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Maintaining currency in other coutries

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Maintaining currency in other coutries

Old 20th Dec 2012, 11:02
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Maintaining currency in other coutries

Hi folks,

If I have FAA licenses, but currently do not reside in the US, what are my options to stay current with them?

To be more specific:

1) The main question - Can I keep myself current in a Non-US registered aircraft?
2) Do I have to own a local license for that, or being with a local instructor or a local pilot on board is sufficient?
3) For PIC requirements, assuming I won't be able to solo, does the instructor (since no local license) need to have an FAA license as well?
4) For IR requirements, does the safety pilot need to have an FAA license, or is it possible to do it in a local approved Sim?
5) Once I do hold a local license, does activity I do on a foreign registered aircraft count towards currency of FAA license?

I hope you get my notions,

Thanks!
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Old 20th Dec 2012, 13:14
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It depends on where you are.
In the UK my FAA CPL gives me full PPL priveledges on any aeroplane, including IR and night (that I'm rated for on my FAA certificate). And if I fly here it counts for currency on my FAA certificates. I can not exercise CPL priveledges, though. I can even find FAA medical examiners, FAA flight instructors and FAA flight examiners here.
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Old 21st Dec 2012, 08:29
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Thank you for your answer, but...

I'm not looking at this point to exercise commercial privileges, nor do I have difficulty to find FAA related personnel. Also, I'm assuming that for your FAA license to be valid, wherever, one will require a validation process, which currently is out of the question...

So assuming only FAA licenses (for that matters CPL/SE/ME/IR) and no validation process to allow me to fly on my own.
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Old 21st Dec 2012, 10:28
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Let me state it again, maybe more clearly

Depending on where you are, you can fly with your FAA certificate

You will have to ask a flight instructor, or better yet the CAA for the country you are in.

In the UK, your FAA certificate gives you PPL priveledges on any plane that you are rated for.

If you have anything other than a plane old FAA PPL certificate, you can't necessarily exercise all the priveledges you have in the US, and it may require a conversion.

I don't know what country you're in, so I can't (and no-one can) answer specifically whether or not you can use your FAA certificate.

In Namibia, you can not, you must get a conversion, unless it's an N-reg plane. I believe it's the same for Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, and many other African countries.

In most countries you must get a 'rating' for every make/model of aircraft - that means a rating for a C152, a rating for a C172 and a rating for a C182, as opposed to in the US a rating for anything over 12,500 lbs (I think that's the cuttoff). However for an N-reg plane, the ratings don't apply if you have an FAA certificate.

In many countries, you have to have a radio license unless you're using an FAA cert on an N-reg plane.

In some countries you have to have a night rating, unless you're on an FAA cert with an N-reg plane.

You will have to contact the local authorities to know what the requirements are in the country you are in.

Last edited by darkroomsource; 21st Dec 2012 at 10:28.
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Old 21st Dec 2012, 15:07
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In order to be current on your FAA cert you have to meet the requirements of 61.57. To wit, in order to carry passengers you have to have made three takeoffs and landings in the last 90 days in the same category and class, and if a type rating is required, same type. (Tailwheel to a full stop.) No where does 61.57 say these takeoff and landings have to be in a N aircraft. As long as your logbook shows 3 T&L, you're good to go per the FAA.

There are 192 member states in the UN and I'm guessing most have a CAA. So there are almost 200 sets of local rules to sort through. The FAA doesn't care, as long as you make 3 T&L.

Safety pilot requirements are found in 91.109(c). Private pilot, rated for category and class (the FAA probably never thought aircraft requiring a type rating would require a safety pilot.) Doesn't say a private certificate issued under this Part, just a private.

The only thing to slow you down is the flight review. The reg says that has to be completed with an "authorized instuctor" and that normally means a FAA CFI.
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Old 24th Dec 2012, 12:00
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Darkroomsource:

Just to get it straight - There’s no validation process in the UK in order to fly a local Non-N registered aircraft with an FAA PPL/CPL (either case private privileges)?

I hold PPL, CPL SE/ME, IR, and instructor licenses (which are irrelevant to my questions).

