thecoltster
16th May 2003, 05:25
Hi
I have a JAR fATPL and I am planning on getting the FAA equivalent so as I can fly N reg aircraft commercially. I've done my research on this but would really appreciate feedback and advice from people that have done this. All reasonable suggestions are welcome....
Many Thanks
Colt
Tinstaafl
16th May 2003, 22:45
The licence you have is a CPL. That's what you hold in your hand & that's what will be recognised by the FAA. Any other JAR exams you might have done eg ATPL are irrelevent.
The general procedure is along the lines of:
* Sort out the USA's current paranoid visa vs. training requirements.
Once that's done:
* Pass a US Class 1 medical. Quick, simple & cheap. Unlike the bureaucratic lunacy in UK/JAR land.
* Pass the FAA CPL exam. Single exam, multi-choice, done on a computer & marked on the spot. Unlike the bureaucratic lunacy in UK/JAR land.
BTW, all questions in the question bank are in the public domain & published in various texts.
* Pass the FAA CPL flight test. The test format & tested items are published in a document called 'Practical Test Standard for the Commercial Airman's Certificate' (or something like that...). The test can be with any approved examiner. Unlike the bureaucratic lunacy in UK/JAR land.
Note: The flight test includes a significant ground oral component about Commercial privileges, limitations, responsibilities & practices. You won't get into the air if you don't pass this section! Expect some sort of scenario & then you'll have to exercise your judgement & knowledge to resolve the situation. The flight component includes some ground referenced manoeuvres such as figure 8s & turns around a point.
* Pass the FAA Instrument exam. Like the CPL exam it's a single exam, computerised, marked on the spot, all questions in the public domain etc etc
* Pass the instrument flight test. Refer to the 'Practical Test Standard for the Instrument Rating' or whatever the correct name is.
* Pass the FAA ATP exam. Ditto single exam, computerised, public etc etc etc
That gets you the FAA equivalent of what you have now ie a CPL + IR + ATPL theory.
You would eventually have to do an ATP flight test to get that licence ('certificate' in US terminology)
If you held an ATPL & met the experience requirements then it would be even simpler:
* Class 1 medical
* ATP theory exam
* ATP flight test
The US ATP includes instrument privileges in the licence. The flight test is basically an IR test with some tighter tolerances etc.
Lots of detail missing in the above but that's the general process.