Using my new PPL in California
Join Date: Nov 2004
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If you are only going to have one full day of flying I wouldn't bother with all the hoops you have to jump through especially as a newbie ppl. Fly with an instructor, he will let you be in control all of the flight and no doubt you will learn various tips and tricks different from a UK instructor which you can use when you get home.
To get an airmans cert, a check-out, then plan and fly a trip round the bay area in one day is biting a lot off imho. Just go, get an instructor and enjoy the view.
To get an airmans cert, a check-out, then plan and fly a trip round the bay area in one day is biting a lot off imho. Just go, get an instructor and enjoy the view.
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Join Date: Aug 2005
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PompeyPaul - the UK form is here:
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/FORSRG1160.PDF
you also need the payment form.
Steve
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/FORSRG1160.PDF
you also need the payment form.
Steve
Merritt : 1. Yep - You have got the correct FAA Form.
Pompey Paul : 2. This is the CAA Form. http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/FORSRG1160.PDF
3. You also have to fill in the payments form.
Best of luck - be aware that to do FR the and validate the FAA Temp Airmans Cert, you will have to do about 3 hours on the ground (so you will need at least a working knowledge of FAR/AIM 2007, use of sectionals, airspace etc. ) and a good hour in the air.
DGG
Pompey Paul : 2. This is the CAA Form. http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/FORSRG1160.PDF
3. You also have to fill in the payments form.
Best of luck - be aware that to do FR the and validate the FAA Temp Airmans Cert, you will have to do about 3 hours on the ground (so you will need at least a working knowledge of FAR/AIM 2007, use of sectionals, airspace etc. ) and a good hour in the air.
DGG
Last edited by Dave Gittins; 17th Sep 2007 at 13:42.
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Thanks Dave...
all the paperwork is now with the FAA / CAA.
The FAA say that they need 90days so I may not have it in time anyway since I am travelling on the 3rd Nov.
I have gone for the San Jose FSDO office since I will be in San Jose for the majority of my trip so I can pop in at lunch time.
If there additional suggestions for aircraft rental locations in San Jose I may be able to get up in the week as well depending on how early the sun is setting by then!
Here's hoping..
Steve
all the paperwork is now with the FAA / CAA.
The FAA say that they need 90days so I may not have it in time anyway since I am travelling on the 3rd Nov.
I have gone for the San Jose FSDO office since I will be in San Jose for the majority of my trip so I can pop in at lunch time.
If there additional suggestions for aircraft rental locations in San Jose I may be able to get up in the week as well depending on how early the sun is setting by then!
Here's hoping..
Steve
Blah Blah Blah
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Just pop in at lunch time would be nice wouldn't it. It is not as straight forward as that. They will go through your log book and license, you will then fill in more forms where you will have to write all you times on type down as P1 and PUT.
It is also possible the FSDO might insist that you get an FAA medical. ther eis no law saying you must have an FAA medical but it is not unheard for them insist...they did for me and I have heard about others as well.
You will also need to do a BFR which off the top of my head is 1.5 hours ground grilling and 1.5 hours flight review. So it will be worth you while reading up on US airlaw and flicking through the FAR/AIM as the ground grilling will no doubt cover this.
It is also possible the FSDO might insist that you get an FAA medical. ther eis no law saying you must have an FAA medical but it is not unheard for them insist...they did for me and I have heard about others as well.
You will also need to do a BFR which off the top of my head is 1.5 hours ground grilling and 1.5 hours flight review. So it will be worth you while reading up on US airlaw and flicking through the FAR/AIM as the ground grilling will no doubt cover this.
At Denver they were quite happy with my CAA medical but I too have heard others can be less friendly. If there is a problem, I would try and argue that it is fully "on the basis of" (that being what it says) which includes the medical.
The guy who checked all my paperwork was mildly irked that he was having to do this as it was his day to be "duty dog" and so he was almost as green about the subject as I was. We spent ages correcting my writing so it was legible and then making sure the forms had no obvious crossings out which may have invalidated them.
