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assablief
5th Mar 2015, 17:44
Good day all,


I am a Flight Instrutor in the UK (EASA license) and I'm looking into the feasibility of going to the USA and instruct there for a short period.

Does anyone know if I can get my FI rating validated over there or would I be required to obtain an American CFI rating? And if so, would that have to be on an American license or could it be attached to my validated EASA license?

Thank you very much in advance for your help.

nick14
5th Mar 2015, 18:13
I'm pretty certain you would need a visa for starters then CPL and CFI.

May I ask why?

S-Works
5th Mar 2015, 18:17
if you are teaching for US ratings then you will need a US CPL and CFI. There is no validation for Instructor ratings.

zondaracer
6th Mar 2015, 04:12
You would need the FAA commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating plus the flight instuctor certificate. Your time will count but you need to make sure you have the minimum requirements and pass the practical test and knowledge exams. The biggest obstacle is the work permit.

ifitaintboeing
6th Mar 2015, 07:21
EASA FI to FAA CFI

To hold a FAA CFI you are required to first hold a stand alone FAA CPL/IR or ATP. In order to then obtain a CFI, you will need to complete the CFI and FOI knowledge tests. For the checkride, you will be required to complete a minimum of three hours flight preparation with a FAA CFI and be signed off for the checkride. There's probably quite a few manoeuvres you haven't flown if you haven't been involved with the FAA before, such as chandelles, lazy eights, eights on pylons, turns on a point etc. that will require some flight training before your CFI checkride.

Then, complete the CFI checkride with a FAA Inspector. Repeat the process for CFII and MEI (but can be a Designated Pilot Examiner for second and subsequent CFI checkrides) if you wish to add those privileges.

Probably not the answer you were looking for... That's without mentioning US VISAs and TSA.

ifitaint...
EASA FI and FAA CFI/CFII/MEI

Reverserbucket
6th Mar 2015, 13:00
ifitaint summarises accurately but I can't overemphasise those ground reference manoeuvres for the Commercial and CFI; they require proper demonstration and practice - they are quite different to anything EASA requires. I took about a month from starting the 'writtens' to CFI practical checkride.

MartinCh
16th Mar 2015, 06:07
can do 'CFII' as initial with FAA inspector to reduce the stress/workload.
Just like initial commercial, it has to be complex (VP/RG).

Realistically, if going for aeroplane instructor, you'd most likely need CFII to be competitive. Instrument rating and commercial are requirements to do practical flight test (aka checkride in US lingo) for instructor rating, including VFR (C)FI.

Unless you have lots of twin training/time to meet the 14 CFR 61 relating to initial twin commercial, you're likely going for commercial flight test in single. If current/proficient, I recommend doing part of the CPL prep in twin, still complex, can do some instrument work in it towards CFII, if trying to cut down on the hours and 'logged preparation for flight test' as per the CFR, if you don't need much training for instrument and twin stuff.

Ground reference maneuvres have been covered above - that's where it may make sense to save on hourly rate and fly simple SEP with instructor.

If you have (I assume) twin VFR or IFR rating in Europe but not much of PIC time, Best get the 61.75 validation processed ensuring it includes the multi engine rating. This will save you the 'loggable PIC' in twin in FAA world, as manipulating controls. As in FAA system one needs 15hrs twin PIC time (ie can be further training time after/incl twin rating test), one can double-dip some of that requirment towards 'MEI' working on CFII or generally getting familiar with US airspace, maneuvres, PTS.

Verification/validation (as in 61.75) is only good for PPL privileges on FAA N-reg aircraft, but subject to flight review, can act as PIC on flight tests/rent without solo sign offs etc. That alone implies inability to use foreign crew ratings (ie FI) on N-reg aircraft in US airspace for commercial purposes. Yes, ferry flights etc may have some leeway/exceptions.

skyhighfallguy
21st Mar 2015, 05:26
assablief:

the short answer is NO, you can't.


So glad to see people mention ground reference maneuvers req'd for the commercial pilot lic (actually certificate)

don't forget a steep spiral to a landing, power off.

I once took a british flight instructor up to check him out in a tomahawk. This was many years ago before EASA or anything like that. He claimed he had quite a bit of tomahawk time.

He really just wanted to look around northern california (san francisco), I still remember the way he flew was more like he was taking a Spitfire off from the fields of eaton.

He kept on revving up and revving down the engine, as we taxied into position. I don't know how to describe it except like a guy in a car at a stoplight revving his engine to challenge someone to a race.

I asked him why he did that, and why he gave up so much runway turning on to the short runway without a 90 degree turn.

I ended up not checking him out (signing him off to rent the plane by himself) .

There seems to be a different level of things between our two countries. Years later I learned that you fellows over there don't need a commercial license to teach in addition to a flight instructor ticket.

thing
21st Mar 2015, 16:27
Years later I learned that you fellows over there don't need a commercial license

You do need to have done the commercial pilot exams. I know that's not what you said, I'm just pointing it out in case someone with a plain vanilla PPL thinks 'Oh I'll be off to do my FI training then.'

fwjc
21st Mar 2015, 22:59
Actually, you don't need the CPL written exams to do a Flight Instructor course. You are subsequently limited to teaching only for the LAPL, but a mere vanilla PPL can do it. I know someone who has done just that.

portsharbourflyer
22nd Mar 2015, 23:53
fwjc, thing,

I doubt he was referring to the way it is now.

Before JAA was implemented in the CAA days it was possible to be a paid instructor with just a PPL. Then at some point the BCPL was introduced at which point it was necessary to hold a BCPL for paid instructing.

Believe some instructors who only held PPLs were grand fathered restricted BCPLs or something at some stage. I really cant remember the exact details.

So yes going back over 20 years back you would find PPL holding only instructors to be much more common place in the UK.

I suspect Skyhighfallguy is referring to someone from the pre-JAA era.

fwjc
23rd Mar 2015, 09:59
Actually, the way it is Now is as I said. Someone I know completed his FI course a month ago with no CPL theoretical exams.

portsharbourflyer
23rd Mar 2015, 16:23
fwjc

Yes you are correct, I wasn't disputing that.

This business of instructing without CPL knowledge but for LAPL only is very recent incarnation under EASA.

The point I was making is the example in Skyhighfallguys post was referring to the pre-JAA days where prior to the BCPL introduction you didn't need a CPL for instructing. Therefore Skyhighfall was referring to very outdated CAA regs.

The new EASA reg of been able to instruct for the LAPL without CPL knowledge sort of mirrors the old CAA system, but back in the CAA days there was only a CAA PPL, there was no LAPL/NPPL categories therefore instructors were able to instruct for the PPL with only PPL+AFI/QFI rating.
Skyhigh example was a CAA AFI or QFI only holding a PPL, not a JAA PPL with an FI(A) rating.

S-Works
23rd Mar 2015, 16:45
A LAPL FI is as much use as a chocolate teapot.....

fwjc
23rd Mar 2015, 17:00
Agreed, although I understand said instructor has no intention of teaching ab-initio.

dobbin1
23rd Mar 2015, 19:26
Hard to imagine what he will do then. How would he ever become unrestricted?

fwjc
23rd Mar 2015, 20:01
i would imagine he has no intention of becoming de-restricted. I am not sure whether he understands that all of his instruction has to be "supervised". I don't want to get involved in that!