Re: Flying in Europe with FAA License?
I have tried to get a validation in Spain and its more trouble than its worth and is only valid for a year anyway. From what I have found out over the last 6 months, its impossible to get credit for any prior experience and licences from the UK CAA and I will have to write all 14 examinations. As yet, there appears to be little in common within the JAA countries, despite the name. If I do the flight test in Spain it wont be valid in the UK anyway. I cant comment about the other member countries and would welcome any suggestion that other CAA's would grant some form of credit for experience or other licences.
I was hoping that having two ICAO ATP's, one of them issued by the FAA, would mean I could be exempt from doing all the examinations. After all, helicopter aerodynamics dont change when you cross a border, and if you can find the border, it means that your Nav and Met is probably up to scratch too. I have no problem doing Law or Ops etc. if its different from what I am familiar with, it is just a bit frustrating doing the same job, in the same type, in the same country, but not being able to fly the machine next to me because it has a different registration. Spain, in particular, has a law that says you may not act as PIC if you do not hold an EU passport. Does anyone know if there is another EU country with this law?
Enough whining. Good luck to those of you trying to get validations, I have given up.
Jab