It is absolutely not easier to obtain an FAA PPL. In fact, i would say that it's easier to obtain a CAA/JAR FCL licence. I know, i have done both.
Quite agree on that....there are some things on the FAA Private like the ground reference maneuvers that I have simply never done and the amount of material on the whole course is more than JAR; consequently the average time to complete the FAA one is higher (someone once told me about 70hrs although that is probably out of date). JAR has more ground though.
The other 'gotcha' the FAA one has (which is usually not a problem if one is doing the thing over a month or so for example) is that the examiner for the skills test has the power (and I've seen this happen) to abandon the flight test before starting it if s/he feels the candidates knowledge of airspace/systems etc is not up to scratch during pre-test questioning. This gets more intense as one goes up the ratings....for CFI some people will get up to 6hrs of discussion and questioning before even getting into the aircraft for their check ride.
The only other thing that is perhaps worth mentioning is that my instrument rating instructor reckoned that the FAA did have a slight problem with maintaining high standards for the IR and that he knew people who in his opinion shouldn't have been granted their IRs. This is perhaps inevitable to some extent considering that while the CAA employs staff examiners to conduct initial IRs the FAA doesn't (it does for CFI though). My examiner for instrument seemed like a firm but fair type though and although he could have made the whole thing a lot harder I felt pushed and that is ultimately how it should be....
the examiner for the skills test has the power (and I've seen this happen) to abandon the flight test before starting it if s/he feels the candidates knowledge of airspace/systems etc is not up to scratch during pre-test questioning
That's right, the examiner can fail you on the oral exam alone.
Quote:
The only other thing that is perhaps worth mentioning is that my instrument rating instructor reckoned that the FAA did have a slight problem with maintaining high standards for the IR and that he knew people who in his opinion shouldn't have been granted their IRs. This is perhaps inevitable to some extent considering that while the CAA employs staff examiners to conduct initial IRs the FAA doesn't (it does for CFI though).
I don't buy that - if one is talking about relevant flying competence. If one is talking about flying NDB holds to 0.1 degree accuracy then certainly the JAA system is going to be more rigorous, but if one was going to match competence to the actual requirements of IFR flight, there is no difference between the two.
In truth neither system prepares you fully for European private IFR flight - there are loads of operational details which are not taught. The FAA system gets away with it because it does teach you what you need to know for flying IFR in the USA. The JAA system gets away with it because the vast majority of the output ends up in the airlines, in the RHS with a captain in the LHS and the captain keeps an eye on things.
The majority of instructors teaching the JAA stuff are highly prejudiced against the FAA regime and everything connected with it. The vast majority of them have zero knowledge of any FAA training, and the vast majority of JAA instructors have never flown private IFR to anywhere significant. The FAA IR flight training is bl00dy hard work and 10 times harder than anything that's needed for real.
And a few months after the IR checkride it's all irrelevant because there are 3 things that matter in IFR flight
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I don't buy that - if one is talking about relevant flying competence. If one is talking about flying NDB holds to 0.1 degree accuracy then certainly the JAA system is going to be more rigorous, but if one was going to match competence to the actual requirements of IFR flight, there is no difference between the two.
IO540 I think you slightly misunderstand me....I wasn't saying that the FAA standards are lower than JAA; all I was saying was that in the opinion of my FAA CFI there are some 'soft' examiners out there in the US that perhaps do not always uphold the standard set. That was simply his view having instructed in the US for a while, worked in a US flying school and seen a variety of students/examiners (as far as I know he has only ever known the FAA system).
While I'm not suggesting for a moment that this is systematic one can surely see considering that the FAA has less control over IR checkrides than the CAA does that this could happen occasionally.
I promise I'm not 'getting at' the FAA.....in the ongoing FAA vs. JAR debate I am on your side.
The real Q however is whether this matters at all.
The actual skills set required for actual IFR flight is so far below the training/checkride level, it hardly matters.
In my FAA IR, I spent two weeks (this is post-IMCR, and with 500hrs TT and about 80hrs on instruments before starting the IR) being totally knackered every day, banging VORs, LOCs, GSs, DMEs, you name it. Partial panel approaches with just the compass and using timed turns, down to minima every time. Just to get that magical bit of paper.
But what does one actually do in Europe? It's all RNAV so you fly on the GPS. The only time I use conventional navaids is for the occassional SIDs - my rather simple IFR GPS (KLN94) has poor representations of these procedures - and of course when flying an ILS.
The real Q however is whether this matters at all.
Indeed......
Anyway returning to a more mundane question could anyone advise me as to whether or not one needs to go through the whole TSA/VISA thing again if one wants to upgrade one's FAA IR from single to multi (assuming one already has an MEP rating)?
Contacttower
The TSA site quotes: Category 3 - Candidates who seek flight training in the operation of aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or less for the following training events:
Initial airman's certificate, including a private, recreational, or sport pilot certificate.
Instrument Rating (IR)
Multi-Engine Rating (MEL)
So it does not specifically state your particular situation.
Rather than get a multitude of speculation on here, I would suggest that you email the good folks at the TSA at this address
and state your case.
They are pretty good and will get back to you typically within 24 hours.
They will NOT discuss Visa requirements with you. Not their department. That is down to the USCIS.
Simple answer however - go get the visa and have done with it.
You will not attract unnecessary attention by having a visa.
You will attract attention if you do not have the visa and get questioned when asked.
Hi guys,
I was supposed to be going to OBA at the end of August and had my M-1 visa issued already. I was just wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to delay the start date at all? I did call but I did not really understand what the person on the phone was saying, and I was paying £1.20/min..
Basically, I would kind of like to put the flying off for 6 months or so due to finances not being as good as initially anticipated. Stupid to realise now after spending out all of this money on visas etc! Hopefully there is a way to change the date, if not I will be screwed
Cube,
You really need to talk to your Flight Training establishment as they sponsored your Visa.
You will need to have your revised dates already clear in your mind so that the Flight School can reschedule your dates.
They may be fully booked for the period that you want to rebook..
You Visa will have a period of validity and as long as you complete your visit to the US within that period of time - that should not be a big issue.
As you may know, your TSA security clearance however will have to be resubmitted as it clearly states that you MUST commence training in the US within 180 days of your TSA clearance being approved.
If you cannot call your Flight School you need to immediately email them.
Had you already paid over any funds to the Flight School - other than your visa application costs?
Thanks for replying!
Nope, I actually have not paid them anything at all yet. I would pay the full balance on arrival.
I haven't received my passport back yet, but I will check the validity as soon as it does. I will also shoot an email off to the FTO, and possibly call them tomorrow morning.
I'm off to florida in January and have enrolled with a flight school, now on the documents I have recieved it states that I must not book flights before obtaining my visa. Problem is I booked these flights a while ago! Is this going to cause me any problems with my visa application?
Nope. It's just that if you are not able to obtain your visa for some reason, the flights may not be refunded.
Cases like this, it's always best to get the bureaucratic showstoppers (medical, visa and TSA clearance) out of the way before committing any money in the undertaking.
then certainly the JAA system is going to be more rigorous, but if one was going to match competence to the actual requirements of IFR flight, there is no difference between the two. 
then certainly the JAA system is going to be more rigorous, but if one was going to match competence to the actual requirements of IFR flight, there is no difference between the two.
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