The FAA at Oaklahoma City had not faxed the confirmation to Denver (at least that is what Denver said and OC said thay had), so I had to make a load of phone calls to get that straightened up and a copy faxed before I could go to Denver FSDO.
The guy who checked all my paperwork was mildly irked that he was having to do this as it was his day to be "duty dog" and so he was almost as green about the subject as I was. We spent ages correcting my writing so it was legible and then making sure the forms had no obvious crossings out which may have invalidated them.
The FAA at Oaklahoma City had not faxed the confirmation to Denver (at least that is what Denver said and OC said thay had), so I had to make a load of phone calls to get that straightened up and a copy faxed before I could go to Denver FSDO.
Not particularly complicated, just driven by processes and it all needs managing and can be a bit time consuming.
It looks on the face of it as though you send off a couple of forms and two / three months later collect a temp airman's cert and do a quick flight review.
Basically that is all it is but with two government departments and at least 3 different offices involved, some complex form filling to do, not to mention needing a US training school to do an FR (and potentially an FAA AME), it needs keeping on top of to make it work and all cme together in a day or two when you arrive in the USA.
The good news is that at least they all speak English (and the American folk really do want to be helpful as long as they keep to their rules) ... I had a terrible time in Greece.
DGG
It looks on the face of it as though you send off a couple of forms and two / three months later collect a temp airman's cert and do a quick flight review.
Basically that is all it is but with two government departments and at least 3 different offices involved, some complex form filling to do, not to mention needing a US training school to do an FR (and potentially an FAA AME), it needs keeping on top of to make it work and all cme together in a day or two when you arrive in the USA.
The good news is that at least they all speak English (and the American folk really do want to be helpful as long as they keep to their rules) ... I had a terrible time in Greece.
DGG
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I looked into this as well - I was in the Bay Area in April. I only had a day set aside for flying. All things considered, it was much easier to get an instructor. I used Sterling Aviation at Buchanan Field, Concord (KCCR) - I can highly recommend them. Did a 2-3 hour trip around the Bay for $200 - Bargain!
If you did go solo, I found air traffic much easier to use in the US than UK. There is a constant process of handover to different units. Concord Tower hand you off to Norcal Approach. Request flight following, they give you a squawk and let you get on with it with traffic alerts mixing you up with the big jets in/out of SFO/OAK.
Whatever you do take a decent camera when cruising over the Bay, it's stunning!
If you did go solo, I found air traffic much easier to use in the US than UK. There is a constant process of handover to different units. Concord Tower hand you off to Norcal Approach. Request flight following, they give you a squawk and let you get on with it with traffic alerts mixing you up with the big jets in/out of SFO/OAK.
Whatever you do take a decent camera when cruising over the Bay, it's stunning!
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We did the 'Bay Tour' last time we were in Ca, from a little local airfield at Petaluma, about 40 moles N of SF. (edit - should read 'miles' - dam moles get everywhere...)
One of the best flights I've had. I have previously flown solo in Ca after checkout but on this occasion I was very happy to have the FI Dick do the radio and talk to SF Approach while I flew us 500' above the Golden Gate and around the Bay. Absolutely top.
The only time Dick took the yoke, as we flew over San Quentin, he grabbed it without warning, stuck us over on the wingtip to see the prisoners exercising in the yard!
Mrs Hum got most of the flight on video from the back seat of the War-yur.
One of the best flights I've had. I have previously flown solo in Ca after checkout but on this occasion I was very happy to have the FI Dick do the radio and talk to SF Approach while I flew us 500' above the Golden Gate and around the Bay. Absolutely top.
The only time Dick took the yoke, as we flew over San Quentin, he grabbed it without warning, stuck us over on the wingtip to see the prisoners exercising in the yard!
Mrs Hum got most of the flight on video from the back seat of the War-yur.
