US PPL

[vandereydt]

Hi there,
Just a question, I live in Belgium, have a Belgian PPL (European).

I need a US PPL since I own a N-reg plane, what is the easiest way to get one?

I know easy is three weeks holidays in ???

thanks

Ronny

[Whopity]

I think you have answered your own question but, a word of caution. Your Belgian National PPL will cease to exist after April 2012 when EASA FCL comes into force. You will then have to obtain an EASA licence. Any FAA Certificate obtained on the back of your Belgian Licence will no longer be valid so I suggest you convert to a JAA licence first, then obtain your FAA Restricted Certificate which unfortunately will require a short trip to the USA as well as a validation from the Belgian DGAC.

[vandereydt]

Thanks for your reply,

I am sorry I was not correct, my PPL is a current JAA version so that is safe.

But from "local experts" I understood that I have two possibilities.

a. getting as you describe some sort of authorisation based on my current license and yes this requires indeed a trip to the US. But this has some restrictions (which ones ???)

b. alternative is going for a full US PPL, which would require exams etc etc. I was wondering if there is a way of doing these exams here in Europe (preferably Belgium) And would I be allowed short cuts because of the JAA PPL which I car.

There are many N reg planes flying around here, I am wondering how do these people to that

thanks
Ronny

[dublinpilot]

If I owned an N reg aircraft I would not go for a piggy back FAA Airmans certificate. Every few years the regs change which means that an Airmans certificate based on foreign licence becomes invalid.
eg. English Language tests recently, and the change to the credit card style. My own PPL number changed recently invalidating my FAA based on. Add to that any address change will invalidate it.

The based on cert is great for those of us going on holidays in the US, but if you own and regularly fly an N-reg aircraft, than you really should get a stand alone FAA PPPL.

I'd go and get the full FAA PPL. Sorry. Can't help with what training/test that will involve.

[172driver]

Don't go down the piggyback route, especially if you own an N-reg. Go to the US and do a standalone FAA license.

The piggyback is OK for short-term flying in the US, otherwise it's a house of cards that may come tumbling down any minute - especially with EASA looming on the horizon.

[vandereydt]

thanks guys, I was afraid I was going to get this answer.

Maybe there i a way to do some parts out of Europe.

Thanks

Ronny

[BackPacker]

On the odd chance that this is not a troll (which I suspect it is)...

You don't need a three-week period to obtain a standalone PPL. A few days should be sufficient. All training leading to your Belgian PPL is recognised as valid so what you will only need to do is:
- Do the single FAA PPL written exam (note that this might require some preparation, particularly some intimate time with the FAR-AIM)
- Get some refresher training, particularly on the few maneuvers that are in the FAA syllabus but not the JAA syllabus. E.g. turns around a point
- Do the five hours plus the solo stop-and-goes for the night qualification
- Do the FAA PPL skills test
All this should be doable in just a few days.

Do note that in all likelihood you'll need an M-1 visa and TSA clearance.

[Whopity]

In general I'd agree with the others but now that the change to the plastic licence and the English language certification have happened, there is not much that will affect a "Restricted" Certificate. I have used one for over 15 years with no problem. As you have a JAA licence the number is not likely to change under EASA unless you change your State of issue.

A point to note is that the FAA Pilot Certificate includes no RT privileges outside the USA and you need a FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Certificate as well to operate in other countries. You can get that on line for about $60.

[Zulu Alpha]

The US licence also allows you to night fly if you have the required hours of training and currency. The piggyback one only allows you the same as your existing PPL. So getting a standalone US PPL will allow you to night fly in an N reg. I don't know whether local regulations in Belgium over rule this but it might be worth checking.

So when you go to the US make sure you do some of your hours training at night and then you will have this on your US licence. From memory its only 2-3 hrs training, but do check as I may be out of date.

[Justiciar]

Vandereydt

I spoke to these people a while ago when I waas thinking of switching my piggy back licence to a full FAA PPL.

FAA Facility (http://www.willowair.co.uk/WillowAir/FAA_Facility.html)

They were very helpful and at the time you could do the skills test in the UK. It might be helpfult o give them a call to understand the process. You do still need TSA (?) approval or registration. There must be similar facilities in the rest of europe.

