JAA TO FAA (w/ Green Card) Help

[SextanteUK]

Hi folks,

1st of all sorry if this is not the best place for the post, but i didn't know where to add it exactly. And 2nd, before explaining my doubts, i'd like to clarify that i've been reading a lot, and using the search option as well, but still have a bunch of doubts, that's me sorry :E

So, I'm an ATPL frozen with 300h, i got all my certificates in Spain. And recently i won in the green card lottery, thing that i wasn't expecting. I went to USA 5 years ago, so i know how it works with the fsdo, etc...but hat was just with the PPL as you will know. I Know that i basiclly have to pass written exams for CPL/ME/IR, oral exams too, and also of course the checkrides for each one.
1.-Am i right?

Then i know a verification must be sent from my aviaiton authorities, minimum 90 days before going there. The thing here is that initially i'll live with a friend in washingtong dc, but i really don't know where i'll do all the conversion process.
2.-Could i send that verification, and once there just manage with them my posible change of state?

I'm pretty sure this info is somewhere around pprune, but i didn't find it or at least i didn't get the point:ugh:


So if someone can iluminate my shadows i'd appreciate it. thanks a lot guys :ok:

[MartinCh]

You have to know where you'll physically be, to get the validation.
Besides, you said you did it before. There's no CPL to CPL validation anyway.
So unless you mean it in terms of IR privileges, why not just use your PPL validation?
Unless the licence numbers etc changed, meaning you have to redo it.

There's no advantage of having IR added to validation unless you actually want to exercise those rights without doing the FAA IR checkride. If you're relocating to USA, then you still have to do the few hours before checkride at least and the checkride for IR. It'd be only good to do the validation if you were shooting for ATP. Not your case.

On a side note. Your mention of 'recently', you mean the DV-2013 results of which are available past 7 days? If you have very high (over 20 000) case number, you may not be able to sort the paperwork before deadline. Over 30k, you may as well forget it. You'd also need someone to provide the affidavit of support, US based individual/company.

[SextanteUK]

Hi MartinCh, thanks for your reply!

As I said i was totally lost. And i knew about the fsdo procedure because i went there one summer, but still lost though.

The intention is to work as a pilot there of course, so how should i do it then? like any other local student but flying less hours since i have 300h?

And yes, the DV 2013, fortunately I have a low number, 3xxx, so i shouldn't have any problem. i cros my fingers! :8

[SextanteUK]

and abou the a.of support, i have one person there and some family in N.Y, besides i have my savings, wich are more than enough in terms of the interview, around 20k dollars...

[SextanteUK]

anyone else has more info?

I have 300h, frozen ATPL, and I need everything except the PPL, since is just a convalidation. Anyone know how many hours should i fly apart from the writen/oral/flight exams?

Thanks guys, I already wrote to a couple of US FTO's but still waiting for the answer.

[Tinstaafl]

You have a CPL. That's what's written on your licence, and that's what the FAA will see when they eventually get the Authority's confirmation.

You need to read FAR 61 and compare the required hours for an FAA CPL with your current experience. Make sure you check the definitions about what counts as x-country and the like.

Presuming you meet the experience requirements you will need to:

* Go through the TSA approval process.
* Do a medical. Cheap & easy.
* Study for, and sit, the CPL theory exam ('knowledge test' in US parlance). You'll need an instructor recommendation ('sign off') to sit the exam but the exam is pretty easy. You can self study for it and no requirement to attend a theory course.
* Do whatever training is needed to pass the CPL flight test ('check ride). Note that what is tested is a bit different to the UK. If you want both single engine & multi engine privileges at Commercial level then that will be *two* checkrides.
* Ditto exam & checkride for the IR

[zondaracer]

Just check out Part 61 of the CFR

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: (http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&rgn=div5&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.1.2&idno=14#14:2.0.1.1.2.2.1.4)

Specifically the requirements for an instrument rating and commercial certificate.
61.65
61.129

Take a look at the 250NM cross country. One leg has to be 250NM, not the whole cross country.

Watch out for schools that want to milk you for money.

Congrats on getting a green card, I am sure there are some jealous folks out there :ok:

[Another]

off topic response to SextanteUK
congrats on the green card.

before you go on your mission converting you licenses, i just wanted to check you were aware of hiring minimums at US regional airlines? (and the slightly different industry hiring dynamics in the US)

you may have this totally worked out already but comes to a surprise to some that regional airlines currently want 700-1000hrs TT + 100hrs multi time....
(and increasing due to the expected 1500hr rule)

unless you have the cash to hourbuild, flight instruction is the way forward :-)
best of luck!

