A car in Florida

[genius747]

Hi all,
I will be going to florida (NAC) to do the ATPL grounds and CPL etc very soon.

From what I can gather one really needs a car to be able to function properly around Naples.

I have looked around the internet and I can find quite a few cheep old cars for around $1000 which I think will suit my needs, however I have no idea about the process of getting a Florida state driving liscence, insurance,tax, regestering the vehicle in my name etc...

So if anybody has any personal experience, or knows the correct paths to take I would really appreciate the information.

Thank you

G747

[SmilingKnifed]

The registration process is pretty easy, the buildings are also quite near NAC.

You'll get a bit of time in the first couple of weeks to sort it out.

[genius747]

wow hat was quick...
any more info on it? are you studing at NAC?

[eire_boy]

genius747

You can get a bike in Walmart for 80 bucks however if you do get sorted with a car the following links may be of use to you:

All you need to know about getting a drivers licence in FL (http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/html/dlnew.html)

Guide to driving in Florida (http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/handbooks/English/)

Watch your speed on the roads, the cops will show no mercy and be extra careful around school buses( traffic has to stop both sides of the road when the bus stops to pick up kids)

[heinzmanm]

Hi,
I am currently training in Vero Beach and bought a $1000 car 5 weeks ago.
If you don't want the hassle of getting a Florida drivers license, you don't actually need to bother in order to get insurance. Go through Progressive to insure your car and they will allow you to do so with an international driving license.
If you buy the car at a garage, they will sort the registration for you and it costs around $180.
Hope this helps

Matthew

[AndyDRHuddleston]

Hi Genius,

I'm here at NAC at the moment, and I can tell you from first hand experience that you do need a drivers licence, I was told at teh drivers licence office that an international drivers licence is only valid for 30 days if you are to become a temporary resident.

There is nothing to worry about at all though, It costs approx $25 to get and will involve two computer based tests (pass mark 70%), aswell as a really simple driving test. The tests are unbelievably easy, typical questions range from: What do you do at a stop sign? to What does this [railroad crossing sign] indicate?!

I used a rental car to do the test, and it was all done within 1.5 hrs. The actual driving test is equally as easy, takes approx 5 mins and will entail parking nose in, into a parking space, and then driving round the block!

Don't think anything of it, you will laugh when you are given it!

Cheerio

Andy

[Tinstaafl]

My driving test in Orlando was done on a small, fenced off track within the licencing mob's carpark. The track was a rectangle with a short dead end spur exending from one of the short sides. The 'road' was marked as a single lane in each direction with stop signs at each corner.

Drive in, stop on one of the long sides, accelerate to 20mph then stop within a certain distance when the examiner says "Stop", reverse in a straight line while staying within the lane, drive nose in to a cone-marked parking position, reverse out, drive around the track & into the spur, do a 3-point turn at the end of the spur then back to the 'real' car park. End of test. Only gears used were 1st & reverse.

[Air-Geko]

Florida licenses are one of the easiest ones to obtain (test-wise) and can be issued for much longer than the standard four years. The senior citizens that run the state want it no other way! I strongly suggest that you be very careful driving in that area -- Naples is where I was run off the road by a blue-hair who had no business being let out for a walk let alone being behind the wheel of a car...

(and I have the x-rays to prove it!)

Air-Geko

[Tinstaafl]

Driving 'techniques' that are endemic in FL:

* Don't signal. Ever. Even if you're jumping lanes, turning or trying to merge.

* Do drive at least 5 to 10 mph over the posted** speed limit, unless...

* ...You wish to drive in the overtaking lane when at or below the speed limit is required. You may ignore this rule **only** if you're maintaining position with a vehicle in the other lane and you ensure there is insufficient room for traffic to flow around your moving roadblock.

* Don't try to reverse/parallel park. The driver behind you will get confused on seeing both your indicator & reversing lights and will be forced to stop in the space you need to do the reverse-in part.

* You are encouraged to use your mobile phone while driving, especially if it will help you achieve any of the skills mentioned above, prevent you from moving off promptly when the light turns green or contribute to your normal weaving over the lane markings.


** By 'posted' they mean occasional & unobtrusive signage.