[B2N2]

Vandereydt,

The US PPL "based on a foreign PPL" is called "restricted" since it carries the restrictions of the foreign license.
On a standalone US PPL you can fly SE aircraft up to 12,500 lbs (5700 kg) which is higher then a European PPL. In the US the night flying is included, in Europe it is not.
So a "based on" US PPL carries all the restrictions of the original license it is based on.

Do not underestimate the US PPL. In my experience the average European pilot needs around 15 hrs of training before they are ready for a check ride with a US examiner.

3hrs Night
3 hrs simulated instrument
Becoming familiar with the local area
Getting familiar with airports in the vicinity that could be used for the check ride
Getting familiar with the US ground reference maneuvers
Getting to a check ride standard with short/soft field operations, traffic patterns, stalls etc etc etc.
Radio communications


And not to forget all the ground work, you do need to pass an oral examination. I've seen loads of people not even make it through the oral simply because they gave the "European" answer to an "American " question.
Airspace is different, rules & regulations can be subtly different eg oxygen requirements.

[tasa]

I would like to get FAA PPL based on my JAA CPL. Could someone explain process and paper work required. Is it possible to transfer ratings, in my case MEP, IR/SE and IR/ME, to FAA PPL. Thanks.

[Justiciar]

B2N2

Is it right that you don't need to pass the written exam if you have an ICAO (eg JAA) PPL?

You do of course need the FAA Class 2 medical, which you can certainly get doe I the UK and I am sure that there must be AMEs in continental Europe as well.

[AdamFrisch]

You have to do it all.

1. Night hours: You need 3 minimum.
2. FAA exam: 60 questions done on a computer and you must have a 70% pass rate.
3. FAA medical: Class 3 is all you need.
4. Oral: Do not underestimate this. The DPE (examiner) will not go easy on you just because you have a JAA license. The oral often takes up to 2 hrs, so be prepared.
5. Cross country. You must have at least 5 hrs of cross country as defined by the FAA: 50nm. In many countries, like in the UK, the cross country is slightly undefined and anything away from your home field is pretty much a cross country flight. So you need to have some longer flights in there. Most of my old Swedish XC's were defined as 25nm back in the days, so they didn't count either. Luckily, I had enough other ones.
5: Checkride.


Also plan on prob 15-20hrs instruction to get used to the US regs, depending on how busy the area you fly in is and how out of touch you are with power on stalls, turns around a point and all that stuff you probably haven't done in a while. I'm up to 20 hrs myself now, but then I fly in the LA basin out of Santa Monica, so it's a pretty high workload in this airspace.

But not to put you off - flying in the US is very rewarding. There's over 450 airfields in California alone and similar numbers can be found in other states - it really is GA friendly and supportive when compared to Europe. So see your training as an adventure rather than a stressed goal to get the license as fast as possible.

[Justiciar]

Useful info guys, thanks. So where in the US would you recommend doing a PPL if you already have a JAA PPL? Somewhere other than Florida! What books, DVDs etc would you recommend to a European?

[172driver]

Southern California! Anywhere in the L.A. area, especially if you like a challenge:
- some of the busiest airspace anywhere
- anything from sea level to 10k ft+ mountains
- wx that ranges from coastal fog to 40kt+ winds in the high desert

IMHO some of the most rewarding flying anywhere (e.g. night VFR over L.A. is simply stunning).

[B2N2]

Somewhere other than Florida

What is wrong with Florida?
We have:


Everglades
Miami skyline
Marathon and Key West
Tampa Bay
Orlando & Disney at night
Gorgeous absolutely massive CB's (tops @ FL 650)
Fantastic beaches



Alligator flips plane.......Alligator May Have Caused Experimental Plane To Flip In Lake Jesup - News Story - WFTV Orlando (http://www.wftv.com/news/15843677/detail.html)

[Whopity]

On a standalone US PPL you can fly SE aircraft up to 12,500 lbs (5700 kg) which is higher then a European PPL.Incorrect. There is no weight limit on a JAA SEP or even a MEP rating in Europe.

[Justiciar]

What is wrong with Florida?

The very thought of being within 200 miles of "Disney" is a good reason for going somewhere else! Having never been my views are based entirely on prejudice unsupported by any hard evidence or personal experience!! It is simply not somewehere that has ever appealed to me. Having said that I felt the same before I went to Vagus and was pleasantly surprised - and got some flying in. :ok: so, I am prepared to be convinced.