The very first thing that you will need to do before being able to fly an N
registration aircraft in US airspace is to apply for an FAA Pilot Certificate although, as
the holder of a CAA Licence, this should not involve any problems.
Under the terms of the Federal Aviation Regulations an FAA Pilot Certificate will be
issued upon request to a pilot who is the holder of a current private, commercial or
airline transport licence issued by a foreign contracting State to the Convention on
International Civil Aviation, such licence being issued based on the privileges of the
foreign licence.
What in effect this means is that the FAA will issue a Pilot Certificate, free of
charge, upon production of your CAA Private Pilot Licence, your flying logbook, your
medical certificate, and depending upon the whim of the issuing office, some other form of
identification. It is well worth making sure that you have such items as your passport
and, if you hold one, your driving licence with you when you apply just in case you are
asked for confirmation of your home address.
Whilst normally an FAA Pilot Certificate will be issued on a restricted basis, usually
day VFR only, if you are also the holder of a valid Instrument Rating you can, under
certain circumstances, apply for this to be endorsed on the FAA Pilot Certificate. If this
does apply to you then it is best to check with the issuing office when you make the
application.
Please note, however, that the IMC rating is not recognised in the United States.
Also, the US does not have a separate Night Rating. Even if you do hold this rating it
will not be valid for use with your FAA Pilot Certificate if you wish to carry passengers,
unless you have completed no fewer than three takeoffs and landings to a full stop, at
night within the last ninety days. You may find however that your flight centre will not
allow you to fly at night due to difficulties with their insurance. In any event, if you
have no prior experience of flying in Florida, I would not recommend that you fly at
night. Fly during the day and enjoy the scenery!
Obtaining the Pilot Certificate is simplicity itself and depending on how busy the
issuing office is, will generally take between 30 minutes and one hour. The issue of a
Pilot Certificate involves the completion of a simple application form following which,
providing your UK PPL documentation is in order, a Temporary Airmen’s Certificate is
issued for immediate use. The actual Pilot Certificate will be posted to your home address
usually some three to four months later.
Many myths abound in the UK concerning the FAA biennial flight review. The FAA
regulations on this point are quite clear. Whilst the FAA Airmen Certificate is issued to
you based on your CAA Licence you must validate that Certificate by having had an FAA
flight review within the preceding two years.
This means that upon first issue you must undertake a biennial flight review. In order
to keep the FAA Pilot Certificate valid in the future you must also undertake a further
biennial flight review every two years. This requirement is in addition to the fact that
your UK PPL must be correctly validated with either a current Certificate of Experience or
Certificate of Test. If your UK Licence is not valid you cannot use your FAA Certificate.
In addition, the FAA Pilot Certificate can only be used providing your CAA medical is
valid. There is no requirement to take a separate FAA medical.
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