American license.

[gapper]

I want to ferrry an aircraft that is registered American into Canada. Do I need to get an US licence, and if I do, how do I get one? Any help would be great! I've been told that to import a US registered machine into Canada it has to be flown by a US pilot, and once in Canada, it has to be flown by a Canadian licenced pilot.

[chipmunk]

You only need the FAA license to fly the N-registered aircraft within the US.
Once it comes to Canada, *either* a TC or FAA license will work.

As far as the conversion process, there are a bunch of threads on here for how to convert a TC CPL or ATPL to an FAA one. It's fairly straightforward, but it takes a few steps and a couple of months. I'm not sure of the latest information on how to do this if you have just a PPL. FLVC perhaps?

[ReserveTank]

If you choose to import into Canada with its N registration, you need FAA license. If you do all of the Canadian paperwork before import and change the reg to C- then you need a Canadian license. It follows the aircraft reg. PM me if you would like some help, I've done imports a time or 2.

[xsbank]

If all you want is an American license, walk into a FSDO and pay the fee and get a license. Its more of a hassle if you need a type rating etc. but otherwise, just call them and ask them. All the FAA numbers are online.

[gapper]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a FSDO? I've never flown in the States.

[Colonel Sanders]

If all you want is an American license, walk into a FSDO and pay the fee and get a license

Ah, for the good old days. Can't do that any more.

You need to fill out an FAA verification form and fax
it to OKC. The FAA contacts TC, and sends you a letter
verifying your qualifications.

Only after you receive that letter, may you book an
appointment with a FSDO. I strongly suggest that you
pursue an FAA Private Certificate (NOT a licence) IAW
FAR 61.75 which relies upon the validity of your foreign
ICAS licence.

If you go the FAR 61.75 route, you don't need an FAA
medical or written test or anything. Just the verification
letter from OKC.

[chipmunk]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is a FSDO? I've never flown in the States.

Flight Standards District Office.

There is at least one in each state... essentially a satellite FAA office to the main HQ in Oklahoma.

[CFR]

If all you want is an American license, walk into a FSDO and pay the fee and get a license

Ah, for the good old days. Can't do that any more.

You need to fill out an FAA verification form and fax
it to OKC. The FAA contacts TC, and sends you a letter
verifying your qualifications.

Only after you receive that letter, may you book an
appointment with a FSDO. I strongly suggest that you
pursue an FAA Private Certificate (NOT a licence) IAW
FAR 61.75 which relies upon the validity of your foreign
ICAS licence.

If you go the FAR 61.75 route, you don't need an FAA
medical or written test or anything. Just the verification
letter from OKC.

What he said!

First US license I got was via the walk in to an FAA office route about 35 years ago (at Boeing Field in Seattle) . People were tripping over themselves to help me and I was in and out in about 20 minutes, having only shown my Canadian paper license and receiving a US one printed on the spot. Earlier this year I went through the current process and it is not onerous, only a bit time consuming, having to fill out a form, sending it to Oklahoma City and then waiting for them to verify the information from TC and then sending me a letter that told me to set up an appointment with the field office of my choice. I chose Fargo and spent about 15 minutes with a very nice FAA field officer who verified my information (I was a bit different as he said that as I already held a US license [albeit 35 years old] they could have simply issued me one by mail) and then printed out an endorsement to my Canadian license booklet granting me US privileges as long as it was accompanied by a current Canadian license.

[xsbank]

Thanks Hedley, I should know better. Also,

US - certificate - never expires
Canada - license - expires

Exactly as the good Colonel states.

[Chaxterium]

If all you want is an American license, walk into a FSDO and pay the fee and get a license

Ah, for the good old days. Can't do that any more.

You need to fill out an FAA verification form and fax
it to OKC. The FAA contacts TC, and sends you a letter
verifying your qualifications.

Only after you receive that letter, may you book an
appointment with a FSDO. I strongly suggest that you
pursue an FAA Private Certificate (NOT a licence) IAW
FAR 61.75 which relies upon the validity of your foreign
ICAS licence.

