FAA conversion

[Tinstaafl]

The question was about converting to an FAA ie American licence, not JAA.

You'll need to ensure you meet the min hours requirements for the US commercial certificate. They're specified in the FARs, available online via the FAA's website. Look in Part 61.xxx. That's the section that deals with certificates.

You'll also need to do a Class 1 or 2 medical. There's loads of Drs in the US who can do them. Quick & simple & ~US$80.00 - 100.00 or so.

Pass the Commercial theory exam. It's a single exam, multi-choice. Easy to do using one of the commercially available exam prep books eg from Gleim, ASA or Jeppesen.

Pass a Commercial checkride. It has a few manoeuvres not done in the Oz licence. All items for the checkride are specified in the Practical Test Standard for the Commercial Certificate. Also available from Gleim, ASA, Jepp. et. al.

Pass the Instrument rating exam. Ditto exam prep from Gleim et. al

Pass the Instrument checkride. Ditto PTS from Gleim et al.


A shortcut if you have the hours is to go straight to the FAA ATP. Still the standard single exam + checkride however the ATP includes integral instrument rating privileges. You also get to avoid the FAA's unique CPL flight test manoeuvres.

NOTE: The US considers each category & class of aircraft to be a separate licence eg Single engine land, Single engine Sea, Multi engine land, Multi engine sea, rotorcraft etc. That means, for example, two flight tests/checkrides to get multi engine land *and* single engine land.

Again there are slight shortcuts. PPL & CPL have 'add on' specifications in the PTS so going from SEL to MEL, for example, doesn't mean you have to do every item in the CPL PTS - just those specified for the add on. ATP doesn't so it's the full test. No big deal. The ATP is just like an instrument rating test.

If you do it in something like an amphibian (and do both water & land take-offs/landings) you can get both land & sea in the one test for whatever licence you're trying for eg SEL + SES in one hit.

I had an ATP MEL that I did years ago while passing through the US from my Oz ATPL. When I moved here met the recurrency requirements by doing a combined ATP SEL & SES. Could have just done a BFR/instrument proficiency check but wanted singles on my US licence anyway.