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Guide to obtaining a JAA PPL in the US (part 1)

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Guide to obtaining a JAA PPL in the US (part 1)

Old 28th Apr 2008, 10:59
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Hey!

Very intresting to read this guide. I know a instructor in the US, but im from Norway. I really want to take the FAA PPL, then convert when im home. I have been in contact with the embassy with things i need to do before i leave, but do i need a flight school to full out the form I-20? Does it need to be a flight school, since I just know a instructor?
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Old 28th Apr 2008, 12:14
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Explore, if you intend to do a full-time course (which is 18 hours or more of practical work per week) you are not allowed into the US under the visa waiver program. So you need an M-1 visa for which you need the I-20 form plus some other paperwork

The visa needs to be "sponsored" by a flight school and for this to work the flight school needs to be SEVIS approved. There are two types of schools: part 61 and part 141 (or something like that) and only one of those types is SEVIS approved by default.

Theoretically you can wiggle your way out of this if the course is part-time and not the main objective of your stay in the US. But that's a rare situation and most officials (including the friendly INS official that decides whether you're admitted into the US or not) will expect you to have an M-1. So it's probably you who will have to explain/prove that you don't need a visa for what you're attempting.

In addition to this, I understand that the TSA (which needs to approve things in your case anyway) checks for the M-1 visa and will ask questions if you don't have one.

Sooo.... Good luck! Let me know if things worked out as planned.
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Old 28th Apr 2008, 21:49
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Theoretically you can wiggle your way out of this if the course is part-time and not the main objective of your stay in the US.
To do a private certificate, IR or multi, you would need to go through the TSA process which require visa details. So while in theory a part time can get you under the wire as far as a visa is concerned it wont with the TSA.

Moral is dont play fast and loose with the rules, get the visa, do the TSA and go fly.
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Old 29th Apr 2008, 07:32
  #44 (permalink)  
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To do a private certificate, IR or multi, you would need to go through the TSA process which require visa details.
It's been discussed here on pprune before and the general consensus of the population here was that it's not the TSAs job to verify you have a visa. In fact, if you look at the original ruling on the TSA process (a very dense PDF file on the TSA website) you'll find that the word "visa" is only mentioned twice or so, in a completely different context.

It is true that the TSA, as part of the information gathering on you, ask for your passport number and visa details. But as far as I know, the site allows you to specify "no visa". (Mind you, it was three years ago that I went through this process and this is something that I don't remember clearly, plus the site has been changed in the meantime.)

But if the TSA *requires* you to have a visa somehow you can point them to their own regulations and say they're wrong. Particularly if you can prove that you do not need a visa according to the INS for whatever you are going to do.

All we need is a brave soul to test out this theory though.

=======================

To add, I just browsed the AFSP website, and here's what the website itself has to say about this on the pages where you submit your personal information:

U.S. Visa: If you have a U.S. Visa, please enter this information. Do not list visas from non-U.S. sources.

* AFSP may cancel an applicant's flight training request if AFSP becomes aware the candidate is intending to take flight training without the appropriate immigration status. If you have questions about a cancelled request, you may call AFSP at XXX
So it looks like the TSA simply follows INS rules on whether a visa is required or not. There doesn't seem to be a blanket visa requirement for all cases.
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Old 29th Apr 2008, 20:51
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Well, the only reasonable advise is to get a visa. You dont want to be blacked by the Immigration service or the TSA. Think of your next TSA application when one has been withdrawn for an immigration violation.

Might keep you out of the country even if you are only going to Disney with the kids.

All we need is a brave soul to test out this theory though
A pretty dumb and dangerous thought mind you.
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Old 24th Jun 2008, 15:27
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Wink

There is no 'fixed' link between TSA and having a visa. "Been there, done that" with TSA, without visa...

All fully legal and correct - the key point: the MAIN reason for your stay in the US is...?

Sam.
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Old 24th Jun 2008, 17:50
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TSA and Visa's

I agree the need for a visa is based on the primary reason for your visit to the US. I did not bother with it last time I went to the US on business.
Particularly as the expense and hassle of an 800 mile round trip and a day lost for the visa interview did not appeal.

From experience the TSA don't ask for any visa details but they do want to know who you are from your passport.

They can cancel the training permission if they find out that you are there without the necessary visa - but then you would have to argue necessary etc. as discussed above.
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Old 24th Jun 2008, 19:32
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Originally Posted by On the Spot
They can cancel the training permission if they find out that you are there without the necessary visa [...]
Do you have information on this ever happening?
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Old 24th Jun 2008, 19:49
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TSA and Visa's

nope - only quoting the blurb the TSDA sent me.

As above the visa requirement is down to the primary reason for your visit and not the flying which you may or may not do on the side.
It helps I guess to do the TSA paperwork after you arrive to avoid any argument and in my case it only took three days.
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Old 4th Jul 2008, 19:59
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I vaguely recall, SoCal, that this 18hrs thing was done here before, and it is contained within the primary U.S. Visa legislation. I can probably dig out some references you could follow up.

The reason why the TSA etc don't refer to it is because they don't create law; they are just writing their own interpretations of it because they like to feel they can.

The bottom line is however purely practical - I doubt any school (except maybe some very small ones) in the USA will touch the candidate with a 20ft bargepole unless he comes with the gold plated paperwork...