If you go the FAR 61.75 route, you don't need an FAA
medical or written test or anything. Just the verification
letter from OKC.

What he said!

First US license I got was via the walk in to an FAA office route about 35 years ago (at Boeing Field in Seattle) . People were tripping over themselves to help me and I was in and out in about 20 minutes, having only shown my Canadian paper license and receiving a US one printed on the spot. Earlier this year I went through the current process and it is not onerous, only a bit time consuming, having to fill out a form, sending it to Oklahoma City and then waiting for them to verify the information from TC and then sending me a letter that told me to set up an appointment with the field office of my choice. I chose Fargo and spent about 15 minutes with a very nice FAA field officer who verified my information (I was a bit different as he said that as I already held a US license [albeit 35 years old] they could have simply issued me one by mail) and then printed out an endorsement to my Canadian license booklet granting me US privileges as long as it was accompanied by a current Canadian license.

All correct but don't forget that at some point you have to get an FAA medical before they'll issue the certificate. There are a number of doctors North of the border that do FAA medicals.

Cheers,
Chax

[Flybabe]

All correct but don't forget that at some point you have to get an FAA medical before they'll issue the certificate. There are a number of doctors North of the border that do FAA medicals.

Cheers,
Chax

ONLY if applying for a standalone US certificate, yes.

[Chaxterium]

Ah right.

[Colonel Sanders]

This is really important to understand:

As Canadians, we have an advantage over other
ICAO nations, when it comes to obtaining an FAA
pilot certificate (not a licence).

We can go the FAR part 61.75 route like any foreign
national and get an FAA private certificate which relies
upon us keeping our foreign ICAO licence valid
(no medical or written test required), or

We can go the IPL route and apply for an equivalent
self-standing FAA pilot certificate (private,
commercial, ATP). This is ONLY available to Canadians
and requires an FAA medical, a differences written test
(no flight test).

You end up with entirely different FAA pilot certificates.
You should choose which one you want.

Note that there is a 3rd option: just like an American,
do the full written and flight tests in the USA. Not many
Canadians do this any more - though you can, as long
as you're willing to get fingerprinted, DHS clearance, etc.

[lownslow]

For people who have a Pilot Certificate issued under FAR 61.75 (the FAR is here for anyone too lazy to search), what does it essentially say? Is it the sort of document that just says, "Yeah, he's cool. Whatever TC says he can do is fine by us," or would I have to reapply or update with the FAA whenever I get a new rating?

LnS.

[Flybabe]

For people who have a Pilot Certificate issued under FAR 61.75 (the FAR is here for anyone too lazy to search), what does it essentially say? Is it the sort of document that just says, "Yeah, he's cool. Whatever TC says he can do is fine by us," or would I have to reapply or update with the FAA whenever I get a new rating?

LnS.

As long as you maintain your Canadian licence, your FAA Certificate (under part 61.75) is valid. No updating with FAA necessary, other than address.

[Masters Off]

Does that also stand for ratings? I.e. night, IFR, etc.
Or is that just the PPL/CPL/ATPL, period.

[Colonel Sanders]

For which certificate? Relying, or self-standing?

If you go the FAR 61.75 "relying" route, for new
issuances, the FAA will give you a Private Pilot
Certificate, regardless if you have TC PPL/CPL/ATPL.

(In the old days, the FAA would give you a CPL via
FAR 61.75 if you had a TC CPL/ATPL but not any more).

If you have a night rating, it goes across. Same for
multi. You have to write a test for instrument. At
least, it did for me, back in the mid 90's when I got
a "relying" FAA COMM-SMEL-IA via FAR 61.75, based
on my TC ATPL and the FAA IFP written test.


Don't confuse that with the IPL, which is for Canadians
only. If you have TC PPL, you get FAA Private. If you
have TC CPL, you get FAA COMM. If you have TC ATPL,
you get FAA ATP-MEL and COMM-SEL (don't ask). Again,
night and multi goes across. I think you have to do another
written test to xfer your TC instrument rating across if
you are PPL or CPL. I didn't have to, because unlike in
Canada, IFR priviledges are implicit in an FAA ATP. There
is no such thing as a VFR FAA ATP, AFAIK.

