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Foreign Pilot: Training & Endorsement without License Validation and Medical?

Asked by: 1908 views FAA Regulations, General Aviation, Private Pilot

Hi everyone,

I hope you can help me with my question. I'm a German instrument-rated private pilot living in Germany and planning to visit Florida next week for some flying. All the paperwork for the foreign license validation, the foreign pilots instrument knowledge test etc. is prepared - the only thing missing is an FAA medical (as the German aviation authorities currently don't validate European medicals, it seems I need to have an FAA medical for the validation).

Unfortunately, there have been some complications, and my AME had to defer the decision about my medical certificate to the FAA. She's quite positive that they will grant me the medical, but the whole process will take some weeks. So, no way I'll have a medical by next week when I'm in Florida.

Now I'm wondering whether I can still do training with a CFI, without having a validated foreign license nor a medical. I was planning to do a couple of hours with a CFI on a Piper Arrow owned by a friend of mine. This training should include a flight review, a complex endorsement and an instrument proficiency check.

Can I still do this training with a CFI acting as PIC, and will he be able to give me all the endorsements (flight review, complex endorsement, IPC), so that once I have the medical, all I need to do in order to be able to legally fly in the US, is pass the formal act of the foreign license validation?

As my travel plans depend on this (I might decide/postpone the whole trip alltogether), I'd appreciate any help I can get.

Thanks a lot and greetings from Germany
Jan

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1 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on Sep 26, 2018

    Servus, Jan

    It is not the medical that is the issue where flight instruction is concerned. People take demo rides and receive dual instruction without a medical certificate all the time. Just need a Student pilot certificate prior to solo flight.

    For what you are requesting, you would need to have a pilot certificate. The flight review, IPC and complex endorsement all pertain to a U.S. pilot certificate and being able to exercise those privileges. While you might be able to receive the instruction, the instructor could not issue the endorsements against your German pilot license. Depending on how much time elapses between the instruction and the date of the endorsement, your instructor may or may not be comfortable issuing the endorsements at a later date.

    viel Glück

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