Illegal flight training at OFT

[stevehudd]

Well...I did my 4 week course in 2006...
And guess what?...I've just got an email may 2008 saying they (afsp/TSA) have only just recieved my fingerprints...
Apparantly I hadnt been approved training...The flight school OFT took me for my fingerprints the day before the flight training...They should have known that it would take 2 years!!! for my fingerprints to get approved...Now I think I have problems legally thanks to OFT...I did every instruction that OFT sent me via Emails...
Has anyone else had ths problem?

#I mean come on 2 years to recieve fingerprints?

[Mercenary Pilot]

Sounds like a :mad:-up, it should only take a short period of time for the fingerprinting to go through. I'm taking it that your licence has been issued by now, so if that's the case I wouldn't worry about it.


Have the TSA e-mailed you?

[leeds 65]

Dont worry at all mate.just contact afsp on the phone with your training request number.for me it was something to do with required docs,i dont think i sent all the info.they contacted me 6 months after i left.it was more my fault then the schools.afsp will validate it for you,just follow what they tell you.

[stevehudd]

@merconary yeah the tsa said "We will contact you if we need more information" please re-submit your training request" "we are aware that the training has taken place"
But that's not saying what I asked...I asked if I did anythhing illegal...All I'm worried about is going back into the USA and being arrested for something..

Like you said a minimum of maybe 3 weeks to process which means OFT shouldnt have even told me to get the fingerprints on arrival the day before flight training...It would take a while for me to collate all these emails...

[stevehudd]

Hi Leeds, Would I need to bother filling in any info now? as I've already been and they said my training request will cancel tommorrow.

[nich-av]

Fingerprints do not need to be "approved", they just need to be submitted.

What you need to receive when you submit your fingerprints is a confirmation of fingerprint receipt by the AAAE that confirms that they have received it prior to starting training.

A possible explanation is that OFT sent them the fingerprints only 2 years later... another one is that AAAE might have messed up.

Now, whether you can face charges depends on who's got the responsibility for the delay.

Look out of your apartment window and tell me if you see any guys wearing black suits & sunglasses... if so you're in deep sh*t :ok:

[Mercenary Pilot]

I think if they do have any issues, they will be directed at the school. If you didn't have the clearance, they shouldn't have trained you. The chances of any repercussions against you I would say are extremely remote.

In defence of the flight schools, it's a silly system that they have to contend with. Fingerprinting can be done on arrival if the original paperwork is completed earlier but even then it used to take 1 week to process them. I'm not sure what the current regs are though.

[leeds 65]

relax your not in any trouble what so ever.oft were not at fault for me.when i spoke to the tsa on the phone they said that i had to just resubmit my application(which involved pressing a few buttons) and then send a scanned document.when you resubmit you have to pick a future date you cant pick the same dates that you were there for(similar to booking airline flights,you cant book a flight for last august).In effect on there system you will begin training at some point in the future even though you were there in the past.they just want to submit a valid application for you.very helpful and friendly,talking to them on the phone is best.

[stevehudd]

Thanks you guys, I'm relieved a little bit :)...I will resubmit it then...I think I have to pay again though but will just see where it takes me :)

[leeds 65]

I didnt pay again,you shouldnt either.all i changed were dates

[stevehudd]

I tried to do it again it keeps saying error please reload page...I tried lots of times but I guess it doesnt matter anymore...I'll finish my PPL in Canada :)...Thanks for the relief though...as I didnt want to get in trouble :)

[Pjlot]

"Illegal flight training at OFT"


Thats a pretty strongly worded heading at first appearences!

[BigGrecian]

Technically the responsibility lies with both school and student.
It CLEARLY (In block CAPITALS) states in the email saying they have received your fingerprints that you may not commence flight training.

Be careful, if it's an FAA issued licence and they get wind of it, they are within their right to revoke it if they find out any training was done illegally.

The chances of this are pretty slim however. :ok:

[stevehudd]

Yes biggrecian but I am from the UK and I followed OFT's List of instructions and I thought it said go to Florida and you get your fingerprints done there and begin training...They took me in the car to do this and the same person took me back to the school desk and knew I was training the same day and she was the main receptionist. I'll search the emails now I think.