly.

If you have French citizenship, you can work anywhere in the European Union, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. Some companies might make you switch your license over to the local country, which is usually just a paperwork exercise, but the country of license issue, as long as it is EASA, will not restrict you from working in one country or another.

As an example, Ryanair has hired pilots of all nationalities from Europe with licenses issued by all countries, but they require all pilots to switch their country of license issue to Ireland once hired. Mostly just a paperwork/money exercise.

Starting my process with bristol. I work in us and have more than enough multi crew time under my belt. At the sams time thenairplane i am typed in has a simulator in france. Will have to do the fjnal evaluation there.

So... Just to summarize, please correct me of I'm wrong.

Info- I am a EU citizen. Working in the us (dual citizen) and have my ATP, and greater than 500 hours in type, CL65. It's a PIC type.

All I'd have to do is the 14 written exams, to convert? And I can do them through somewhere here in the US (I've heard Florida) or would I need to go to Europe? I'm also slightly confused about why the countries matter so much, aside from fees.

Example scenario, I'd like to apply to a British carrier like BA/Virgin....so any info on how to reach that level of eligibility would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Great choice!

You have to do the 14 written exams plus a "license skills test" for the aircraft in which you have a typed rating. You can do this on an approved simulator. You have to go through a TRTO (type rating training organisation)

If you already hold an ATP, you do not need to do a course, you can self certify to take the exams, and you can take the exams in Florida. They are held once a month at the Holiday Inn in Orlando, Florida.
CAAi - USA

Let me put it this way... as an example, the hiring gouge for NetJets Europe says that they won't hire anybody with a Spanish license... too many problems dealing with the authority (if that is true or not, I don't know). Compared to many countries, the FAA is actually very efficient and streamlined. I hear people complain about the FAA, but until you have dealt with the licensing authorities in some countries, you don't realize how frustrating it can be to work with real incompetence. Another example... I know a Dutch guy with a Dutch license and he has a lot of time flying the Caravan. He is also a class rating instructor, and in Spain, they would not let him teach in the Caravan even though the regulations said that he could. He called the Dutch authorities and they went ahead and printed on his instructor certificate "Cessna Caravan" even though information like that does not get printed on your license, but they did it just for him because the Spanish authorities were giving him such a hard time.

Sure, there are guys flying all over Europe with licenses from all countries... but if you are waiting 4 months for your license renewal to come in the mail, that is 4 months of lost income. In Europe, you do not get a temporary license like you do in the US. In Europe, the rules for license "renewal" and "revalidation" are completely different. I have heard of cases of guys in some countries getting a type rating and adding it to their license, and when they get their license, there is a mistake. By the time they get the mistake corrected, their type rating is already expired... seriously. So it does matter which country you use.