EASA Bridge exams news

EASA Bridge exams newsAs of January 1st, 2016, Aviationexam will remove the "EASA Bridge exam” options from the list of available competency levels when starting a new practice test. If you are among the students preparing themselves for Airplane <=> Helicopter bridge examinations at the ATPL or CPL levels do not worry - we are not leaving you behind and on your own. Please, read the following carefully as the legislation governing the Bridge exams has changed significantly:Originally, under the “JAA” system, the syllabus for bridge examinations was defined by JAR-FCL documents. This “JAA” syllabus precisely listed the individual topics from each subject that were to be tested on the bridge exam. For example, in the case of an ATPL(H) bridge exam from subject 022 - Instrumentation, only 5 topics were to be included: 

022-02





 022-07





 022-12





 022-13





 022-14





The remaining topics (-01, -03, -04, etc…) were not tested.Then came the EASA regulations and with it the EC Reg. No. 1178/2011 - the so called EASA “Aircrew” or EASA FCL. As this regulation replaced the previous pilot licensing legislation (JAR FCL) it brought changes to the syllabus of bridge examinations. To be more specific, it eliminated the original JAA syllabus as described above and implemented completely new rules:

Appendix 1 - Crediting of theoretical knowledge[…]CPLAn applicant for a CPL holding a CPL in another category of aircraft shall have received theoretical knowledge bridge instruction on an approved course according to the differences identified between the CPL syllabi for different aircraft categories. The applicant shall pass theoretical knowledge examinations as defined in this Part for the following subjects in the appropriate aircraft category: * 021 — Aircraft General Knowledge: Airframe and Systems, Electrics, Powerplant, Emergency Equipment, * 022 — Aircraft General Knowledge: Instrumentation, * 032/034 — Performance Aeroplanes or Helicopters, as applicable, * 070 — Operational Procedures, and * 080 — Principles of Flight.

ATPLAn applicant for an ATPL holding an ATPL in another category of aircraft shall have received theoretical knowledge bridge instruction at an ATO according to the differences identified between the ATPL syllabi for different aircraft categories. The applicant shall pass theoretical knowledge examinations as defined in this Part for the following subjects in the appropriate aircraft category:* 021 – Aircraft General Knowledge: Airframe and Systems, Electrics, Powerplant, Emergency Equipment* 022 – Aircraft General Knowledge: Instrumentation* 032/034 – Performance Aeroplanes or Helicopters, as applicable,* 070 – Operational Procedures, and* 080 – Principles of Flight

Ultimately, what this means is that the bridge exam no longer consists of only a few selected topics from a given subject (such as the 5 out of 14 for 022-Instrumentation), but the student must pass an exam from the entire subject. In other words, given the example of ATPL(H) bridge examination from subject 022-Instrumentation, the student must sit a regular (full) examination from 022 at the ATPL(H) level. In light of this, a “Bridge exam” practice test in our system would be exactly the same as regular practice exam from the entire subject.Even though the EASA “Aircrew” regulation has been in effect for already some time now, as with many other EU regulations it took some time between coming into force and actually being adopted by the individual Aviation Authorities (CAAs) around Europe. Some CAAs adopted the regulation right away while others used the possibility to postpone the effective date by another year or two. In light of this a period of time existed when some CAAs were administering bridge examinations using the “old JAA system” while other CAAs were already using the new, EASA legislation. It is our understanding that all CAAs under EASA jurisdiction are now administering exams according to the EASA bridge rules as outlined above.