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ribrahim

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
7
Location
Sacramento,CA
Display Name

Display name:
Romani
Hi


I am new to this forum, and I though maybe someone here could advice me on what to do.
I have 88+ hrs including, including 20 + Dual and 30 + solo x-c. My Private license Expired ages ago, I obtained it from Egypt and this is where I had my training. I also finished Commercial Pilot knowledge test exam with grade 99%

I moved here to usa 7 yrs ago , I pursuit to obtain a US private license , FAA told me they can’t issue me one based on my Egyptian license, but I can start all over again and obtain my US private license and they will indorse that 88hrs for me, so I said cool deal.(I was wrong).
I few hrs in the past 2 yrs, including dual x-c and night time. The cfi I flew with was shocked he told me for not flying this whole time and still have the sense for it that is good, but I am rusty in the Airspace classes Navigation in general.

Money is a big problem for me now (always was actually). I went and bought Gleim Private Pilot Kit. But my problem is the actually flying; it is expensive for me now. Flying is my thing, it just run in my blood I guess; I really want to pursuit it all the way to become an ATP.

How can I get my license and do the training at the most inexpensive way possible.

Thank in advance
 
If you're young enough and qualified, you can join the military and have them teach you (again) how to fly. That's the only way I know to learn without significant out-of-pocket expenses.

If that route's not open, then you're going to have to pay for your training. To ensure that you get the most value for your money, you're best off getting the money together first, then setting aside the time so you can dedicate yourself to learning. Get your private (should be possible without the whole syllabus if you actually do get credit for the dual instruction in your previous private certificate), instrument, commercial, and multi, then get your initial CFI certificate. Fly as often as possible so you minimize time relearning things.

Now you can start building time and earning (a little, very little) money. Use the money to finance getting your CFII and adding the Multi to your CFI certificate. Continue to build time by instructing and look for other flying jobs as you become qualified for them. Eventually you'll have the necessary aero experience to go take your ATP checkride.
 
Tim,
Thank you for your fast reply, ok, yeah that military deal will not work for me. am 29yrs old.

ok, honestly i forgot all about S-turns, stalls, but i think after i review the private Knowledge book, and maybe do it couple time with the instructor, i will come back to me :yes:

this is was my plan to get CFI and teach people. oh wow if this come true and i became a CFI, i will give every student that i feel they really love flying and cant afford it (just like me now)a 10 hrs free of charge just to help them out.
 
Roman:

It might be good for you to let us know where in the country you are now living; there are many here who have good resources, and it may be that one of these may be able to take closer look at your particular circumstances and get you more credit for prior logged experience.

Welcome to PoA- we here certainly understand your love for flight!
 
Romani, Welcome to the board!

Heck, I wish I were 29 again. I'd definitely jump back in the Navy and try planting myself at a base with a flying club. That's where I got my initial training a long time ago in a place far away. Incidentally, Egypt was the only stop I didn't get to visit. Someone decided they needed my wallet more than I and without military ID and ship's ID, I was stuck aboard watching all the liberty launches head for Alexandria. :(

You can certainly look at a military option. You might have some hoops to jump through with the security measures in place but I think it's a viable option and quite likely an easier path to US citizenship if that is your goal. Any recruiter worth his weight in salt is going to help you research that.

Otherwise, it's as Tim said, a long and slow process without the money available. You can explore loan options from Sallie Mae or other sources if you have the means to qualify. I'm sorry you cannot convert your prior license but keep in mind, FAA inspector opinions are sometimes wrong.

I was away from flying for some nineteen years. When I returned, I was under suspension. When I kept inquiring what was needed of me, I received three different answers; the worst one like yours, starting over again with only the ability to add prior time to my total. Eventually, I got the right answers from FAA lawyers and worked with that.

I'd suggest contacting the regional counsel (lawyer) at your local FSDO. Find out with certainty what their opinion is. If they are uncertain in the slightest, then move on to contacting the FAA in Oklahoma City. You may find a way around this. You just need to dig further and then get any decision documented so you truly know where you stand.

I wish you the best in your effort. Meanwhile, please join us here on the board. There's a lot to learn and some great folks to learn from.

Ken
 
Welcome to the board, Romani! Good luck with your pursuit and keep us posted on how things work out.
 
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Welcome, Ribrahim... you're not the only one feeling the pinch as the cost of flying goes up- and up- here in "the last holdout of affordable flying"!

Not knowing where you live now, only advice I can offer is to find a cheap rental to train in, at least to complete your "re-endorsement". There are still some great deals here in the US, if you don't mind a plane that is a little ratty and does not have all the latest equipment.

A flying club can also be a money-saver, with lower hourly rates typically,and most clubs have members who are CFIs and might give you a break on their fee, but not all clubs are the same, and some require a fairly large deposit up front to join, and you might feel the money spent on monthly club dues would be better spent on flying.

Beyond that, you may want to look into an education loan; not sure how your citizenship status might affect that (are you now a US citizen, or...?), but it's a possibility.

Someone else here might have more details on that, or you could contact AOPA and see if they can help you.

Good luck!!
 
what are the requirements now for private pilot? i don't know how i missed this. since i have 88hrs, i probably need few hrs to get back on track.
I mean after i study and pass the written test, how many hrs do you guys think i will need to get fresh again and get ready for the practical test?

Correct time is 93hrs
 
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Romani, the answer to that question depends entirely on your current skillset and how quickly you learn. Without actually flying with you, there is no way that anyone on this board can tell you how many hours you will need to get fresh and current again. Your best bet is to bite the bullet, so to speak, and go up with a local CFI for about an hour or so and have them evaluate you.