Go for it with Squadron 2
Go for it !! you'll love it, flying in the states is so much better in my experience, mind you that was pre 9-11, but they have a great attitude to flying, i'd recommend Squadron 2 at Reid Hillview, great firendly club owned by an ex UK RAF/RN Pilot, Frank Mason, a top guy.
I did a round-robin tour covering texas-california & return, we flew over Yosemite which was AWESOME but demands the utmost respect, it's high (13000' ! + safety altitude which requires oxygen to be safe)
have fun !!
I did a round-robin tour covering texas-california & return, we flew over Yosemite which was AWESOME but demands the utmost respect, it's high (13000' ! + safety altitude which requires oxygen to be safe)
have fun !!
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To be honest, if you only have a few hours to fly, I'd get the paperwork sorted, and use an instructor for the day ($35-40 per hour) - then get them to endorse the BFR at the end of that day, so you will have a full and valid ticket for your next trip over...
It will probably take more than an hour for a newly minted PPL, and I would allow at least a days flying. There are so many differences between Cali and the UK - the most obvious one is the high terrain. Procedures are totally different too - So get an instructor onboard and fly somewhere interesting for the day - try Harris Ranch a fly in steak restaraunt, where the runway is a piece of old road running parallel to the new section - it is pretty cool to fly in for the best steak in Cali. Then come back for a holiday in the future and spend a couple of weeks touring and enjoying the weak dollar (flights are dirt cheap, I'm over flying in LA in Oct).
Have fun
It will probably take more than an hour for a newly minted PPL, and I would allow at least a days flying. There are so many differences between Cali and the UK - the most obvious one is the high terrain. Procedures are totally different too - So get an instructor onboard and fly somewhere interesting for the day - try Harris Ranch a fly in steak restaraunt, where the runway is a piece of old road running parallel to the new section - it is pretty cool to fly in for the best steak in Cali. Then come back for a holiday in the future and spend a couple of weeks touring and enjoying the weak dollar (flights are dirt cheap, I'm over flying in LA in Oct).
Have fun
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Yes, if he is going to San Jose (and not San Francisco as first reported) then Reid Hillview RHV ( http://www.airnav.com/airport/rhv ) is an excellent suggestion.
If you want to take the Bay Tour on your own you will need a lot more than one hour checkout, somebody reported four hours, and that was six months after getting their PPL. Just going in and out of RHV will be a lot easier on you, approaching from the east you only have to talk to their tower, though you can always get radar services from NORCAL too, if you want.
If you say you are planning the Bay tour, amongst other things, they will want to see you can handle the handoffs between the various units up there, and also can handle it if they tell you are not cleared immediately into the Class B over SFO. There is a lot of brain work flying in the Bay Area proper, far more than in SOCAL, and that is pretty busy too. Basically they will take you up there to train you, so you will have done it with an instructor already.
If you look on the back of the SFO TAC you will get the VFR flyways mentioned earlier, but they scoot around the Bay, so that's a lot easier. Flying up the Bay is not for the inexperienced, used to live in Bay Area, know how it's done. You can easily get the experience required, but not in one hour.
If you want to take the Bay Tour on your own you will need a lot more than one hour checkout, somebody reported four hours, and that was six months after getting their PPL. Just going in and out of RHV will be a lot easier on you, approaching from the east you only have to talk to their tower, though you can always get radar services from NORCAL too, if you want.
If you say you are planning the Bay tour, amongst other things, they will want to see you can handle the handoffs between the various units up there, and also can handle it if they tell you are not cleared immediately into the Class B over SFO. There is a lot of brain work flying in the Bay Area proper, far more than in SOCAL, and that is pretty busy too. Basically they will take you up there to train you, so you will have done it with an instructor already.
If you look on the back of the SFO TAC you will get the VFR flyways mentioned earlier, but they scoot around the Bay, so that's a lot easier. Flying up the Bay is not for the inexperienced, used to live in Bay Area, know how it's done. You can easily get the experience required, but not in one hour.
