North Sea offshore info

[Tenacious T]

Anybody have any info about hiring process/minimums/pay/general info for offshore operations in the North Sea?

[helonorth]

Am am not certain of any of this, but from what I have read on www.pprune.org,

you can get on as a SIC with as little as 300 hours. The only problem is a JAA

license with an instrument, which is very expensive to get. You have to do

the instrument training in a IFR certified twin. I think you're looking at 30K or

more just for the instrument (i'm talking add-on). Pay is in the 100K range.

You could get the real scoop a pprune.org.

[Tenacious T]

I guess I thought you could just get a work visa or something, I'll check out pprune

[helonorth]

A work visa will not get you around the JAA requirements, same as a work visa will

not get you around the FAA. You still have to meet the requirements of that particular

government.

[Helihead]

A work visa will not get you around the JAA requirements, same as a work visa will

not get you around the FAA. You still have to meet the requirements of that particular

government.

even with ATP ??

[SquirrelFlight]

Okay, my surfing skills may be waning a bit here, but I wasn't able to find much on the pprune web page, so I thought I'd ask: aside from the requirement of instrument training being done in a turbine, what other differences are there between FAA and JAA certifications?

[SquirrelFlight]

Okay, my surfing skills may be waning a bit here, but I wasn't able to find much on the pprune web page, so I thought I'd ask: aside from the requirement of instrument training being done in a turbine, what other differences are there between FAA and JAA certifications?

 

Is it bad form to reply to myself?

 

Anyway, it's kind of a slow work day for me, so I went looking for JAA requirements and found here a listing of requirements/regulations for JAA. In the doc for helicopters (JAR-FCL 2) I found (sorry for the funky formatting in the table):

 

---

 

Appendix 1 to JAR–FCL 2.015

Minimum requirements for the validation of pilot licences of non-JAA States

1 The minimum requirements for the validation of a pilot licence of a non-JAA State by a JAA Member

State are specified below.

Pilot licences for commercial air transportation and other professional activities

2 A pilot licence issued in accordance with ICAO Annex 1 by a non-JAA State may be validated subject to

conditions by a JAA Member State in order to permit flights (other than for flight instruction) in helicopters

registered in that JAA Member State. To validate such licences, the holder shall:

(a ) complete, as a skill test, the type rating revalidation requirements of JAR–FCL 2.245 relevant to

the privileges of the licence held;

(B ) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Authority that a knowledge of the relevant parts of JAR–OPS

and JAR–FCL (see AMC FCL 2.005 and 2.015) has been acquired;

© demonstrate a knowledge of English in accordance with JAR–FCL 2.200;

(d) hold a valid JAR–FCL Class 1 medical certificate;

(e) meet any published additional requirements that the JAA Member State deems necessary; and

(f) comply with the experience requirements set out in column (2) of the following table in relation to

the validation conditions specified in column (3):

 

• 1. Licence held
     
  2. Total flying hours experience
     
  3. Validation conditions( c)
     

  [*]

  1. ATPL(H) valid IR
     
  2. >1 000 hours as PIC on multi-pilot helicopters
     
  3. Commercial air transport in multi-pilot helicopters as PIC in VFR and IR operations
     

  [*]

  1. ATPL(H) no IR privileges
     
  2. >1 000 hours as PIC on multi-pilot helicopters
     
  3. Commercial air transport in multi-pilot helicopters as PIC in VFR operations
     

   

  [*]

  1. ATPL(H) valid IR
     
  2. >1 000 hours as pilot on multi-pilot helicopters
     
  3. Commercial air transport in multi-pilot helicopters
     as co-pilot in VFR and IFR operations
     

   

  [*]

  1. ATPL(H) no IR privileges
     
  2. >1 000 hours as pilot on multi-pilot helicopters
     
  3. Commercial air transport in multi-pilot helicopters as co-pilot in VFR operations
     

  [*]

