New FAA Rules - Disaster for anyone planning to build hours in the USA this summer!

[peterinmadrid]

I have a ticket to go to the USA in two weeks. Over the past few months I have been arranging all of the details - flying school, plane ticket, hotel, car hire, etc.
I have the "letter of verification" for my Spanish license and what everyone I have spoken to until now has told me was that I just needed to make an appointment with the FSDO on arrival and they would issue an FAA on the spot after a short interview.

But yesterday, I got an email from the flying school telling me that the regulations have changed very recently and now the local FSDO's cannot issue even temporary licenses. Everything must go through Oklahoma City - which takes around 6 weeks!

Does anyone else know anything about this? If true, this is a complete disaster for me as I am leaving in 2 weeks and the house is being rennovated whilst I am away, so it is not an easy matter to just change the date.

In case I cannot change the dates and have to wait for one month, I was thinking that I might be able to fly in the mean time in Canada or Mexico. Does anyone know about the procedures for flying on a JAA license in these countries? Please feel free to make any comments or suggestions - this puts me in a pretty desperate situation so I need all the help I can get. I will post any information I find out myself on here.

[Shunter]

Sounds like bollocks to me.

Phone the FSDO and clarify. In fact, phone them anyway. You ideally want your appointment booked before you arrive.

[v6g]

Converting a JAA ppl to a Canadian is pretty simple. Can be done just by visiting any Transport Canada office - no more than an hour or so as long as you have the medical done here. Best give Transport Canada a call in the city you're planning on going to to check first.

[BigGrecian]

Nothing at all on the FAA website about this.

You cannot go to the FSDO without the verification letter from Oklahoma, which in turn may take up to six weeks. (Typically 3 weeks for students I work with, but has taken up to 5.)

I.e If you already have your letter than you can turn up to the FSDO or a local DPE and get your licence verified.

If you haven't started the application process already your probably a little late and unprepared.

[jockspice]

There is nothing to confirm your fears on their website - it still says you get your certificate from the FSDO you choose.
I'm in the same boat - California mid July! :ok:

[nich-av]

SCAM!!!

Just called San Diego FSDO in California (obviously because most other FSDO's are already closed) and they said that they are not aware of any such problem and if true, would have been published on the FAA website with advance notice.

If you think about it for one second, it would be impossible for Oklahoma to handle all the requests anyway, and it would not make sense for them to issue a verification letter.

One of the pilots joining us this summer, today sent me the scan of a verification letter he received this morning, and nowhere does it say that the procedure has changed.

In my opinion the flight school in question is filing for bankruptcy or can't handle your request.

Mods, please close this thread, or at least, change the title.

Ncb-Aviation manager

[peterinmadrid]

It seems like a false alarm. I think that the person at the flight school didn't realise that I already had the verification letter. Here are the details of the process:
http://www.flyoft.com/license_conversion.php
The only thing that I would add is that in my case I have been told that it is necessary to get an FAA medical before attending the interview.

[nich-av]

The only thing that I would add is that in my case I have been told that it is necessary to get an FAA medical before attending the interview.


Give me the name of that school.

You don't need no FAA medical if your Spanish JAA medical is valid. You don't need to pass any interview for hour building, usually it's just a checkride and some briefings.

You might just be the first foreign client of that school, they clearly don't know nothing about anything. Beware!!!

What about editing the title of this thread?
There's still people doing business seriously out there and who don't want to feel compromised because "their flight school is telling them ... ".