[SextanteUK]

thanks for the congrats guys! :ok:

i already got a reply from one of the schools i wrote to. so the joke would be around 18k dollars, including accomodation, all the exams, some instruction, and also the flight instructor course, so not bad i guess, i'll keep asking in different schools to compares prices....

about the 1500h thing, i know it, but US is US for me, i know some stuff is much better here in Europe, but I always wante to live there. so time to be flight instructor? no problem. actuall with so so many flight schools it looks """""easy""""" to find a CFI job. and apparently my JAA licence could help with that since a lot of schools work with indian and chinese people, and offer them JAA. i don't know, we'll see....

and apart from the 1500h i've seen that a lot of places ask for a degree, so at the same time i'll study one. here the minimum is 4 years with bologna. there you can make it in 2 or 3 with an associate bachelor. i need to check everything, huge country, so many possibilities

[zondaracer]

$18,000 sounds pretty steep. In my opinion, they are trying to milk you. When you get to the US, just go visit the local flight schools and compare. No need to travel somewhere to get the training you need for the conversion. $18,000 seems way too much. Or better yet, find an independent flight instructor willing to give you the training you need. In the US, you don't have to get training at an approved "FTO".

Once you get your license converted, if flight instructing isn't your thing, there are other ways to build time. If you flight instruct, you may have to move to where the demand for instructors is. But the possibilities are endless

[SextanteUK]

this is the 1st approach, the 1st school that answered me. it doesn't look cheap a all, that's right. but if no FTO is needed that's awesome then.

endless possibilities? for example? because apart from the instruction i can't imagine any other :ugh:

[zondaracer]

Banner towing and skydiver jobs (C-182/C-206 type jobs) are accessible to low timers. Once you reach 500TT, aerial survey, traffic watch, pipeline patrol type jobs open up, 1200TT and part 135 freight jobs start to open up, just to give you an idea. An there are lots more options out there too.

[B2N2]

Approach potential flight schools with the following idea;

Combine the necessary training with your instructor ratings.
There is no LH seat requirement for any of the check rides.
So train as required for the FAA IR from the RH seat to prepare for your CFII (Certified Flight instructor Instrument).
Same with your CPL SE and your CPL ME.
So you take three checkrides from the RH seat, IR, CPL SE and CPL ME.
The following week you take your three instructor rides.

This way you need to fly teh houyrs only once instead of twice.
Any CFII course worth their salt is about 15 hrs of flying (10 lessons or so).
This will be about the same as what you would need for the IR.
You need 15 hrs PIC ME for your MEI so that should all be training which is the same as CPL ME except a different seat.

[SextanteUK]

so many stuff in my head, i totally forgot about the general aviation!, that would be nice. i'll do some research.

about your advice B2N2, nice to know thanks!, the less i pay the better of course. it's been a bunch of euros since i started in the aviation :{

do you guys know how's the american aviation health? because i know the crisis hurts everywhere, but it looks like there is affecting even more compared with other countries. I'd like to think that in a few years that situation will change and they will be again on the top, maybe not like emirates, singapore airlines and that kind of airlines, but at least a healthy and "stable" sector.

[Another]

best of luck with your conversions.
there are lots of decisions, take your time and dont get pressured to choose a flight school/job etc.

radical idea - just to put it out there as well: (as you are doing a lot of thinking i dont think this will hurt)

you have noticed that you have to spend some more $$ to get to a good job and mention doing a degree.

you are not starting at 0 but its still a way to go.

Consider (at least for 5 seconds) if it might be an idea to just fly for fun with your PPL and consider other careers if you want to get a degree anyway.
Your investment in europe was a sunk cost.
Sunk costs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_costs)

i know the aviation bug is pretty strong so i am not trying to discourage you. just taking a step back given your opportunities and situation.

