CAA to FAA
 

Okay guys. I have a question for you. I'm a US citizen and I'm currently instructing in Pennsylvania. Recently a friend of mine in the UK has informed me that he'll be moving over here. He wants to convert his certificates and ratings from CAA to FAA. I have no clue how he would go about doing this. He wants to do instructing over here. Since some of you have probably done this could you please give me info? I'd greatly appreciate any responses. Also will this require him to take FAA writtens for the certificates and ratings he already has earned? Again I am not familiar with CAA regs, etc. Thanks everyone.

Chris

You'll be pleased to know that this one is pretty straightforward. Your colleague just has to present his UK licence and medical at the nearest FDSO and he will get a brand-new FAA licence free of charge in a couple of minutes. The only rating that causes difficulty is the Instrument Rating. This will not be honoured automatically, and requires a further ground exam.
http://www.faa.gov/avr/afs/faa/8700/...2/2_029_00.pdf gives chapter and verse

Hope this helps.

For converting a UK IR ensure that the exam taken is the Foreign Pilot Instrument Rating; anything else will also need a flight test.

I,ve done myself and the process is rathet more complicated than the previous replies suggest. I'm a Brit in the USA. I came here 4 years ago with CAA CPL/IR and instructor rating. The only thing "given" to me by the FAA was a limited-use commercial certificate (no use for earning money!). I had to go through the FAA mill:
written and flight tests for the commercial certificate, instrument rating and FI certificate. But, it was worth it! I had
a terrific time instructing in California.

Ditto to BobC
I had to do everthing - writtens tests etc, but compared to CAA pretty straight forward and easy. The whole lot can be done in three weeks in the right environment - 3 plus months in the wrong one!!!
BTW be very, very wary about trying to instruct on a validation and what is ostensibly a CAA course - if you get paid you must have a FAA CPL!!
See numerous other previous postings on this Forum

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the info. Its greatly appreciated and I have just passed it onto my friend. I don't know how happy he'll be about having to take all the written and flight exams over. From past experience, the CFI test was the worst. I got by on my first try but its amazing that the FAA has a 70% fail rate on initial CFI checkrides. I also informed my friend of this. So again, thanks guys and have a beer on me.

Chris Hummel

[This message has been edited by CX747 (edited 26 May 2000).]