My experience of people involved in the FAA training business (including some in the UK) is that most are simply not interested in reading the regs. Not just the security regs but also stuff like eligibility of previous training. I spent 2005 trying to do the IR here in the UK but gave up after just about everybody claimed that all eligible previous training had to be done with FAA instructors These are the real problems in this game.
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Old 9th Jul 2008, 14:19
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Can anyone tell me how long the TSA clearance takes from submitting the online form?

I know you have to have your fingerprints taken as well before the whole process is complete but how long does the form take to process?
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Old 9th Jul 2008, 15:13
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Thanks SoCal App. My situation is at the moment is that I want to start the TSA process, but I don't have the Visa yet, and probably won't have until quite close to leaving for the US.

Should I get underway with the TSA without entering a Visa on the form or do I need to wait until I have the Visa?
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Old 9th Jul 2008, 15:18
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Definitely go ahead with the TSA process. Having a visa is not a requirement for starting the TSA process.

The www.flightschoolcandidates.gov site asks you for visa details but you can just leave that empty for now, and change it once you get the visa.

If everybody plays ball, the initial TSA process, up to the point where you are asked to submit fingerprints, should take no more than a week.
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Old 12th Jul 2008, 17:33
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It takes about 2 months total.

Allow for c0ckups like the I-20 form going to the wrong address... U.S. schools are sometimes less than great when it comes to working out how to address a package to a "foreign" country. My I-20 got lost because they sent it to a UK instructor who was acting as their agent over here, and he was not around to sign for the package. Actually that caused me a lot of hassle because that school could not be used, and they resulted in a 'training not completed' entry on the US Immigration computer, and now anytime I enter the USA I get treated like a terrorist, with special interrogation.
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Old 26th Jul 2008, 22:20
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Could someone answer me this please?

How many pages does the I20 form have? I've been sent one with three pages....but I was under the impression it consisted of four.
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Old 30th Jul 2008, 13:28
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which schools to go to or avoid

This is one of the most informative threads about flying in the us, iv looked at a lot of sites and I think that flyOFT,flyoba, naplesair,all look very impressive and seem to cater for the foreign student. There are also a lot of others such as taildraggesect.com which can claim to get you a ppl within 2 weeks. To be honest I am a bit confused for which one I should go for. Has anyone any bad experiences and do many people fail the test or have to take over 60hours to get it?
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Old 30th Jul 2008, 14:26
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Well, those schools are not JAA schools so they cannot give you a JAA PPL directly. As the audience in here is predominantly (though not exclusively) a European audience, you might want to try one of the more US-centric forums to ask your question.

As for a PPL in two weeks: yet is it is possible provided that:
- You have studied all the theory beforehand and preferably done all the theory exams beforehand.
- You lose no days because of bureaucratic issues like TSA fingerprinting, doctor visits for your medical etc.
- You have excellent weather throughout.
- You are able to cope with three flights per day, every day, an hour or more each, plus preparation, brief, debrief.
- You are prepared to have no life whatsoever outside the flight school for two weeks straight.
- 45 flight hours are enough to prepare you for the skills test - in other words you've got to have normal aptitude and not overrun the 45 hours requirement.
- You pass the skills test first time
- There are no aircraft going tech
- There's excellent instructor availability and examiner availability

I met virtually all of these requirements, and yet found it challenging to finish in 21 days.

But hey, why not enroll on a 14-day course but simultaneously make sure your financial, vacation, accommodation and travel arrangements and so forth are all flexible so that you can overrun to 21 days or more? Who knows, it might just work out.
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Old 30th Jul 2008, 15:45
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I dont mind about having no time outside of the course but Id rather go where people went previously and have given positive feedback form the experience such as Orlando Flight Training which is the one I think you went to.

You are right it isnt a JAA school that does it in two weeks and i think id be better of going to a JAA. You have answered my question. What are the JAA schools with the best reputations for getting the PPL within 3 weeks and possibly an instrument rating after that.
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Old 30th Jul 2008, 17:30
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Well, nobody here has been to all of them so I don't think you'd be able to find anybody here that can compare one to another. And it's also next to impossible to get your hands on statistics like hours to the skill test, pass rates and such. So you just have to pick one and hope for the best, really.

As for the IR, I don't think you can do a JAA IR outside the JAA member states (ie. Florida). I don't know why exactly, but my guess is that it has to do with weather being wildly different.

In any case, I don't think it would be a good idea to do the IR straight after your PPL skills test. Better build some experience first, decide on the type of flying you're going to do and then make the decision. An IR is useful for serious touring but if serious touring is not your piece of cake, or doesn't match with your budget, it's a waste of money. And the currency rules for an IR are even stricter than for a VFR PPL so you might end up throwing good money after bad if you find you don't use your IR regularly enough.

(Having said that, if you intend to go commercial, you can do your IR straight after your PPL and use those training hours to count towards your CPL.)
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Old 30th Jul 2008, 18:20
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As far as I know it isn't possible to do the JAA IR in the US...it's just a requirement of the rating that it is done in a JAA country.

One school that I do know of - and have heard good things about - which has just gained JAR approval for PPL is Florida Aviation Career Training in St Augustine.

I'm going there to do the FAA IR soon so I'll see what it's like.
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