Flying in the United States

battiste

battiste

Filing Flight Plan
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May 21, 2012
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29
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Belgium
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Display name:
Battiste
Good day everybody,

I have in project to come to the USA to do some hours in the purpose to get my CPL license in Belgium.

I was wondering if you know or you can help me. I know that i need a FAA equivalence and after to rent the airplane I need to make a check-out with a CFI ..

Is that a good idea knowing that I love USA and that is my parents who pay my hours flying ? :lol: :lol:

Thanks in advance for your replies

Battiste
 
Bon Jour Battiste.

Oui, vous avez une bonne compréhension de l'idée de base. Une fois que vous avez établi le contact avec la place que vous avez l'intention de louer des appareils qu'elles seront en mesure de vous aider à complètement répondre à vous questions. Bonne chance !
 
If you are a student, as your tag line states, then to get a student certificate in the US for training requires some paperwork. Check the flight school where you plan to take lessons and they can guide you through the process.

If you already hold a Pvt rating and simply want to build hours n the US, then your certificate and medical will need to be presented at an FAA FSDO location for a US certificate based on your foreign rating. Then a local flight review and aircraft checkout.
 
Thank you both for your answers !

Do you know where can I rent airplane overnight in Illinois or New York state ?

Thank you :rolleyes:
 
BillTIZ said:
If you are a student, as your tag line states, then to get a student certificate in the US for training requires some paperwork. Check the flight school where you plan to take lessons and they can guide you through the process.

If you already hold a Pvt rating and simply want to build hours n the US, then your certificate and medical will need to be presented at an FAA FSDO location for a US certificate based on your foreign rating. Then a local flight review and aircraft checkout.
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What about the fingerprint requirement?
 
murphey said:
What about the fingerprint requirement?
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For fixed wing aircraft below 12500lbs, that only applies for a specified list of training events (private, multi, instrument). Just building some hours (which is what Battiste seems to be interested in) doesn't require the TSA rigmarole.
 
battiste said:
Do you know where can I rent airplane overnight in Illinois or New York state ?
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The training outfits that are most helpful to foreign pilots who come to build some hours tend to be in Florida, Arizona and California. If cost is any concern to you, rental prices tend to be a bit lower in those places.

I believe you have to apply 60 days before you come to have the FAA verify your license with the belgian civil aviation authority. You will receive a 'letter of authenticity'. When you come to the US, you have to meet with a FAA inspector, present your license and your letter in order to be issued a FAA license (which is what you need to operate a N-register aircraft). The big flightschools in the sunny places do this all the time and will be able to walk you through the process.
 
Thank everybody for your answers wich are very helpful ! So, I think I'll search on google and call aviation school for the aircraft renting !

Thank you very much again !
 
Couple of pointers in your quest of finding a flight-school for time-building:

- there are a couple of fraudulent operators out there who basically steal from their students. Post the names of schools you are considering as typically someone already knows who the thiefs are.

- don't pre-pay large sums of money. At times, schools will offer 100hrs of flying time at a deep discount as long as you pay up front. The reason they do that is because they are running out of money. You may find out 10hrs into your 100hr block that the school has gone out of busines and all your money is lost. 'Pay as you go' initially, if everything works ok, consider pre-paying blocks of 10hrs if you feel that that is an amount of money you can risk.

Are you planning to get your commercial rating here in the US or do you just want to collect some hours ?
 
Well, I just need some hours to be ready to begin my CPL :wink2:
 
Hi Battiste,

I obtained my South African PPL and arrived in the USA about a week ago, also with the intention to build around 80 hours.

Planes are much cheaper here than they are in South Africa (and Belgium, I presume).

So far my research has indicated the cheapest places (more than one) to hire-and-fly a C150 or C152 (at around US$80 p/h, wet) to be near Wichita, Kansas (this is of course only from my own limited experience and better deals may be had elsewhere). It costs a good additional $350+ to travel to Wichita from NY.

Weilke and BillTIZ's advice is spot-on. If you already hold a PPL, you will first need the license validated by the FAA. This means contacting an FAA FSDO and completing the requisite form which can be obtained from the following link: http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/foreign_license_verification/

The FAA recommends 60 days for this process. You will need to fax the completed form with your license and medical to the FAA, who will forward it to a designated official in your home country for confirmation of the validity of your license. As soon as your country has confirmed the validity of your license, you will receive a 'letter of authenticity' from the FAA which will allow you to approach the nominated USA FSDO on your form, in person, for your foreign PPL license to be validated and FAA license to be issued. I am told, once you have the requisite 'letter of authenticy', that the USA FSDO can theoretically issue your validated FAA license in as short a time as 30minutes - when you visit that FSDO in person.

The FAA and our local CAA in South Africa have been extremely helpful in my case. I arrived in Wichita, KS, on 17 May 2012 and applied for the 'letter of authenticity' the same day. The FAA sent the request to my home country on 21 May 2012 and our local SA CAA has responded to the FAA early this morning (23 May 2012). I was told that the FAA subsequently hopes to fax the 'letter of authenticity' to my nominated facsimile number in about five working days. Thereafter it is a simple matter to approach the designated FSDO FAA on your form (in my case this FSDO will be in Wichita) and to follow the 30 minute process of having the foreign license validated. All-in-all a very efficient process.

