What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

A strange request on an RV forum

Peter M

Member
Hi

I'm an RV disciple from the bottom of the Pacific. I fly my RV-6 anytime I can and love every moment of it. My RV and me have even flown across the Tasman to Australia!

This year a mate of mine (who fly's a Tecnam :confused:) have decided to do the pilgrimage to Oshkosh with our wives. Sadly we're not likely to find an RV with 4 seats that has the payload of a Cessna 182 so we've settled on flying a C182 into Oshkosh.

We're landing in Houston and plan to tour Houston, New Orleans and Memphis by car before collecting a C182 somewhere in Texas, Louisiana Arkansas or Mississippi and taking a week to get to Oshkosh and a week to get back. Most flight schools seem to want their aircraft to fly about 3hrs/day but we're not likely to get much beyond 1.5 - 2hrs/day on account of the aircraft being parked at Oshkosh for 5 days.

Ideally we're looking for a private owner who may be prepared to rent their aircraft to us after we're appropriately checked out by an instructor they trust. If you know someone on your airfield with a C182 who might be prepared to rent their aircraft to us I'd be grateful for their contact details.
I have 1350hrs total time, incl 500hrs in my RV-6 and 110hrs in a C182.
Thanks.
 
I'd be surprised if it's legal to fly a rental aircraft in the US on a NZ pilot's licence.

Have you checked on the requirements. It's not like renting a car.
 
You're gonna love New Orleans. Hope you have at least a week to spend there; it's a *great* place to hang out. The 'tourist' stuff is fine; the off-book stuff is much better. There's also a really nice flying group on St Charles Airport (LS40), about 2 miles from MSY (the Class B airport) with their own 'notch' in the Class B airspace.

When you drive from NO to Memphis, try to plan your lunch stop near Jackson MS. My wife & I live at Slobovia Outerntional (MS71), & would love to meet you for lunch.

Charlie
 
I'd be surprised if it's legal to fly a rental aircraft in the US on a NZ pilot's licence.

Have you checked on the requirements. It's not like renting a car.

Unless NZ is exempted, it is not possible. But you can get a US validation of your foreign licence. It is not difficult, but it is time consuming. Count on 3 months. Google has plenty of info. Take a recent one. Things have changed a few years ago.
 
I'd be surprised if it's legal to fly a rental aircraft in the US on a NZ pilot's licence.

Have you checked on the requirements. It's not like renting a car.

Bob - yes we're across all that thanks. Our New Zealand PPL's can be validated for flight in the USA. It's a bit of a bureaucratic process but is a well-trodden path.
 
When you drive from NO to Memphis, try to plan your lunch stop near Jackson MS. My wife & I live at Slobovia Outerntional (MS71), & would love to meet you for lunch.

Charlie

Thanks Charlie. Our plans are fluid at the moment and a lot depends on the location of where we can rent a C182 from. If we come past your way I'll message you as I enjoy talking to other RV owners.
 
It might be wothwhile giving Van Bortel Aircraft a call. They sell a lot of Cessnas, are based in Texas, and may have relationships with places that rent aircraft.
 
Bob - yes we're across all that thanks. Our New Zealand PPL's can be validated for flight in the USA. It's a bit of a bureaucratic process but is a well-trodden path.

Pete, I suspect there might be a lot of foreign pilots on this forum who would be very interested in what is entailed in validating a foreign PPL for flight in the USA.

Have you actually done it. How long did it take. Do you have to present in the US for flight testing. Do you have to present in the US for a theory test. Is the validation current for only a limited period. How much does it cost.
 
Pete, I suspect there might be a lot of foreign pilots on this forum who would be very interested in what is entailed in validating a foreign PPL for flight in the USA.

Have you actually done it. How long did it take. Do you have to present in the US for flight testing. Do you have to present in the US for a theory test. Is the validation current for only a limited period. How much does it cost.

All the steps are detailed here: https://www.aopa.org/training-and-s...s-and-proficiency/foreign-pilot-certification

Chris
 
Pete, I suspect there might be a lot of foreign pilots on this forum who would be very interested in what is entailed in validating a foreign PPL for flight in the USA.

Have you actually done it. How long did it take. Do you have to present in the US for flight testing. Do you have to present in the US for a theory test. Is the validation current for only a limited period. How much does it cost.