The requirements for a US Private Pilot can be found here:

http://www.faa.gov/education_research/testing/airmen/test_standards/pilot/media/FAA-S-8081-14A.pdf
 
Romani, the answer to that question depends entirely on your current skillset and how quickly you learn. Without actually flying with you, there is no way that anyone on this board can tell you how many hours you will need to get fresh and current again. Your best bet is to bite the bullet, so to speak, and go up with a local CFI for about an hour or so and have them evaluate you.

The requirements for a US Private Pilot can be found here:

http://www.faa.gov/education_research/testing/airmen/test_standards/pilot/media/FAA-S-8081-14A.pdf

PJ,
FWIW, he did say
I few hrs in the past 2 yrs, including dual x-c and night time. The cfi I flew with was shocked he told me for not flying this whole time and still have the sense for it that is good, but I am rusty in the Airspace classes Navigation in general.
He's going to have to have enough hours that a CFI would feel comfortable in signing him off to go for a checkride. As far as the knowledge of airspace, I'd recommend the Gleim that you already have and maybe a community college course, which should be pretty inexpensive. You'll want that knowledge base regardless of the further investigation into the procedures that others recommended above.
Even if it turns out that you can convert your Egyptian certificate into a US one, you'll need a flight review given the time that's passed.
 
I spent some time with Romani on the phone this last Sunday. We went through his log book and compared it to 91.109 for deficiencies in the aeronautical experience requirements. We pretty much know what he requires and it will take about 5-6 hours of flight, some ground work and the completion of a knowledge test and checkride.

The existing Egyptian Private Pilot License does not convert evenly with a US Private Pilot Certificate. Even if it did, Egypt issues licenses with a expiration date. It would take a lot to get it reissued and current. So, the more cost effective route is to build on existing experience logged.
 
Grant, I'm sorry I wasn't so clear. I did read the post you referenced, but I was specifically addressing his question of "how many hours do you guys think I will need to get fresh again and get ready for the practical test?". I was trying to illustrate that this number varies by person, and just by knowing you have 88 hrs and a positive experience with a few hours with a CFI, none of us would know how many hours it would take him. That question would be better addressed to the CFI that he flew with. However, I'm not a CFI, so I wouldn't know for sure.

Ken, good on you for taking the time to talk to him and help him out.
 
Kudos to you, Kenny- reinforcing the whole PoA family!
 
Finally i got my AFSP and TSA approval and they said i can fly :goofy:
- $130 for AFSP (basiclly they didn't do anything "just took my information
and MONEY and forward all my info to TSA"
- TSA didn't have an approved office in SACRAMENTO to proccess my
finger
prints. they said any police station, most of them here uses "Live Scan"
and they know nothing about what the hell is AFSP program. and to do it with liveScan i will have to provide them with URI ID which i didn't have nor TSA or AFSP.
The closest place to me was SFO and they wanted to charge $110 for
finger print.

my finger print cost me $15 for both cards. (now thats what am talking about)

I had to explain to police station what to do after i gathered some
information from NATA 1800-788-3210 "have to mention TSA and AFSP
was no help at all" in my opinion i think both are just "fund/money"
collecting agency.:mad:

now i have to go get my Medical 1st class cert. another $110 :hairraise:

by the time i will be ready to fly again most probably i will be broke :D
 
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Romani, That's awesome. I'm glad it's starting to come together for you.

I had been wondering how things were going since we talked. I hope your son is doing well.
 
I spent some time with Romani on the phone this last Sunday. We went through his log book and compared it to 91.109 for deficiencies in the aeronautical experience requirements. We pretty much know what he requires and it will take about 5-6 hours of flight, some ground work and the completion of a knowledge test and checkride.

The existing Egyptian Private Pilot License does not convert evenly with a US Private Pilot Certificate. Even if it did, Egypt issues licenses with a expiration date. It would take a lot to get it reissued and current. So, the more cost effective route is to build on existing experience logged.

Hey Ken, just for my knowledge, does time logged as dual in a foreign country COUNT as instruction by an "authorized instructor" in the USA, if the original instructor didn't have (and log) an FAA CFI cert? Or does the applicant have to re-fly the required dual aeronautical experience?
 
Hey Ken, just for my knowledge, does time logged as dual in a foreign country COUNT as instruction by an "authorized instructor" in the USA, if the original instructor didn't have (and log) an FAA CFI cert? Or does the applicant have to re-fly the required dual aeronautical experience?
Gosh, that's one I've not really thought about specifically. I would hope he would have the benefit of it since he could have converted the Egyptian ticket to the equivalent US ticket. That wasn't possible here, even with the restrictions, as Egypt places an expiration date on their tickets.

Ron will have to pipe on this one.

But, just guessing, I think if a DPE saw it as legitimate time logged even in a foreign country, it would apply here. The rules don't really speak of application of time, just the conversion of a foreign license. The FAR is 61.75.

If I recall correctly, in Romani's case, he would be limited to only Daytime VFR under a conversion. There were no night priviledges on his Egyptian ticket.
 
Ken,
after our conversation yesterday and as soon as i hangup the line i went to check my mailbox and there is a letter from INS notifying me for an interview on April 23rd for my green card :fcross::hairraise: creepy huh.
 
Ken,
after our conversation yesterday and as soon as i hangup the line i went to check my mailbox and there is a letter from INS notifying me for an interview on April 23rd for my green card :fcross::hairraise: creepy huh.
Maybe their ears were burning and they immediately ran it to your mail box. :) I'm glad it's there!
 
Ken,
after our conversation yesterday and as soon as i hangup the line i went to check my mailbox and there is a letter from INS notifying me for an interview on April 23rd for my green card :fcross::hairraise: creepy huh.
Great! Maybe soon you will have two green cards! :yes:
 
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