I am currently in Israel, and I know it requires a validation process here to fly with private privileges by yourself (beyond that it requires a full conversion).
But I’ll be travelling soon to the UK and possibly Germany.


Markerinbound:

Thank you. That reinforces my thoughts…I’m familiar with the reg’s but wasn't sure about the N-reg aircraft issue, as those regs have too many grey zones…

I have till Feb. 2014 to think about the BFR…either way, FAA instructors are not hard to find…especially as being one, I know people who know people all over the world (;
But as long as it doesn't have to be necessarily in an N-reg aircraft…

So to summarize my questions above:
1) No problem maintaining currency on a Non-N’ registered aircraft.
2)+3) If can’t use FAA license to fly locally, a local instructor will suffice.
4) Any private pilot.
5) Yes.

Which leaves only:
1) What about getting IR current in a local Sim?
2) What if I find an N-reg aircraft I can fly on? Can I legally fly on it in a foreign country with no restrictions using my FAA license (other than a possible R/T license)?
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Old 26th Dec 2012, 12:19
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Here in the UK, I can hire a plane of any registration and fly with my FAA certificate. I still have to get checked out by the owner/club, but do not require a conversion or type-specific rating.
I believe (have not confirmed) that I can fly a G-reg (UK) or N-reg plane to the EU with my FAA certificate also. I don't know if I can fly 'from' the EU with my FAA cert, I haven't asked (as in hire in France or Germany).
In Botswana, Namibia and South Africa (when I was there about 2 years ago) a conversion is required for non-N-reg aircraft. Additionally there, one needed to be rated in the specific make/model.

as for travelling in an N-reg plane to other countries, it's the same as if you wanted to fly to Canada or Mexico from the US. you have to fill out a bunch of paperwork (EU inter-country flights are not quite so bad) but you can generally fly an N-reg plane to any country.

There are some issues, especially since you're in Israel... ie. you can't go to Saudi Arabia...
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Old 27th Dec 2012, 05:04
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As to the local sims, 61.57 says:


(2) Use of a flight simulator or flight training device for maintaining instrument experience. Within the 6 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks and iterations in a flight simulator or flight training device, provided the flight simulator or flight training device represents the category of aircraft for the instrument rating privileges to be maintained and involves having performed the .....

blah blah blah

(3) Use of an aviation training device for maintaining instrument experience. Within the 2 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks, iterations, and time in an aviation training device and has performed the following—

More blah blah blah

Notice it doesn't say an approved sim. Just has to represent the category of aircraft. There are places the reg says "approved simulator" which would mean the sim would have to on the FAA master list and have a FAA number. The Frasca web site lists where their sims fall on the FAA ranking of sims and FTDs.

Question #2 - think about it. Do you think American airline pilots flying international have licenses for each country they fly in to? I believe it's in the Chicago Convention that allows pilots to fly their planes internationally with their national license. The only restriction the FAA imposes is you must follow US regs unles the foreign reg is more restrictive. Mexico does not allow night VFR flights so even though you can do that in the US you can't in Mexico. If a country had a rule that set a max IAS of 200 below 5000 MSL you would have to obey that rule even though there is no FAA limit.
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Old 1st Jan 2013, 20:44
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Darkroomsource - That’s good to know that about the UK.
I know the situation is different in other countries like in Africa. I had a student in the US from Nigeria and took a look in his local license.
I’m familiar with my political restrictions…it’s not the travelling as it is also job opportunities (Emirats, etc.)

MarkerInbound - Thanks again for aiming at my state of mind, as I'm familiar with the reg's but not always aware of possible pitfalls...
In other words, any Sim will do for IR currency (any that represent a land airplane, per my licenses).

As for my second question – I know major airlines do not require such thing, but thought It might be slightly different as for GA, or similar to what ‘Darkroomsource’ mentioned – paperwork…
Funny that the first time I heard about the Chicago convention was just recently during my EASA ATPL Theory studying…Nonetheless, it makes perfect sense.

Thank you very much guys!

Last edited by Tom_22; 2nd Jan 2013 at 00:11.
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