What does not go across? Seaplane, and instructor. These
ratings are fundamentally different in Canada and the USA.
Canada, for example, has no flight test for seaplane, and
gives you multi-engine sea for free, even if you've never
seen one. The FAA does NOT. The FAA has class-specific
tests for SES and MES. And if you want to put that on your
FAA ATP, you'd better find a floatplane with an ILS.

Instructor is so wildly different in Canada and the USA, that
there simply is no common ground. In Canada, we have
class 4/3/2/1 and you don't even need to be an instructor
to teach IFR or seaplane, which makes the FAA run screaming
out of the room. Meanwhile, the FAA allows new instructors
to teach unsupervised, on their own aircraft, and they can
automatically teach new instructors after 2 years - no test
required. Time for the TC Inspectors to run screaming from
the room. The FAA has CFI, CFII and MEI instructor ratings
which doesn't align at all with Canada.

[lownslow]

So with the IPL you presumably have to keep the FAA medical current in order to fly an N-registered airplane in the United States, right?

LnS.

[Flybabe]

Correct.

[Beefitarian]

So with the IPL you presumably have to keep the FAA medical current in order to fly an N-registered airplane in the United States, right?

LnS.

I believe you also need to take some form of training every second year.

[jump154]

So with the IPL you presumably have to keep the FAA medical current in order to fly an N-registered airplane in the United States, right?

LnS.

I believe you also need to take some form of training every second year.

To expand -- the FAA biennial flight review, do you need to do one for the relying certificate, the IPL, both or neither?

[Chaxterium]

Well for the IPL you certainly have to do it. It's a completely stand-alone licence. Once you have it it is no longer tied to the TC licence in any way.

[lownslow]

Alright, so I went to the FAA site, downloaded the paperwork to get the certificate under FAR 61.75 and filled out the vast majority of it. Do any of you guys know what it would take to have a tailwheel rating put on the US certificate? Do I just attach a letter asking for one and stating the number of tailwheel hours I have or what?

LnS.

BTW, the paperwork can be found here for anyone else who is interested:
http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificate ... ification/

[cgartly]

So with the IPL you presumably have to keep the FAA medical current in order to fly an N-registered airplane in the United States, right?

LnS.

I believe you also need to take some form of training every second year.

To expand -- the FAA biennial flight review, do you need to do one for the relying certificate, the IPL, both or neither?

I have the relying certificate and everywhere I have ever rented from in the US has required a valid BFR. Something I really should dig in to. Doing a BFR is no big deal.

[thorongil]

Alright, so I went to the FAA site, downloaded the paperwork to get the certificate under FAR 61.75 and filled out the vast majority of it. Do any of you guys know what it would take to have a tailwheel rating put on the US certificate? Do I just attach a letter asking for one and stating the number of tailwheel hours I have or what?

LnS.

BTW, the paperwork can be found here for anyone else who is interested:
http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificate ... ification/

There is no 'tailwheel rating' in the US. To be a PIC of a tailwheel aircraft you need a logbook endorsement, or be grandfathered by prior experience:

FAR 61.31 (i)
(i) Additional training required for operating tailwheel airplanes. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (i)(2) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command of a tailwheel airplane unless that person has received and logged flight training from an authorized instructor in a tailwheel airplane and received an endorsement in the person's logbook from an authorized instructor who found the person proficient in the operation of a tailwheel airplane. The flight training must include at least the following maneuvers and procedures:

(i) Normal and crosswind takeoffs and landings;

(ii) Wheel landings (unless the manufacturer has recommended against such landings); and

(iii) Go-around procedures.

(2) The training and endorsement required by paragraph (i)(1) of this section is not required if the person logged pilot-in-command time in a tailwheel airplane before April 15, 1991.