FAA CFI Wanted For Training And Endorsement Around The Southwest

[stefair]

Hi everybody,
I hold a FAA PPL but as of yet do not have a taildragger endorsement. I understand that the CFI conducting training and endorsing my logbook will have to be FAA licensed. Therefore my question to you is whether there is anyone here reading this FAA licensed or does know anyone that s/he could refer me to. I live in Bristol so ideally it would have to be in the southwest, preferably close to Bristol. A previous post from a few weeks ago produced two flying clubs that I have meanwhile contacted but unfortunately they have never gotten back to me.
Any ideas or suggestions as to how I can get hold of a FAA CFI are most welcome. Many thanks in advance! :ok:

[scooter boy]

Stefair,

I too am based in the Southwest (Plymouth) and could do with an FAA BFR.

I was considering going to Humberside (soloflight) as we have a house up near there but if there are any FAA CFI's out there - a visit to the Southwest to do 2 of us should make it a more worthwhile journey.

SB

[Dave Gittins]

Try Shaun Bagley at Eagle Flight at Luton.

DGG

[stefair]

Thanks for your responses folks! :ok:

Just to add what I've learned today: It appears that the five hours of training in a taildragger, as required by the FAA, may be conducted by a FAA or JAA instructor which will make my life much easier. The aircraft I will be using is hangared at EGBJ. I know a JAA FI up there who will do the training leaving only the checkride for the endorsement. So, if there is a FAA CFI based in that area reading this or anybody who could point out one, please get in touch. Thank you very much again.

scooter boy,

Thanks a lot for your offer but will have to decline I'm afraid as hopefully will find someone near Gloucester.

[robin]

You could always try Ace Flight at Dunkeswell who are only too happy to assist

[scooter boy]

I need a BFR by end of Feb, I live near Plymouth but work in Glos area fortnightly, any takers? or advice?

Thanks,
SB

[Lower the Nose!]

I don't think it's right that you need five hours for a tailwheel sign off. The FARs do specify a couple of things you need to do, such as cross-wind t/o or landing, but not I think a minimum number of hours.

[stefair]

Lower the Nose!,

Every day's a school day! :ugh:

Thanks for pointing this out to me as you are correct. I do not know why I had that five hours in mind as the FAR's state that at least the following maneuvers and procedures are to be included in the training:

(i) Normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings;
(ii) Wheel landings (unless the manufacturer has recommended against such landings);
(iii) Go-around procedures.

None is said about a five hour training requirement indeed. I guess one of the pilots I had talked to on this matter had indicated that he reckoned that I would need about five hours to be proficient in flying a tailwheel airplane. For some reason that had stuck in my mind and I had never bothered verifying it. So yeah, sorry about the confusion I may have caused.

[stefair]

robin,

Had contacted Ace Flight before starting this thread but they have never bothered getting back to me... Thanks anyway.

[Clearedils]

An FAA endorsement from a JAR FI?
Don't think so!
You can train with them for a license but endorsements and sign offs can only be done by FAA instructors!

[stefair]

Clearadils,

It should clearly state in one of my previous posts that the training will be done by a JAA FI but the sign off by a FAA CFI. Thanks anyway.

[englishal]

Very unlikely any FAA CFI would endorse you unless a) He/her knows the JAA FI and you or b) You did the training with him/her.
You see by endorsing you, the FAA CFI a) puts his / her neck on the line - if you go and crash and the NTSB / AAIB find it pilot error, they may come after the CFI and b) he/her is endorsing you are indeed safe and are not going to kill yourself or anyone else. If he doesn't really know this, how can you be endorsed?

Anyway, back to the thread. I may know an FAA CFI/II/MEI/ATP who will be over in the UK between now and the summer converting to JAR and he may be willing to help out.

[stefair]

englishal,

Thanks for your thoughts in this and thanks a lot for your help!

It's looking like I have not made my point clear enough though... The plan is to receive training from the JAA FI until he finds me proficient in operating a tailwheel airplane. I then will go flying with the FAA CFI who will hopefully find me proficient too and sign me off. That way I shall comply with all regulations.

