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5 Answers

Does FAA credit flying hours from ICAO Countries?

Asked by: 7377 views FAA Regulations

Hi,

I have an expired ICAO Commercial Certificate expired in 2010,I am interested in getting an FAA Commercial and Instrument, I understand that I need to start from base PPL/CPL/IR Written must  as well Check rides,however does my previous flying hours will be credited to towards the programme/training or do I have to start all over again to build my hours? from zero .

Appreciate feedback.

 

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5 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    Kris Kortokrax on Apr 29, 2014

    61.41 allows you to use any training time logged by an instructor from an ICAO country to count.

    Any solo time would also count.

    You just need your logbook to substantiate the time.

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  2. Mike Urban on Apr 30, 2014

    Before answering your question you have to confirm if airman license is:

    1. Obsolete
    2. Expired, or
    3. or just not current.

    Some ICAO member, consider the airman license obsolete after five years only. This means you are equal to someone who has zero pilot knowledge/skills (not fair but that is their stupid rules). I this case, your license is obsolete and you have to take everything all over again as if you have never been a pilot before. If it expired or just not current, then I recommend that you “activate” it again before you head to the US.

    The FAA will ask you for a “letter of license verification” which you have to obtain from your National Aviation Authority (NAA) plus your logbook. Then you will have to set for the FAA written tests plus check-rides for each certificate/rating you want to convert; after this, the FAA will issue you a non-stand-alone- FAA license. In another words, your FAA will be based and linked to your foreign license; that means if your foreign license becomes obsolete, so will your FAA license will be. It is my recommendation for all my foreign wanna-be pilots to take their initial training in the USA first THEN convert the FAA to their NAA license (incorrectly called ICAO license). Another important recommendation is that you take your training in the USA under part 141 NOT 61 because many country will reject your application for converting the FAA to their license if the training is conducted under 61.

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  3. Kris Kortokrax on Apr 30, 2014

    Mike,

    You are attempting to define the process for obtaining a US certificate based upon a foreign license.

    One applies for the letter of verification with the FAA. The FAA then verifies the license with the foreign government and issues the letter to the applicant.

    There is no need to take a knowledge test, unless the applicant is seeking instrument privileges on his US certificate.

    Never heard of the 141 issue when going from FAA to foreign (I don’t mean to deny it, just have never heard of it).

    The original poster did not ask about obtaining a US certificate based on his foreign license.

    He asked about counting hours obtained training in a foreign (ICAO) country counting toward the requirements for a US certificate. According to 61.41, they do count, regardless of whether his foreign license is “obsolete, expired or just not current”.

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  4. NBV on Apr 30, 2014

    Kris,

    Appreciate feedback,I was worried about spending $$ again to build the hours in the US, if the FAA does not recognize foreign (ICAO) build hours.

    :>

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  5. Mark Kolber on May 02, 2014

    As Kris said, 61.41 allows crediting of instruction. And there’ snitching in 61.51 (logging flight time toward certificates, ratings and currency) that says “in the US”.

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