Flying in the USA
 

Hi, I have a UK PPL and have just booked a short break in the US for September, starting off in Houston and then New York. I have only 2 spare days in each destination.

Can anyone enlighten me as to the logistics of being able to fly in the US on a CAA license? I'd obviously need to be checked out at any school and hence fly with an instructor, but do I need to preplan any paperwork before such event? Ideally i'd like to get a few hours in at each destination just to get a taste of it and then come back at a later date to make use of the lower rates.

If anyone can recommend a school or club at either destination that operate C150/152s or C172s then i'd be extremely grateful.

Thanks in advance.

If you just want to get in the air, check out the view, and experience the local procedures, you don't need a licence at all. You simply book a flying lesson with an instructor.

I have flown in many random locations that way, and providing you have no hangups about the fact that there will be an instructor in the right seat it is a great way to fly new and different aircraft types, and fly in some interesting places.

For many years I made a point of "type collecting" whilst on business trips, and on that basis I would suggest that you should NOT be looking for a school that rents generic Cessnas. Since aircraft hire in the USA is generally much cheaper than in the UK, I recommend that you take the amount of money you would normally spend in the UK on an hour in a C172, convert it to dollars, and phone a few flying schools and ask them what they will rent you for that amount of money. You might find a Mooney, or a Bonanza, or even a twin. Or how about a float plane, or a tail dragger, or whatever. I'm sure you get the idea. There's no chance of getting signed off solo in any of these machines, but who cares? You're on vacation!

If you do that, would you be able to log the hours flown in "N" registered aircraft under your UK logbook as P1u/s?

This has been answered a million times here on Pprune. Search for piggyback license and FAR 61.75.

But basically you need a FAA validation of your JAA licence. It takes time and you have to pay CAA to release the info. Then you pick it up at a FSDO in the US, get a BFR with the school and off you go. If you need it for Sept, start yesterday.

Read this,

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...t-offices.html

Need to get started with CAA application NOW if you want to fly as P1!!

Trev

As you are in the US for business I gather you do not need the P1 or PIC time.
I would second the recommendations of CJ driver, see what you can rent with an instructor and enjoy!!!