  1. CPL(H)/IR*
     
  2. >1 000 hours as pilot on multi-pilot helicopters
     
  3. Commercial air transport in multi-pilot helicopters as co-pilot
     

  [*]

  1. CPL(H)/IR
     
  2. >1 000 hours as PIC in commercial air transport since gaining an IR
     
  3. Commercial air transport in single-pilot
     helicopters as PIC
     

   

  [*]

  1. CPL(H) **
     
  2. >700 hours in helicopters other than those certificated under JAR–27/29, including 200 hours in the activity role for which validation is sought, and 50 hours in that role in the last 12 months
     
  3. Activities in helicopters other than commercial air transport
     

   

  [*]*CPL/IR holders on multi-pilot helicopters shall have demonstrated ICAO ATPL level knowledge before

  validation

 

---

 

This doesn't sound too unreasonable. Of course, I haven't finished reading the whole section yet, and something might pop up there...

[DMS]

All JAA states have their own national rules, so it depends on which country you're looking at (I'm not sure, but the FCL rules might be more for guidence).

 

The UK CAA requirements are detailed in a document called LASORS (www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/LASORS_07.pdf).

 

As for differences between FAA and JAA (UK requirements), here goes:

 

1. Private licence/certificate differences: # hours required are similar, although JAA requires 5 hrs of instrument training, but no night.

You also need to pass 7 theory exams, get a JAA class 1 or 2 medical and an RT licence. (Night is a separate rating and required for the commercial course).

 

2. Commercial differences: This is where it becomes somewhat complicated, depending on whether you choose the modular or integrated route (I guess in some way it's like training under Part 141 or 61). The hour requirements are different between the 2 routes.

Where the differences are clearly apparent is in the theory requirements (number of exams, not necessarily the content): 9 exams and a set number of hours of theoretical knowledge instruction, which has to be conducted by a registered organization (could be on-site or distance learning, but always involves an on-site refresher before exams). Plus of course a JAA class 1 medical.

 

3. ATP differences: Again more differences. You can do a zero hours to frozen ATP on an integrated course, which actually means you end up with a CPL/IR with ATP theory credits, plus maybe MCC (multi crew cooperation). The theory now consists of 14 exams, taken either on-site or distance learning from a registered organization, again with an on-site refresher before exams. Pprune has lots of info on the exams, schools to use etc, and of course comments regarding the usefulness of the theory. Theory can take 6 months to a year, depending on the method used. Again, a JAA class 1 medical is required.

 

The requirements for "un-freezing" an ATP specify such things as 350 hours on multi-pilot helicopters etc etc. The definition of a multi-pilot helicopter is very specific, and usually means helicopters like the S92, EC225, which are usually used in the offshore environment.

 

4. Instrument rating: As mentioned before, the IR(H) is an expensive undertaking. It can be single or twin but most training orgs go the twin route. Luckily you can do most of the training in "simulators", but even 10 hours in a twin requires serious cash. The number of hours you can do depends on the type of device used. Of course there are exams (7), unless you already passed the ATP exams.

 

For all the above there are credits for ICAO licences/ratings held, which in the case of the IR could reduce the cost considerably (unless you need lots of training). What can't really be avoided is the exams (or flight tests!), unless you have thousands of hours in multi-pilot aircraft (as PIC).

 

Each helicopter type you convert to is regarded as a type rating (yes, even for R22, R44, S300).

 

As with anything JAA, everything costs money. Each theory exam, licence issue, examiner fees etc.

 

Some of the JAA training can be done at approved schools in the USA (Bristow Academy), except the IR which has to be done in JAA-land, and the IR theory and flight training/test has to be done in the same JAA country (Denmark seems to be a popular destination for the IR, possibly due to availability and cost compared to the UK)

 

None of this addresses the "right to work in the EU/JAA-land" issues.

 

As I mentioned, the UK requirements are in LASORS, and are mostly clear (especially after a couple of reads).

 

-DMS