Licensing

Aircrew is the common term for "Flight Crew" and "Cabin Crew". Commission Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to civil aviation aircrew (“the Aircrew Regulation”) covers both flight crew and cabin crew.

Annex I (Part-FCL) to the Aircrew Regulation contains Implementing Rules for Flight Crew.
Annex V (Part-CC) to the Aircrew Regulation contains Implementing Rules for Cabin Crew.

1.    Licensing following the introduction of a new variant to an existing type rating.
Pilots must receive differences training or familiarisation as appropriate in accordance with point FCL.710 of Part-FCL in order to extend their privileges to another variant of aircraft within one class or type rating. 
A class or type rating and license endorsement should comply with the class and type ratings that are listed in one of the following EASA publications, as applicable: (1) ‘List of Aeroplanes — Class and Type Ratings and Endorsement List’; and  (2) ‘List of Helicopters — Type Ratings List’ .
Unless otherwise required in the EASA Type Rating & License Endorsement List Flight Crew’ published on the Agency’s web page, aircraft models/names of variants which are separated by a horizontal line in the tables require differences training, whereas those aircraft which are contained in the same cell require familiarisation when transitioning from one aircraft to another. 

2.    Qualification of pilots, instructors and examiners for the new variant:
1.    Instructors holding instructor privileges as a TRI or SFI on the existing type intending to use their instructor privileges also on the new variant should complete differences training  or familiarization on that new type (as applicable) and qualify in accordance with the last subparagraph of point FCL.910.TRI(b) / point FCL.910.SFI or, alternatively and solely for the initial phase of new aircraft introduction, may obtain a special certificate in accordance with point FCL.900(b) (special conditions for the introduction of a new type).  
2.    Examiners holding examiner privileges as a TRE or SFE on the existing type intending to use their examiner privileges also on the new variant should qualify in accordance with either FCL.1000(b) (special conditions for the introduction of a new type) or with (1) and (2) above (differences training on the new variant and instructor privileges).  
3.    Pilots, instructors and examiners without existing type privileges shall complete the full type rating course and follow the requirements of Part-FCL for instructor and examiner privileges on any variant in the type.

 

For guidance on how to read and understand the EASA List of Class or Type Ratings, please refer to the related Explanatory Notes.

For conversion of third country licences, the provisions of the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/723 of 4 March 2020 are applicable. That Regulation sets out possible credits and experience requirements, when seeking a Part-FCL licence on the basis of a third-country licence.
National Competent authorities of the EASA Member States are responsible for the conversion of third country licences. Therefore, the national aviation authority of the Member State where an applicant resides or wishes to work should be contacted for further information concerning the applicable acceptance requirements.

To find a list of the national competent authorities (NAAs), please visit the EASA member states page.
To access the different national competent authorities, you should: 
1. select the tab ''EASA Member State'';
2. select the MS to be contacted;
3. select the hyperlink to the authority website under the 'Related Content' tab.

If an applicant does not agree with the result of his/her assessment, he/she can only resolve this problem at the national level.

An applicant cannot apply to the EASA management regarding a decision taken by his/her national aviation authority. Appeals to the Agency can only be made against decisions of the Agency.

Therefore the applicant should resolve this problem on the national level by sending his/her complaints to the national body dealing with complaints against state authorities.

The Agency is the administrator of the European Central Question Bank (ECQB).

Taking into account that:

1. Ownership of the copyright of the ECQB database is vested to the European Aviation Safety Agency; and
2. Ownership of the contents of the database remains vested to its respective owners; and
3. The possession, management and administration of the contents of the database have been fully vested in the hands of the Agency; and
4. The contents of the database are confidential and have been treated as such without interruption.

The Agency, acting in the capacity of copyright owner and administrator of the database, enjoys the exclusive right among others, to prevent temporary or permanent reproduction by any means and in any form, as well as to prevent any form of distribution to the public of the database or of copies thereof.

It is the opinion of the Agency that such reproduction and distribution would endanger the functionality and integrity of the applicable examination system and would invalidate the associated substantial investment in both intellectual and monetary terms.

The EU rules for recognising military licences can be found in Commission Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 on Aircrew. Article 10 states that the knowledge, experience and skill gained in military service shall be credited towards the relevant requirements of Part-FCL in accordance with the principles of a credit report established by the competent authority of the Member State where a pilot served, in consultation with the Agency.

Therefore, the competent authority of the Member State where the pilot served should be contacted and asked for the provisions applicable for such credits.

The prerequisites to obtain and hold any TRI rating are regulated in FCL.915.TRI. There it is stated in a) that an applicant for a TRI rating shall hold a CPL, MPL or ATPL pilot licence on the applicable aircraft category.

Yes, but the rating has to be restricted to simulator training only. The reason is that FCL.915 b) (3) stipulates that all instructors providing flight training in an aircraft have to be able to act as PIC during the training flight which would not be allowed to a co-pilot.