instructing across the pond

[trickyDicky]

does anyone know if u can do a UK AFIC course in the USA? Could u simply do the FAA CPL exams? Are they tough like ours ?(UK) could this lead to an instruction job in the states where i hear u can boost your hours a lot quicker than instructing here? Whats the pros and cons? What about a good AFIC School in the uk? Know of any? All ideas and suggestions welcome.........cheers

[Oleo]

Unfortunately you can't do a UK AFIC in the USA. The only way to be able to work here is to find an employer willing to sponsor you (very unlikely). To do this the employer has to show there are no US citizens who can do the job.

Other than that, if you have no more than a PPL you can fork out $25,000 and get your school to issue a J1 visa which allows you to get work experience afterwards for about a year. A friend did this and then married a USA citizen so he could stay.

If you do come the exams are easy - the FAA in its wisdom publishes all the Q's & A's for you to study from! ;)

[squeakmail]

"You can't do a UK AFIC in the USA"....you certainly could at one time...is this a JAA thing?

[trickyDicky]

Do i assume u really cant do a UK AFIC course in the US then? Somebody, could u clarify this?

[europhobe]

There were 2 schools in Florida which could continue CAA instructor ratings under an interim arrangement until June 30th this year, when rumour has it a final decision will be made on JAA training outside Europe.
However if you then want to work in the US you will first need the appropriate Visa, which one of the above schools is unlikely to obtain for you.
Also to instruct legally you will need appropriate FAA ratings aswell as your CAA ratings. Are you prepared to go the expense of this ?

[alexander]

tricky dicky...in reply to your query...i have FAA instructor ratings..and i have instructed in the states for the last year building about 500 hrs in 12 months and i wasnt going at it full on...its not that expensive...you should get in touch with a school...who will then be able to evaluate what you will be required to do to as far as getting a CPL(faa) and the your CFI...its not a bad idea as if you dont get your UK ATP sorted its quite possible to left out in the cold by new JAR regs...so get the flight time you need and get the UK ATP asap...if you need more info get in touch on my e-mail..best of luck

[squeakmail]

A cute little loophole used by some is that if you are teaching for a CAA RATING...and have nothing to do with teaching towards an FAA rating..the FAA will accept your UK instructor qualifications...even in N reg aircraft flying around the USA.

You cannot, however, authorise ANY solo work by the student...so you MIGHT not be much use to a US school. Having said that, if you were teaching IMC ratings or twin ratings...it wouldn't matter...and if you had all the required UK ratings and wished to teach for IMC ( a UK only qualification, remember) you may be able to qualify for a special skills visa...and be allowed to work there.....if a school (that teaches CAA courses) will 'sponsor' you.

On the other hand, sign up with some company like Comair, Embry-Riddle blah, blah blah and enrol under a student visa (J1, is it?) then you would be alowed to continue working as an FAA certfied instructor for some two years..I think (don't quote me on that...ask the schools).

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LIVE in peace...or REST in it!

[Meeb]

Squeakmail, your information is not correct. I instructed only UK commercial students in the states, I needed a FAA ATP and CFI ratings.

['I' in the sky]

Squeakmail, I would be interested to know who told you of this little loophole, and when.
The following are all FACTS.

The FAA initiated action against two instructors at a CAA approved school in the US, one of whom had FAA and CAA ratings, the other having CAA only, as a result of a student for a CAA PPL flying solo.

The case against the instructor with CAA ratings only was that he had given instruction to the student prior to flying solo, which they regarded as instruction towards first solo, and that he had no right to give this instruction. The case against the insructor with both sets of ratings was that he had authorised the students first solo without having covered all the required elements himself, but took into consideration instruction given by the CAA licenced colleague which was not acceptable.

Could it be that even after this, the owner of this school is still BSing and putting other peoples licences at risk ? Don't let him sucker you too . If the **** hits the fan he'll leave you to carry the can.

[squeakmail]

It was a small group of people in the USA who are collectively known as the Federal Aviation Administration.

I DID SAY that are limitations to your use - I DID SAY you cannot authorise any kind of solo work - I DID SAY that you may not be of sufficient use to a flying school to be hired by them as an instructor.

I also said that you do not need to be an FAA rated CFI in order to instruct students for the issue of a CAA licence...even if flying N registered aircraft in American airspace....and I meant it.

I have been the target of an investigation by the FAA and they went away very content that I had not broken any of their regulations. However, I say again, the part that I could play in the tuition of these students was very limited, very limited indeed.

Now, consider the part of my original posting again, that says..."teaching IMC or multi ratings"...you DO NOT need an FAA instructor rating.

I think it's a b****y good idea to have one, I'm just saying, in passing, that you do not need one - in law.

In insurance terms...well, that's another matter.

Meeb...any comments?

IintheSky...no, it wasn't either Adrian or Steve. It was just little old me.

[Meeb]

Squeakmail, ok you have a point, on reflection I seem to remember the rules do say what you are saying. However, you go on to to say that you do not think it is a good idea, but then state that you have done it? Doh! You are not making sense bud! When I worked in the states as a UK instructor my employer would not let me near a student until I had my FAA ATP & CFI rating, and it was BA cadets I was training, only to a UK licence. If a school in the US allows Brit instructors to do this type of thing then I think that is sufficient reason for instructors to aviod it at any cost. I also would urge any students thinking of training at such a school to think hard before doing so, if they are willing to bend this rule, what else are they bending? I beleive an instructor should hold all the necessary qualifications for the country in which he/her is flying. This holds for UK training in the states too, anyone training UK students at a US school should have experience of the UK, and the licence, otherwise they do not know to what standard they are training their students. I put this to one of the first US schools to offer UK training and met with a firm rebuke "why should we employ UK instructors when we do not need to", my answer to that was as I have stated above, but it fell on deaf ears. My position was vindicated shortly thereafter when I needed to check out some of that schools PPL holders, nothing major wrong, but no idea of the UK, had to go over all the basics again, and the standard of flying/airmanship was 'poor'.

Sorry, got of the subject a wee bit, but there you go.

['I' in the sky]

In the case I refered to,the point the instructor with CAA only ratings tried to make was that he wasn't instructing towards the student's first solo, as this authorisation would be given by the instructor with both sets of ratings, and that this was also how it would be done in the UK where as an AFI, he would have to let a FI authorise the first solo. This is what the FAA did not accept saying that ALL instruction prior to first solo was instruction towards first solo - if that makes sense.

Sqeakmail, you seem to know who I was looking for.

Meeb, you're right. Plenty about this school was bent. Unfortunately it holds CAA approvals which give it a plausible banner of respectability.