Training with FAA CFI

[AvEnthusiast]

Hello Gents,

I would like to know if it's possible to get PPL, or CPL or any training with a FAA Certified instructor for related rating outside US, I mean on individual basis and when the instructor deems you ready plan for a trip to USA and have FAA practical tests.

Regards,
AvEnthusiast

[IO540]

With your location in Afganistan you will get some funny comments (both here and from the U.S. TSA agency) .

[Orbifly]

Hello

Yes you can, and even the checkride as long as we keep our european DPE, which is a very professional guy.
So you do not need to plan a trip to USA for the final test.

There are several FAA schools in Europe, our is ORBIFLY www.orbifly.com (http://www.orbifly.com) and obviously if you ask me I'll say it's the best for FAA PPL-CPL-IR-ATPL trainings :-) but there are some others which are probably also pretty good !

Prior to the training you will have to get a TSA approval for your PPL and for your IR.

Ar you really in Afganistan or is that just a joke ?
Because if you are, why don't you just plan to do the whole training in the US ?

Alexandra
ORBIFLY

[sternone]

Yes you can, and even the checkride as long as we keep our european DPE, which is a very professional guy.
So you do not need to plan a trip to USA for the final test.

Except if you are going for your first FAA rating, then you have to go to the USA to do the practical test. So no you cannot.

[IO540]

I did my FAA PPL in the UK; it's possible.

What I think is not possible is training totally ab initio outside the USA because one is then flying wholly on the privileges of the U.S. Student Pilot Certificate which (IIRC) is valid only in the USA. I haven't checked this out though.

Most European pilots doing FAA licenses in Europe already hold a European license which entitles them to be legally PIC on the training and the checkride.

[Orbifly]

Dear Sternone,

What do you mean by "first FAA rating" ?

Even your initial PPL can be done in Europe, no problem for that.

Only the license validation process may require a short trip to the US (but this can also be avoided in some cases).

Best regards to all

Alexandra
ORBIFLY

[AvEnthusiast]

Dear OrbiFly,

Yes I'm in Afghanistan. And I sent an e-mail to Orbyfly for receiving a fact sheet for International Students. But have a glance at the website I didn't see if the have PPL programs as well. Anyway I'm on the way of opening a flying club in Afghanistan and I'm with limited budget, so I was considering if I can have the training in my own club. any intersted members to help the formation of Afghan Flying Club are welcome. www.afghanflyingclub.com (http://www.afghanflyingclub.com) or can send me a private message for further contact details.

Regards,
AvEnthusiast

[englishal]

I hear the CIA offer special "loans" to people wishing to fly in Afghanistan;)

We were once approached by an "Afghan" in the USA who made a very generous offer that we could fly C130's (unmarked) into small private dirt strips for tremendous amounts of CASH........seriously.:eek: We considered it but never phoned the number we were given - Maybe I could have that Twin Star now had I done so :ooh: (or be dead of course)

[AvEnthusiast]

Hi Englishal,

I'm not sure if it's true. because I search for every possible way to fly and almost involved everyday in the research. But I would be gald if more info is provided on this because contacting CIA is not an easy issue.

Regards,
AvEnthusiast

[sternone]

Well AvEnthusiast, good luck with your flying club! Tell me what are the Avgas prices over there ? How's the weather ? Lot's of turbulence in the afternoon ?

[IO540]

Have you people seen this man's website? It's an amazing project, in a country which - according to the news media here - is a total war zone.

[englishal]

It certainly is amazing, and I wish them every luck. I must admit it would be rather fun to fly over there. How safe is it I wonder? We were lead to believe that it can be sort of dangerous. Perhaphs high vis jackets are a bad idea?

Interestingly here are the approach plates for Kabul in case anyone wants to brush up before a flying hol over there:

http://motca.gov.af/plates.htm

Good luck ;)

[IO540]

Just looked up the approach plate for Kabul OAKB in Jeppview - it is amazing. SSA 17500feet. I have read that Afghanistan has some of the most amazing scenery in the world. How these people can set up a flying club there, I find amazing. As is the Afghan CAA website.

[scooter boy]

Last time I was in Kabul in '97 there was a lot of aviation debris around Bagram airport.
Broken airliners and fighter planes littered the place.
My Ariana Afghan Airlines 727 out of there crashed in Jalalabad on the sector prior to landing at Kabul so I had to hitch a lift with the ICRC in a King Air over the Khyber Pass to Peshawar in Pakistan in order to get back to the UK.

It truly is a beautiful spot but I don't think they'll be opening for package tours until the Taliban have all gone to meet Allah (couldn't happen soon enough IMHO) and several million landmines have been cleared away.

Beautiful country but with unimaginably massive infrastructure problems.

SB :)

[AvEnthusiast]

Hello Gents,

Thank for showing your interest on the Afghan issue. Let me tell you one thing and I'm sure that you all know that what medias are behind usually and what they are trying to broadcast! It's not tatally a war zone. although the situation dithered recently. and we are facing many difficulties as we have not been able to receive the club permit since early 2005, but we have many good things which a developed country might have. BTW, thanks for your Wishes and persuasive comments.

Regards,
AvEnthusiast

[IO540]

One thing that comes to mind is this: The US Air Force has a lot of people in it who are certified instructors (CFI/CFII perhaps) and who could do legal FAA acceptable training in their spare time. Might be worth investigating.

Otherwise (I have sent you a PM) you have the usual FAA training options which we Europeans have. Get training done with any ICAO authorised instructor, meeting the FAA part 61 requirements (all in the FAR/AIM book), then get the last few hours done with an FAA CFI/CFII and get signed off as ready for the checkride, then get an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner to come over and do the checkride.

You will need U.S. TSA approval for any instructor doing FAA specific training - definitely the last few hours and the checkride.

Or, of course, you could just go to the USA and do it all there but then you need to get the U.S. M1 Visa which has a bunch of other issues...

People all over the world are doing/getting FAA training. The vast majority of world's aviation is done under FAA rules.

Currently, there are restrictions imposed by the FAA on FAA examiners doing checkrides in Europe and as a result their availability seems strictly limited - to maybe one or two people at most. This situation has varied hugely, up and down, over the last few years. I have no idea whether there are restrictions on examiners going out to Afhghanistan.

If you need, I could ask a few contacts for you (FAA examiners) to see if they would like a trip to Kabul. But they would need the permission of the FAA office in New York.

[BroomstickPilot]

Hi AvEntheusiast,

I think trying to start any flying club from scratch is an immense undertaking, even in a settled and wealthy country that has not been ravaged by war.

To do this in Afghanistan under current conditions and bearing in mind its recent history is an incredible undertaking.

I am sure that everybody on Pprune would wish you all good fortune in your endeavours.

Broomstick.

[IO540]

EGKB DCT DET04 N601 DET W70 KOK L607 RUDUS L984 OKL M748 BODAL L984 DIBED B490 LIV B493 PEVUK W613 KOROP B493 BA A87 AKT B363 KUNAS B440 TABUN R373 LBA A299 RAPTA B442 SERGO M696 MURAD DCT OAKB

3170nm on a plausible airways route. That's 4 legs to make it easy, and avgas could get interesting. Even more interesting would be the overflight permit across Iran?