Flying in the US

[Kapish]

Hello everyone, I hope you are all well.

I will be spending my vacation in New York this year staying with family, I will be there for approx five weeks. I have started my PPL and have 6 hours.

My questions are; 1. Can I do any flight training while I am there to gain some experience?
2. Will the hours count towards my PPL here in the UK?
3. Can anyone recommend a good flight school in the New York/ New Jersey area?

The most I will probable do is about 5 hours and I guess with the weather maybe even none.

Thanks.

[patowalker]

For 5 hours, it is simply not worth the trouble.

Google TSA AFSP

Aliens and Non-U.S. Citizens Seeking Flight Training - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (http://www.aopa.org/Pilot-Resources/Flight-Instructor-Resources/AOPAs-Guide-to-TSAs-Alien-Flight-Training-Citizenship-Validation-Rule/Aliens-and-Non-U-S-Citizens-Seeking-Flight-Training.aspx)

[destinationsky]

For the amount of time and effort you have to go through to get a student visa, 5 hours just wouldnt be worth it. This is coming from a person who did the full PPL in the states.

Saying that, I strongly believe in getting as much experience as possible during the training and flying in different types of controlled/uncontrolled airspace is always good. As is flying into fully controlled and uncontrolled airports.

Have a look at the costs of getting your visa and fingerprints done etc and see if you can stretch that 5 hours to 10 and it may be more worth it. Just make sure the school you choose offers the EASA syllabus and you will be able to log the training. Good luck!

[Rhino25782]

That's another problem: I reckon the closest flight school that offers training under the EASA syllabus will be in Florida...

[Kapish]

Thanks for your replies so far guys. My aim is to do the PPL here in the UK, as I have been to NYC so many times and have done all there is to do in the state, I am not trying to dodge any visa requirements as I will be going under the VWP as I always do, but was just thinking boredom will surely kick in at some point during the 5 weeks when my partner and friends are at work etc, it would be nice to just fly for a bit.

[AdamFrisch]

You can certainly go up for a lesson and fly, you just can't log it "officially". But what you put in your logbook, is entirely up to you - it won't count towards your UK PPL, but is still dual.

[Kapish]

Thank you sir, that would be fine with me. Are you based in the US?

[patowalker]

You can certainly go up for a lesson and fly, ..

In my experience, US flying schools will not give lessons to an alien, unless he already has a licence or TSA clearance.

[Kapish]

Interesting, I guess I will just have to wait till I get there and make a few calls and see, cheers.

[patowalker]

This is what you are up against: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title49-vol9/pdf/CFR-2010-title49-vol9-part1552.pdf

Specifically 1552.3 (c) Category 3 (right column on page 397)

Good luck :)

[rmac]

and what makes it all so risible, is that someone with a "clean" background, or indeed a "clean" fake background, can pass the checks, give their fingerprints, get trained and then fly something in to the side of a building...

.....or just get trained somewhere else

door, stable, bolted, horse.....