Hi all,
What you will need to do is go to the FAA website and download the forms regarding FOREIGN LICENCE VALIDATION complete these forms and fax them back to the FAA, it says on the website this may take up to 90 days to process, mine however took less than two weeks and i don't know of any of my friends having to wait more than three or four weeks.
What you will receive from the FAA is not immediate validation but just a letter stating they recognise you have a licence and that when you are in the States they will give you an interview to see if you are safe enough for your licence yo be validated. Seems scary huh travelling to the US with no more than a promise of an interview? However you'll be pleased to know if you have a decent command of the English language then this will just be a formality. Best of all (and this is a general feature of aviation in America) all of this is FREE.
However for us lucky people in the UK there is a another step: you will hace to get in touch with the Campaign Against Aviation and fill in seperate forms, these should not take long to process however...that's right u guessed it there is an 'adminisrative' fee to pay.
Anyways really not a problem, shouldn't need more than 3 weeks, if you get stuck ring the CAA or FAA or both. From my experience flying in the States is more relaxing, safer, cheaper, easier, friendly and generally better. Have fun and i hope this helps.
Oh yeah to answer your origional questions...you do not need a VISA if you will be there less than 90 days AND are not hoping to gain any qualification or rating. In 90 days if you were in any hurry at all you could probably fly at least 300 hours obviously depending on the availability of aircraft.
Same goes for the TSA...only if you plan to do a rating or qualification will you need to do a TSA.
Last edited by yellowsubmarine; 9th Jan 2008 at 20:28.
Reason: forgot to mention