Bob

We're just beginning that process now. We have to send licence, medical and experience information to the FAA and they validate that with the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority. When satisfied that's in order they issue a letter/certificate of validation to us. We then have to present ourselves to an FAA FISDO with that letter/certificate of validation and they will issue us with either a temporary or permanent FAA licence (I'm not sure which just yet). Then it's a case of demonstrating to a CFI that you have the practical flying skills to complete the licensing process.

If anyone on this forum has questions about the license validation process I'd be pleased to answer them. There's quite a bit of information on the web which explains the process and seems straight-forward to follow.

Cheers
 
Hey Peter,
I am going to try and get to OSH this year. It would be fun to meet. Good luck with your quest.

Rocky
 
Bob

....
We then have to present ourselves to an FAA FISDO with that letter/certificate of validation and they will issue us with either a temporary or permanent FAA licence (I'm not sure which just yet). Then it's a case of demonstrating to a CFI that you have the practical flying skills to complete the licensing process.

If anyone on this forum has questions about the license validation process I'd be pleased to answer them. There's quite a bit of information on the web which explains the process and seems straight-forward to follow.

Cheers

I just went trough the whole process.

The last part has changed:
we you receive the letter to issue the validation, the final issuance is not done by the FSDO anymore. It is now done by a Designated Flight Examiner. You still have to contact the FDO listed in the FAA letter because you need a list of available DFE' s.

The DFE will do the so-called " Review". This is only administrative business.
The DFE will check authenticity of your documents, check your English language performance and update your details in the FAA airmen Portal.
Make sure you have already registered.

The DFE will issue a paper version of your validation. After 3 months you will receive a shiny plastic version at your home address.
The DFE will charge between 200-300 USD (They are unpaid FAA workers and need to make their own money)
From the moment you have your paper version you are good to go. You will need a checkout at the rental facility.

I went trough all this, just to find-out that my validation from 1984 was still valid. Initially it didn't, but later it popped-up in my FAA Airmen Register

Note: you will only get a PPL validation with the ratings stated in your foreign license. Your validation is valid as long as your Original is valid. You need both of them when flying in the USA.

Sorry, not DFE but DPE: Designated Pilot Examiner
 
Last edited:
Hey Peter,
I am going to try and get to OSH this year. It would be fun to meet. Good luck with your quest.

Rocky

Rocky

Yes it would be good to meet after our earlier e-mail and forum exchanges. The carb heat flap you made me has been installed and is doing a great job thanks. Keep in touch.
 
Peter, hope to see at osh this year. Fellow kiwi Born and raised just north of Auckland but have been living in the states since 91. New Orleans is great, my wife loves the churches and museums, we go down there a couple of times a year. We are 2 to 3 hours south east of memphis in central Alabama, KPLR, will ask around about a 182 for u if we?re not to far out of the way. Will check with a mate of mine who flys for small charter company , see what info I can get u. You?ll love the southeast, great people, be ready for hot coming from Nz winter. Good luck with the planning . Pete
 
We are 2 to 3 hours south east of memphis in central Alabama, KPLR, will ask around about a 182 for u if we?re not to far out of the way. Will check with a mate of mine who flys for small charter company , see what info I can get u. You?ll love the southeast, great people, be ready for hot coming from Nz winter. Good luck with the planning . Pete

Pete

I?d be grateful if you would ask your charter mate and others around KPLR if they know of a C182 for rent. We have located one aircraft that?s available but it?s quite a way from our planned route. The St Clair area is a bit closer as we wanted to stick around the Houston, New Orleans, Memphis area. Thanks for your help.
 
a little confirmation please?

I just went trough the whole process.

The last part has changed:


The DFE will do the so-called " Review". This is only administrative business.
The DFE will check authenticity of your documents, check your English language performance and update your details in the FAA airmen Portal.


The DFE will issue a paper version of your validation.

Note: you will only get a PPL validation with the ratings stated in your foreign license. Your validation is valid as long as your Original is valid. You need both of them when flying in the USA.

Joop...thanks for the PIREP....but can you confirm something?
It sounds like there is NO flight 'test' or checkout of any kind. This is what I read also in my research from the Canadian side.

I'm not sure when I'd benefit from a US license, but the document I read sounded like it was for people MOVING to the US, not just wanting to vacation or fly within the US.

I know a few Canadians who take their aircraft south for 3 or 6 months in the winter, and fly about with their Canadian licenses naturally.
At some point however, I can see a guy might want to re-register the aircraft, or use his US license for certain privileges it may allow?? ( like renting from a flight school etc.)
thanks again.
 
Back
Top