Airline Transport Pilot Licence

The Airline Transport Pilot Licence ( ATPL ) ( German airline transport pilot license ) allows the holder to carry out commercial airplanes or helicopters as pilot in command, according to their approval a multi- man crew require ( commercial aircraft / helicopter traffic ). In Germany it is issued by the Federal Aviation Authority (LBA ) in Braunschweig under the provisions of JAR - FCL.

To carry out practical flight experience must addition to extensive theoretical knowledge demonstrated and flight test to be passed. This includes 1500 hours total flight time of which 500 hours on commercial aircraft, as well as instrument and night flight. As long as the theory test passed, but not the requirements are met on the flight experience, the ATPL is issued as a Commercial Pilot Licence ( CPL) with the note " ATPL theory credit " (also frozen ATPL called ) that allows the carrying of commercial airplanes as co-pilot.

Before the introduction of JAR -FCL guidelines was in Germany after the end of training immediately an ATPL - but with Addendum A2 - issued which permitted the carrying of commercial aircraft to 20 t MTOW as pilot use on heavier aircraft but only as a co-pilot. With a total flight time of 2,200 hours, the issue of an ATPL could be applied with Supplement A1, which abolished that limit.

The training for ATPL CPL includes, in contrast to the instrument rating ( Instrument Rating, IR).

The EASA ATPL FCL has no expiration date, the type rating for the aircraft type flown (English type rating ) but only one of twelve months and therefore must be regularly extended by a test flight (Licence Proficiency Check, LPC). In commercial use, two other annual check flights will be added: the Operator Proficiency Check ( OPC), similar to the annual check ride, and the line check, which is to ensure compliance with the company's own procedures.