Is this man having problems with money?

[SergeD]

I am thinking of doing a FAA private certificate and the instructor I met uses this business for the test ride

Mandatory Requirements

Captain Thomas P Hughston

FEE-PAYABLE IN CASH PRIOR TO REVIEWING PAPERWORK!

[JUST-local]

I would imagine he just wants to ensure he gets paid for the test! Not unreasnable I would say!

[niknak]

We have a saying in the UK:

"Don't touch it with a barge pole".

Stay away, have nothing to do with him.

[Malcom]

He knows what people can be like.

[Rhayader]

We all know the minefield that is US licensing/TSA etc.. Reading through the requirements it could be that he has had many booked tests that could not take place because of incorrect/missing paperwork and has lost his fee by not being able to test the applicant. Getting the readies upfront before reviewing the paperwork puts the onus on the student to get it right before arriving. Seems sensible as time is money.

[IO540]

I went through this stuff myself about 6-7 years ago, but how do you get the "certified proof" mentioned below? An instructor is an instructor, unless he is a fake, but nobody is in a position to produce a "certified proof" of ability to do a particular lesson.

TRAINING BY NON-FAA INSTRUCTORS: Applicants wishing to credit instruction provided by non-FAA instructors must present to the examiner certified proof that the non-FAA instructor was indeed authorized to conduct such training OUTSIDE THE US ONLY.

[Rhayader]

Would they just be asking for a copy of the instructors rating issued by the CAA?

[malc4d]

Its normal practice in the States that a DEP will have his cash up front. Saves him having to armwrestle you for it if he fails you.

[Midland Transport]

He asks for payement up front due to the numerous times the paperwork he receives is in-complete or wrong. The FAA will not allow any errors and therfore he wastes many hours with applicants getting the paperwork right> I think this is a reasonable request which he rarely puts in to practice. if you turn up well prepared he is very helpful if not he can be a challenge.

[IO540]

Does anybody know what the "certified proof" is?

At best, it will prevent old logbook entries being used towards a U.S. license or a rating, where "old" is any training done by any instructor who is no longer on the instructor scene, or any instructor who flew with you on a casual "help for a mate" basis, which applies to a great deal of training towards e.g. an FAA IR.

If OTOH you go to the USA, they assume your logbook is not a forgery and all previous training is accepted. After all, you have to pass the oral+checkride.

It might be very hard to do a US PPL (which is what the OP is asking about) in Europe now, because such a PPL is done almost totally on the basis of long-ago UK (or French, in his case) training. It's different for an IR because of the extra time required to meet the standard is likely to have been done much more recently.

I have already collected all feasible bits of FAA paper so this is of academic interest to me, but it seems like the USA is an increasingly good option. The TSA and Visa stuff only takes a day or so extra.

[freon1978]

Thats a name I haven't seen in a while..... I'll have to be careful what I say but he left here.... a while ago.... and how shall i put it... I still have people turn up looking for him every now and then.

I wouldn't ever pay anything advance.

[ab33t]

This can be looked at in two ways , but I do know I have done several check rides in the US and one of the 1st questions on your oral is " Where is the money ?" . The other reason for this is that if the DE turns up and you have not complied with the requirements he is still entitled to charge you . I dont think many people would want to cough up cash for nothing .

The other is self explanatory , big issue with this DE is paperwork takes forever .

[Small B]

Be careful, as freon said it would appear that many people are looking for him from in the Norfolk area. My flying club still has people acting in a professional capacity asking for a current address for him.

[Cusco]

I don't have a problem with up-front payment:

I converted my paper based on certificate last year in the UK: I had carried out the necessary preliminaries with sending money to the CAA and getting my letter of authentication from the FAA.

I arranged to meet a very pleasant DPE from Florida at an airfield in Bucks who had prewarned me of the cost.

I turned up with a fistful of dollars (literally); she went through the paperwork, made sure it was correct and gave me a temp airmens' certificate and I handed over the greenbacks...........

The plastic Orville cert turned up 4 months later with my English endorsement.

I didn't have to go to the expense if going to the USA (and I had no plans for a USA visit in the forseeable future) and it was significantly cheaper than the cost quoted by the party referred to above.............

Sadly the FAA stepped in and clobbered any prospect of future visits by this pleasant DPE, for reasons best known to itself.

I think though there is still a UK DPE who can do this: details on FAA website last time I looked.

Cusco

[S-Works]

Not defending our american friend, but in the UK it is CAA guidance for us to take our fee as examiners up front at the point that we inspect all of the paperwork. It prevents argument in getting paid if you have to fail the candidate. Cash is generally the preferred choice as it does not bounce otherwise people tend to pay when booking the test. This is exactly the same process the UK CAA follows.