Gordy,
Thanks. We're both saying very similar/same thing. However, people when they talk about ICAO IR in the context of FAA licensing, they imply the IR on the foreign licence. The way I read the 61.153, it's not explicit that it can be mix&matched between (d)(1) and (d)(3).
You don't want him to meet DPE who'd read it the way I did 24hrs ago and then him not having printout of the interpretation at hand.
zlocko,
You'd need at least FAA class 3 medical for any FAA checkride, since you're acting as PIC (they have 3 levels, PPL, CPL, ATP), but may as well do ATP medical and it'd run till whenever the PPL would run till, after the end of ATP or CPL validity. You'd need ATP medical later on anyway, so in the same sense of people checking them meeting JAR Class 1 reqs before embarking on integrated course. Good news, as you probably know, you can do it with any FAA authorised AME, available on their website, for many countries around the world. That way you could probably do it in your country's capital or nearby. If you pass military medical and JAA Class 1, you'll definitely pass any FAA medical.
For the 500hrs FAA XC, fixed wing time counts as well, but then it's 50nm+. In case you're short of the helicopter time due to doing shorter trips. Overwater SAR will be no-go, as you'd not have landed (unless some platform
a la oil rig, that has fixed location). I suggest drawing 25nm circle around your base/s on chart and run through logbook, highlight/mark the entries that qualify, do running total and once you hit the mark, it's done. It's your responsibility to have proof and DPE's doing rides with foreigners have been known to ask for it if they have suspicion. The excel, hmm, not sure. I'd say if you mark entries in logbook and keep little running total on those pages, that should be enough. Putting rough distance to the furthest landing would be a bonus. FAA pilots don't need FAA XC for part 135 crosscountry but tend to run the FAA XC in column, for later use for CPL/IR and more importantly, ATP, aiming for airlines. Too late, I know..
Maybe if you go though the XC column in your logbook and discount any shorter XC trips, total, then you got FAA qualifying/countable XC time.
Also do check the long XC part with multiple stops/approaches under IFR plan with instructor. Something that may not have been done the way FAA like it. Worst scenario is that you do longer flight and get that one out of way, after some sim refresher if needed and voila, your 3hrs minimum training before checkride is done.
Jet Ranger,
You're wrong. If you read the interpretation I posted and also recent Gordy's post, you'd see that ANY ICAO IR (Which includes FAA and the D1 and D3 of 61.153 can be mix&matched) would do, even if not added to the same Aviation Authority's CPL.
If I want to be technical, the 15hrs mentioned in 40hrs of total minimum instrument training, don't even have to be in helicopter. They have to be with helicopter FAA CFII and can also be in fixed wing aircraft. It's all in the regs.