Looking forward to hearing from the associate of yours.

[IO540]

I haven't read the whole thread but people often train under the JAA system towards an FAA license. That way, they can do it in an (very easy to rent) G-reg plane, for which you need a JAA instructor (very easy to rent, too) and you can collect every imaginable logbook entry that way.

And there is no need for TSA etc because you aren't training in any way connected with FAA.

Once you get into the "last 3 hrs in the last 60 days" bit then you need an FAA CFI/CFII to sign you off (and therefore, by implication, to have trained you and checked that you are up to standard) and that involves TSA.

Also, he needs a JAA instructor rating if he is to be paid for the flying, if he does the flying in UK airspace which is obviously easy to avoid (the UK airspace edge is never far away).

The checkride is the more difficult bit.

[stefair]

So Cal App,

I do not think I twice the effort but I do think I am minimizing the costs by following the training path as described above. All training would be done in the aircraft I am planning to buy a share in and consequently I am kind of constrained to flying that particular airplane. The only FAA CFI I know at this stage lives not very close to Gloucester so it will save me a few £££ by training with a Gloucester-based JAA CFI instead until I am proficient (in addition to the instruction fee the FAA CFI would charge for his journeys to the airfield totaling £150/h, on the other hand the JAA FI would not: £30/h plus aircraft totaling £70ish/h).

In my opinion, it will not make a huge difference whether the common procedures and flight maneuvers are instructed by a FAA CFI or JAA FI, considering the fact that I will be training towards flying in UK airspace in a gulf-registered aircraft. Please correct me if I am misguided. Obviously, I will ask the FAA guy in advance prior to the checkride what he wants me to know.


IO540,

I am not in that "60 days bit" yet. I passed my checkride in August 2006.

[stefair]

SoCal App,

With 'checkride' I meant the flight with the FAA CFI where he determines if I am proficient and if he could 'risk' to sign me off. Of course, this is not to understand as a PTS.

I decided to go for the FAA certificate for several reasons:

- I was initially planning on doing my hour building in the US;
- training is cheaper;
- there is no real difference in renting and flying G reg AC in the UK.

Admittedly, if I was to decide today again I would get both FAA and JAA or JAA only. Unfortunately, there are so many pitfalls in aviation that it is pretty difficult to avoid them all.

I am aware of the upcoming BFR this summer. Thanks for pointing this out to me though.

[englishal]

With 'checkride' I meant the flight with the FAA CFI where he determines if I am proficient and if he could 'risk' to sign me off. Of course, this is not to understand as a PTS.
Whilst I understand what you are trying to do, and although perfectly "legal" and a good idea I really don't think this will work unless as I mentioned before you know the FAA CFI and the FAA CFI knows the JAA FI.
As there is no check-ride with the tail wheel (or any other difference training) what the endorsement in the logbook actually means is "I guarantee that at this time this person has covered all of the required training and in my opinion is safe to operate a tailwheel aeroplane as commander".
If I were an FAA CFI (which I'm not.) I would be very hesitant about giving an endorsement where I hadn't actually carried out the training (based on only one flight) as really (and it is the CFI's neck on the line) you can't really *know* this person has carried out all of the required training and is safe.
It would be different however if my mate Mike who is a CAA FI had done the training, as I would know him and know the standards he flies to. If he said he had covered the training and in his opinion you were safe, then I would believe him and be happy to issue an endorsement on the strength of a "demo" flight. It is not a case of trying to fleece anyone :) It is purely a case of CMA (Cover My Arse) ;) As these types of things can come back and haunt in the future.....
Good luck anyway!

[Aviator LGB]

Thats me. Haven't read all the above posts but don't forget that it is also very important that the FAA CFI also has a tail wheel endorsement otherwise he won't be any help and unfortunately I don't have one. You are right though that you will only have to prove to the CFI that you can fly and control the tail wheel plane unless he/she is a money grabber I am sure that will do. So if you have a JAA FI friend who'll teach you cheap then do it!

Good luck.