Choosing the Right ATPL Authority: A Guide by Country
As a future pilot, you're likely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of learning materials available to prepare you for your exams. This is especially true for question banks, which are crucial for self-assessment and exam preparation. But with aviation regulations varying by country, choosing the right question bank is essential. Studying the wrong material can waste precious time and effort. Before diving into features, ensure the question bank aligns with your country's aviation authority (EASA, UK CAA, etc.)
This blog post offers a reference for pilots seeking information on regulatory requirements for licensing and exams.
Key Factors to Consider
EASA stands for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. All EU member states are automatically subject to EASA's oversight and services. EASA works with the 27 EU countries and some non-EU European countries like Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. They participate in EASA's arrangements but don't have voting rights.
Aviation authorities such as the Austro Control and the UK CAA operate exam centres abroad. Keep in mind that these locations use the same question banks and deliver the same exams as their headquarters.
Countries like Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Malaysia, and many others follow EASA regulations without being EASA members. In these cases, exams are provided by CAA International, a subsidiary of the UK CAA, and use an older EASA question bank delivered through software by Aspeq.
This comprehensive list provides an overview of national and supra-national civil aviation authorities.
Note for Airhead Users
The Airhead Question Bank is compatible with all EASA and UK CAA authorities listed here. Plus, our Supersonic mode lets you filter questions marked “Seen in Exam” by both date and aviation authority, ensuring you focus on the most relevant material for your specific licensing needs.
Authority by Country Overview
Country | Authority Name in English | Website |
Belgium DGTA | ||
Bulgaria CAA | ||
Croatia CAA | ||
Cyprus DCA | https://www.mcw.gov.cy/mcw/dca/dca.nsf/DMLindex_gr/DMLindex_gr?OpenDocument | |
Czechia CAA | ||
Denmark CARA | ||
Estonia CAA | ||
EASA | ||
Finland TraFi | ||
France DGAC | ||
Germany LBA | ||
Greece HCAA | ||
Hungary DGCA | https://www.kozlekedesihatosag.kormany.hu/hu/web/guest/a-hatosagrol | |
Iceland CAA | ||
Ireland IAA, | ||
Italy ENAC | ||
Latvia CAD
| ||
Transport Competence Agency | ||
Netherlands ILT Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate | https://english.ilent.nl/ | |
Norway CAA | ||
Poland CAA | ||
Portugal ANAC | ||
Romania CAA | ||
https://www.cad.gov.rs/ | ||
SA CAA | ||
Spain AESA | https://www.seguridadaerea.gob.es/en | |
Sweden STA | ||
Switzerland FOCA | ||
GCAA | ||
UK CAA | ||
