cujo do you have FAA certificates?
if so, dont bother going.
There was a long thread on pprune on the issue of converting licenses etc, do a search, you will get a lotta info.
if you have ICAO (i.e. ZS license), be it CPL or ATP , the FAA will issue you a PPL based on that foreign license, with same ratings, meaning ASEL or AMEL etc, but not IFR.
Also , the PPL is only valid in conjunction with and for as long as foreign license is valid. With this PPL, you can test directly for your FAA ATP, but no aircraft ratings eg. B190 or C500 etc will be transferred to FAA certificate.
If you have FAA certificate, CPL or ATP, you can get a validation in South Africa only. This is valid for one year, or as long as FAA certificate is valid. But it limits you tremendously, you cannot add any rating to this validation. THus if you get a job in RSA with validation of FAA ATP, and you need to do type rating on eg B737, you cant. You have to go back to USA, do type there , add to your FAA certificate, go back to RSA, get new validation etc.....
I lost 4 type ratings going from RSA to USA: C208, F406, B190 and C500...its really hurting me now, cant afford to add them and FAA wont , losing out on jobs beacuse of it.
On a lighter note, I went to 43 Airshool, Its probably the best school in RSA, never mind what people will say. You live eat, breathe and sleep aviation while youre there. My instructor and one class mate are now flying for Cathay, another buddy in Dubai on jets, another on ATR another on B190 etc....good place, but ask for older instructor like Mike Orchard, hes great
" I lika Mika!"
or Mike Bundy if hes still there, or the chief instructor, Steve Goodrich, PM me if you want more info.
Stevie G will remember me....maybe thats not a good thing
oh yeah, you aked about exams, you will need to study and then write ATP (duh) then go and do flight test with FAA DE, I selfstudied with Gleim ATP course, and did a 4 day ATP test-prep course with AL ATP's
www.allatps.com
very fast, steep learning curve, but worth it. also plenty bucks....
then come s the sitting around trying to get a job...been told 4 times in the last 10 days since I'm not American, not gonna get hired, one guy didnt even want to talk to me, told his secretary to tell me! BUt there is work out there....somewhere
