Getting a sport or private pilot license: where?
Sep 7, 2020, 12:17 am
#31
Join Date: May 2015
Location: South Florida
Programs: DL Skymiles KE Skypass
Posts: 2,363
Doesn't the student have to pass a physical before even starting lessons? I would make sure I would be able to pass the FAA Physical before flying to the USA for lessons, especially if you are already in your 40's.
Sep 7, 2020, 8:47 am
#32
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: OSH
Programs: SWRR, HH, SM, TSA Pre
Posts: 757
The FAA doesn't require medical certificates for student pilots until they are soloing. Until that point the instructor is pilot in command and the only one required to have a certificate. Not that an FAA medical certificate is all that difficult to qualify for, I've had a few people tell me that getting a DOT card was much harder than getting an FAA card.
Sep 10, 2020, 7:54 pm
#33
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest USA
Programs: BA SIL, WN A, UA SIL, Marriott TIT (LT), Hilton DIA
Posts: 1,969
LON is great if you want to spend 2-3 times the money (compared to USA) to get your instrument rating.
Sep 29, 2020, 11:38 am
#34
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: AA LT PLT (3.6+ MM), UA 1K LT Gold, Hilton LT Diamond, Bonvoy Gold.
Posts: 1,662
Don't forget that even when you are eventually permitted to physically visit the US, you'll need a student Visa, and that process can take months to achieve. In addition you'll also need to pass the TSA Alien Flight Student Program background screening.
https://www.aopa.org/advocacy/pilots...alidation-rule
It's certainly cheaper to do the training in the US, but not necessarily painless to start the process.... Also, as others have said, even with 3-4 flight lessons a week, It'll take you 8+ weeks to get that first certificate. And for the IR, you'll need to log 40 hours of simulated or actual instrument time and 50 hours of cross country. That can take a while to accumulate....
https://www.aopa.org/training-and-sa...trument-rating
Finally you'll need to prove you can read, write and speak English....
https://www.aopa.org/advocacy/pilots...alidation-rule
It's certainly cheaper to do the training in the US, but not necessarily painless to start the process.... Also, as others have said, even with 3-4 flight lessons a week, It'll take you 8+ weeks to get that first certificate. And for the IR, you'll need to log 40 hours of simulated or actual instrument time and 50 hours of cross country. That can take a while to accumulate....
https://www.aopa.org/training-and-sa...trument-rating
Finally you'll need to prove you can read, write and speak English....
Oct 1, 2020, 12:43 pm
#35
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Marriott or Hilton hot tub with a big drink <glub> Beverage: To-Go Bag™ DYKWIA: SSSS /rolleyes ☈ Date Night: Costco
Programs: Sea Shell Lounge Platinum, TSA Pre✓ Refusnik Diamond, PWP Gold, FT subset of the subset
Posts: 12,509
Get a copy of
.
Learn to fly in a J-3 Cub.
No first hand experience with this school, they were the first one that Google gave me. There are probably others.
There is nothing like touching down on a grass strip on an early summer evening in a Cub. The bottom half of the door flips up a bit right before the tire makes contact and then you smell the fresh grass.
Learn to fly in a J-3 Cub.
No first hand experience with this school, they were the first one that Google gave me. There are probably others.
There is nothing like touching down on a grass strip on an early summer evening in a Cub. The bottom half of the door flips up a bit right before the tire makes contact and then you smell the fresh grass.
Oct 2, 2020, 9:02 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: DEN or KOA
Programs: UA PLAT. DL PLAT, AOPA, MUG CLUB AT ROCK BOTTOM
Posts: 832
Remembering many decades ago. I wanted to upgrade a CML slab wing to add a rotorcraft rating. Opened a Flying magazine (before internet) looking for helicopter schools. Florida, Texas, California, Kona----No decision. Still live here, one of the best decisions I ever made.