You will of course require a VISA (or not if your country participates in the Visa Waiver Program). TSA clearance is not required if you are only going to build hours - at least that was what I was told by the TSA.

The hassles aren't that many and I am sure all the planning and time spent travelling will be worth it, especially if you have a look at this post: http://www.avcom.co.za/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95591&p=1075132&hilit=flying+in+the+usa#p1075132

Let me know if you intend to visit Wichita and I'll hook you up with the most affordable and convenient places to stay, bus schedules, FBO's in the vicinity, etc.. Be aware that public transport availability and costs do vary markedly from city to city.

Best of luck and pleasant flying!
 
Pre 9/11 this was an easy task to fulfill, unfortunately, not so anymore. You've been given the advice you need, contact the flight schools as there is now a process in place that takes time you can complete from home for the most part I believe.

I spent a great summer in Belgium a few years ago running a yacht for the Q8 Summer Tour promotions thing at the beach, this is my favorite pic I took there:

2780850042_43190e027f_z.jpg
 
battiste said:
For sure this is true ! And I think these are the best ones in the world !
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Delirium Tremens was named as "Best Beer in the World" in 2008 at the World Beer Championships.

I have driven to another town just to buy a bottle of Delirium. Yum.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Delirium Tremens was named as "Best Beer in the World" in 2008 at the World Beer Championships.

I have driven to another town just to buy a bottle of Delirium. Yum.
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Personally, I like the Hoegaarden brand....with a lemon slice.

But nothing beats the Czech draught beers ( Staropramen & Pilsner Urquel )

Yummy...
 
Armageddon Aviator said:
Personally, I like the Hoegaarden brand....with a lemon slice.

But nothing beats the Czech draught beers ( Staropramen & Pilsner Urquel )

Yummy...
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I think I've seen Pilsner Urquel in my local supermarket (maybe not). If yes, I will try it. They have this light beer from the Philipines (San Mig) which I drink since it has 100 calories or less and seems more like real beer to me than Coors Light etc. I've heard Becks Light is the best (taste, abv, calories) but I've looked three places and can't find it.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
I think I've seen Pilsner Urquel in my local supermarket (maybe not). If yes, I will try it. They have this light beer from the Philipines (San Mig) which I drink since it has 100 calories or less and seems more like real beer to me than Coors Light etc. I've heard Becks Light is the best (taste, abv, calories) but I've looked three places and can't find it.
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I don't touch anything that says "diet" or "light" on it...

A glass of real beer won't make you fat....

Eating 2 cheeseburgers with fries and a sundae on the other hand...

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S....and everybody drinks diet Coke.

In France, Italy, the Czech Republic...everybody drinks plenty of booze, eat fat stuff, yet you barely see obese folks.

I guess it's not so much "what" you eat but "how much" you eat...
 
Armageddon Aviator said:
A glass of real beer won't make you fat....

I guess it's not so much "what" you eat but "how much" you eat...
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Same for beer, A glass of beer won't make you fat, 3-4 beers a night over the course of time will make you fat, even light beer.
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
I think I've seen Pilsner Urquel in my local supermarket (maybe not). If yes, I will try it. They have this light beer from the Philipines (San Mig) which I drink since it has 100 calories or less and seems more like real beer to me than Coors Light etc. I've heard Becks Light is the best (taste, abv, calories) but I've looked three places and can't find it.
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uh-oh ... flashbacks ... San Migoo in the hand painted bottles in Subic Bay and Olongapo ... if the night's activities didn't kill you, the next morning made you wish it had.
 
gkainz said:
uh-oh ... flashbacks ... San Migoo in the hand painted bottles in Subic Bay and Olongapo ... if the night's activities didn't kill you, the next morning made you wish it had.
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Watch "They Were Expendable". Even in WWII they were ordering San Miguels. "Oh he won't be back to Subi anymore......."

:)
 
gkainz said:
uh-oh ... flashbacks ... San Migoo in the hand painted bottles in Subic Bay and Olongapo ... if the night's activities didn't kill you, the next morning made you wish it had.
Click to expand...

Key West....each morning we'd swear we won't do that again...each night back at it!:dunno:
 
Hi Battiste,

Weilke and BillTIZ are spot-on when they say you need to have your foreign license validated by the FAA.

I arrived in the USA, from South Africa, about a week ago on a B2 tourist visa (this only allows me to build hours flying solo - I may not receive instruction or new ratings etc). Luckily I also do not need any special TSA clearance (at least that is what the TSA has told me) and am not dependant on any one FBO for my visa.

To validate your foreign license, if you already have a PPL, simply fill out the form which can be found at: http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/foreign_license_verification/

Fax the completed form PLUS a copy of your Private Pilot License PLUS a valid medical certificate to the number provided. The FAA will then contact the Belgium CAA to ascertain the validity of your license. Once the FAA has sufficient proof that your license is valid, they will furnish you with a 'letter of authenticity' which you can present to your nominated FSDO in the USA who will then issue your temporary FAA license over the counter.

They say you should allow about 60 days for the 'letter of authenticity' process, but the FAA is quite efficient and it might be completed in a much shorter time (depending on how long it takes for your country to respond to the FAA's request for informtion).

You are welcome to contact me if you have any questions.

And for those that ever happen to find themselves in sunny South Africa, we really also have wonderful beers (I am not just being patriotic) quite apart from the Pilsner Urquell which is served ON TAP at the Oyster Box Hotel in Durban...
 
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