[SextanteUK]

hey Another, who knows what will happen in the future, but by now i'll keep trying to fing my place in aviation, because my family has spent too much money, and i even learn german in germany after this green card thing, so aviation is my goal.

and why USA? even knowing that maybe is not the best country right now due to the crisis? because since i'm a child i've loved it there, and because after one summer flying there, i think is a parallel world compared to europe, it's so nice there, aviation is so accesible, the infrastructure is awesome, and you have a ton of airports, aeroclubs, flight schools, and anything related to airplanes, just awesome. and san francisco, which is the placed where i lived in, awesome too. also an airshow in sant ana....jesus christ, like in a movie, incredible. i love those cars, the people being pride of being americans, that's a nice feeling. in my country, spain, they scream when they see the king or a spanish flag, no nation anymore. and who can say know a green card? jajjaja come on :=

[Another]

please re-read my post.
i think you should take your green card and go to the US.
of course its a great place to go flying.

especially GA is fun, exactly because infrastructure is better and more conducive. (thats why i suggested to have at least the PPL, that helps to fly ;-) )

also not questioning the industry prospects. its not great right now with oil price etc. but people will still fly in the future.

BUT you are falling exactly into the trap i mentioned earlier.
the money you spent in Europe was a lot. i get it. but it was a sunk cost. its (almost) irrelevant when making a decision what to do in the US.

you paid for some stuff that is not required in the US. (you can do your ATP written here in couple of weeks with a Gleim book) Trust me, i know how annoying the European ATP Theory is.

so, ask yourself: i am going to a new country and need to decide what to do.
do i want to become a pilot? what else would i want to do?

the answer of still becoming a pilot is totally legit. and i hope its your answer. (its always nice to have people junior joining the ranks ;) ). but you are shortsighted if you make such a life-changing decision and dont ask yourself fundamental questions.

the primary reason you mentioned about "your parents having spent the money already" is flawed.

[SextanteUK]

if i had to answer that question again, my answer would be the same, i want to become a US pilot, airplanes and flying make me stupidly happy :E

what you say in economic terms is pretty logical, i agree, but even though i think that nowadays you need to be a bit "irrational" and freak to follow this dream called aviation, because it's a hard path. if after a few years i see that it's imposible, i could be happy repairing engines for example, but again surrounded but airplanes.

i'm 30 y.o, and i've been a bad student all my life, and not the hardest worker in general, until i was 25 y.o and i got my licence. i came to germany and learnt german, so i guess determination is there.

and this green card thing is like a sign, i don't think there's another way to interpret it :} i'll be quite happy watching MD's and 717 again

[Another]

good, that response was what i was looking for ;-)

best of luck with your plans, ja!

[B2N2]

in my country, spain,

USA basically being bi-lingual means that your language skills will come in very handy.
Not necessarily sunk-cost either; you will be better trained (academically at least) which will give you an advantage.

[MartinCh]

Spaniard going to Germany to learn the language for one reason or another.
That's what I called being determined. :-)
In response to your reply, 3000-ish case number is excellent and your friends/family there for the AOS even better. Get in touch with the Kentucky Consular CentER as there will be no postal notification, last time I checked.

There's plenty hiring in 'regionals' now but as mentioned, some may ask for 100hrs MEL.

With Euro licenses and Spanish, once you do FAA papers, you'd be fine.
I agree with good replies earlier about the requirements for CPL, IR etc. 61.129 for CPL and the other one for IR. I believe you pretty much have most of the requirements, although the way you logged the XC time and did your QXC for CPL and IR may not be the same.

May I also mention that going to USA and 'adjusting status' is even faster than low case number paperwork sorting from abroad? If that's viable to you. Not that you'd have time/deadline issues if you do the forms and medical exam and post stuff/sort appointment once your case number is 'up' etc.

[SextanteUK]

thanks guys for your responses, they are helping me a lot.

I must say that my german learning process has been waaayy more challenging than the atpl hahhaha, seriously. jeez

thanks ANOTHER, i'll need that luck :)

thanks too B2N2, that's a good point. i'll have enough pressure adjusting to all the new situation (culture, people, weather, etc...), so at least i know most of the aeronautical theory will covered with my current knowledge.

and of course thanks MartinCH. i thought in my case AOS wasn't possible. however i need to finish my german courses here, to get the last diploma,who knows if german will help in the future, even there in US. and all the people tell me that i should be interviewed around october, with the first round, so it's fine. in 4 months i'll prepare all the document and translations carefully, and that's it. dream come true hopefully

btw MartinCh, i read Oregon in your profile, are you there? becuse that's one of the states i was thinking about. also california, and talking about flight instruction of course florida...

Saludos!