Foreign Pilots

Foreign pilot certificate validation

Question: What must foreign pilots do before being able to act as pilot in command of US registered aircraft

If you choose to fly with a West Air instructor on board there are no requirements. If you would like to rent our aircraft alone the procedure below should be followed.

14 CFR 61.75 allows a person to be issued a U.S. pilot certificate with private pilot privileges on the basis of a foreign pilot license that is equivalent to or higher than the U.S. private pilot certification level. The foreign pilot license must have been issued by a foreign Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that is a member state of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the foreign pilot license must be valid. The holder of a valid foreign pilot license issued by an ICAO member state may use that foreign pilot license as the basis for issuance of a U.S. pilot certificate even if the issuing country is now defunct (e.g., the Russian Federation).

For information on converting a foreign certificate, please refer to the following link:

http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/foreign_license_verification/

Non-U.S. Citizens seeking flight training

Question: What should I do if I am a non-U.S. citizen and would like to start flight training in the United States.

The TSA / Department of Homeland Security requires all flight students show evidence of US citizenship, or have approval under the Alien Flight Student Program, prior to receiving any flight training.

This applies to both student pilots working towards an initial FAA pilot certificate, as well as licensed pilots seeking additional training for instrument or multi-engine ratings.

For additional information, please refer to the following links:

https://www.flightschoolcandidates.gov

http://www.aopa.org/tsa_rule/alienft.html