Originally Posted by Genghis the Engineer
You can validate an FAA licence in the UK with a paperwork exercise and what
amounts to (in all but name) a UK air law and procedures oral exam. That will
let you fly G-reg aeroplanes, which will give you vastly more choice than
looking for N-reg aeroplanes. Eventually yes, shoot for the 100hr thing if you
are only going for PPL; if you are going for a professional licence, then don't
bother as an FAA PPL is good enough to start an EASA CPL course.
The licence conversion and class rating acceptance requirements made in Annex III to the Aircrew Regulation specify only 100 hours of flight time in category and class respectively (pdf
link Dec 2019 consolidated version, pp 227–228). The experience need not be as pilot-in-command. Any ICAO Annex 1-compliant PPL meets the licence pre-requisite for a Part-FCL CPL course. Appendix 3 to the Part-FCL refers.
The UK exemption E 4863 covering US airman certificates is
not a validation. A validation done in accordance with Annex III requires,
inter alia, 100 hours as pilot in the relevant category and a skill test. In the case of other ICAO Annex 1-compliant licences a declaration, suitable for specific non-commercial tasks when flying 28 or fewer days per calendar year, may be made. See form SRG2141 for UK. That declaration is not applicable when the aircraft operator is not resident/established in EU (UK) or when the aircraft does not have an EASA (UK Part-21) certificate of airworthiness or permit to fly.
Originally Posted by Genghis the Engineer
Also my understanding - as an aside, if you have either an EASA or FAA PPL,
basically all you need is paperwork and a short interview to get a reciprocal
Transport Canada PPL
Licensed pilots wishing to fly in Canada may seek a time-limited foreign licence validation certificate (see
AC 400-003), a non-convertible foreign-based private pilot licence, or a standard private pilot licence or licence of a higher class. A standard licence requires a flight test unless obtained in accordance with the US–Canada BASA–IPL. See subsection (8) in standard 421.26 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations.
NAV Canada publishes local weather area manuals for each forecast region (
link).
The US student visa requirement is adequately reviewed in US DOJ memorandum from the Office of the Executive Associate Commissioner dated 12 Apr 2002 (pdf
link).