Flying in California

[luddite]

I have the urge to play tourist in San Francisco and do my annual bit of light aviation out there. Can anyone recommend anywhere for me to hire an aircraft in the vicinity please? Or any other words of wisdom? I've flown around Florida but fancy venturing further afield this time. All advice gratefully received!

[ 14 January 2002: Message edited by: luddite ]</p>

[Sensible]

San Francisco is not my favourite base, mainly cos the weather can be a bit foggy and wet to say the least. The Los Angeles basin area enjoys better all round weather and challenging and scenic flying. You could do much worse than Air Desert Pacific <a href="http://www.adp-flight.com" target="_blank">www.adp-flight.com</a>

[willbav8r]

I fly in and around the Bay area.

E-Mail me - I might have some suggestions.

[Quelch]

Probably pay to get a biennial flight review (BFR) done in the UK before you go. (All FAA pilots, even those operating on an FAA certificate issued on the basis of a CAA/JAA licence must take a BFR - a mandatory checkride - with an instructor.)

[ 15 January 2002: Message edited by: Capt PPRuNe ]</p>

[Sensible]

Quelch, I'm confused!!????? Why does a pilot flying on a CAA/FAA licence need an FAA BFR? So far as I'm aware, an FAA BFR is not required except for somebody flying on an FAA Licence. Us Brits only need to ensure that we have the CAA/JAA BFR and a current medical to ensure that our licence is current and then get an FAA conversion in the USA at a Flight Standards Office. An FAA BFR counts for nothing because without the UK BFR on our CAA/JAA licence, the FAA conversion is not valid anyway.

[Quelch]

Simple really. If you want to use an FAA pilot certificate issued on the basis of a CAA/JAA licence, you need the CAA/JAA licence to be valid and you need to comply with Federal Aviation Regulations. The exceptions to the general requirement that an FAA-certificated pilot must have completed an FAA BFR (Biennial Flight Review) with an FAA-qualified instructor are listed in FAR 61.56. Having a foreign (eg CAA/JAA) licence is not one of them. It is just a question of US Law.

[Sensible]

So Quelch, what you are saying is that if a pilot holding a CAA/JAA licence has an FAA BFR then he can go and rent an aircraft in the US without a checkout? I hardly think so old chap!! The way it works IN EVERY CASE is that any pilot no matter which licence he holds needs to demonstrate his/her flying competence to the school from which the aircraft is rented! I repeat IN EVERY CASE. It's a complete waste of dosh for a foreign pilot (non FAA having an FAA BFR in the UK prior to flying in the USA.

[aztruck]

OK. You go to the Flight Standards District Office of the FAA and present your licence and logbook/medical etc. You will be given an FAA certificate which is based on your Caa/Jar one and with which you can then fly, subject to an insurance/rental check out by your rental club/school. The latter is not an FAA requirement nor is a Bfr seeing as the Faa just gave you the licence.
BUT!! In 2 years time if you want to continue to use your FAA licence, then you must have an FAA Bfr AND your Caa/Jar licence must also be current, in order to be legal.
This also applies outside the USA if flying using your FAA licence(N reg aircraft in Europe for example)
Why not go straight to a decent flight school, sign up for an accelerated Commercial single engine course and get yourself an original issuance FAA certificate not based on any other licence?
You can then add an instrument rating to it and do training for this in the UK and even sit the check ride over here if you want.
Just a thought. Should take a week to 10 days and its good fun.

[Medevacjock]

AZTRUCK is about right but when I read FARs it seems to me that you DO need a BFR before you use your FAA pilot certificate - like QUELCH says. However, some FAA Inspectors I have talked to agree and some do not. But it can't do any harm to do a little preparation in the UK before going to the US if you can. SENSIBLE seems to be confusing pre-rental checkouts and BFR checkrides.

Another thing - I can't find an FAA Flight Inspector or Designated Pilot Examiner in the UK or elsewhere in Europe currently to do checkrides for the initial issue of an FAA pilot certificate or rating. Does anybody know of one? Any ideas?

[BayAreaLondoner]

Luddite - don't know how often you check your email, but I just sent you some info on flying in the local area.

[Sensible]

I've got a BFR from both a CAA and an FAA instructor, I thought that the FAA BFR was only to satisfy the aircraft's insurance Co in the USA, anyways, the FAA BFR came with the 1hr checkout and 1/2 hr question and answer session on the ground. Back to the original point, it's pointless doing an FAA BFR in the UK because the renter in the USA will want one of their instructors to check you out anyway and then they will endorse your logbook with a BFR - that's my experience anyway!

[SKYYACHT]

I recommend going to a US flight school, and doing the BFR at the same time as you do the club checkout prior to renting. Its always worked for me, and it cuts down the costs.