Canadian Pilot wants U.S. Certificate

Your Canadian certificate does not say Private Glider or Commercial Glider?
I had not seen that before. We get a few of visitors each year that already
hold their US FAA Pvt Certificate based on their Foreign, (UK, AUS or
Canada) certificate.
BT

wrote in message
...
Hi Guys,

Hopefully, you can help me get this figured out. I'm going on a trip
to Florida next summer, and I'd like to fly a glider while I'm there
(I kept seeing gorgeous Cu's from Mickey-Mouse-Land). I figured I
would get checked out in a Grob 103 and then go have some fun in a
Grob 102 or similar single-seater.

According to the FAA website, I just need to send an application form
along with a copy of my Canadian licence and medical for confirmation
and approval, then a visit to the Rochester FSDO to get the licence.

However, the Rochester FSDO says that I can't have a licence. The
response is:

According to our guidance, we will be unable to process your request.

"Some foreign CAAs have issued pilot licenses that do not identify
the
grade of pilot license. In those instances, do not issue a
U.S.pilot
certificate. The holder of that kind of foreign pilot license does
not
meet ICAO standards for pilot certification."

The Canadian glider certificate does not include the wording
"private"
or "commercial". Because of this we can not issue a US certificate
based on your Canadian privileges.


So, I said, "Well, I have a 'Private Pilot - Aeroplane' licence and a
glider licence... can I please get a U.S. glider licence. Again,
"No". I can get a U.S. power licence and fly N# power planes, but
can't fly N# gliders. (I can take my Canadian registered glider to
the U.S. and fly it on my Cdn licence, but not N# gliders).

There HAS to be some simple way for me to fly solo in the U.S., but
how?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
John

Originally Posted by

On Nov 24, 11:32*am, Burt Compton - Marfa wrote:
On Nov 24, 9:57 am, wrote:

Why would it take 4 days to complete the licence? Writing the test
should be fairly quick, and I think I can convince an instructor that
I know what I'm doing in fairly short order.

Interesting comment, which may send up a red flag in most CFI's
minds. *

Burt,

My comment was regards to the earlier posting about writing the exam
and doing some checkrides to get my U.S. certificate, it didn't seem
to me that I'd require a full course. I'm currently a licenced glider
pilot and instructor in Canada, as well as holder of a Private Pilot -
Aeroplane. I'm technically "low-time" at only 90 or so hours on
gliders, but I'm current and competently skilled (yes, there are
improvements to be done -- who can honestly say otherwise?). It
should be quickly obvious to a CFI that I know what I'm doing with a
glider -- no red flags at all.

I just can't "wrap my head around" the seeming requirement that I take
a full course to gain a licence to exercise flying privileges that I
already have in my home country. After all, the FAA would have no
problem if I brought my own ship (Kestrel 19) down to the States and
flew it... why the problem with getting even a temporary or restricted
licence to fly an N# glider? I don't wish to instruct or even fly a
passenger while there; I just want to enjoy the thermals for a few
hours.

I have no problems with doing a checkride or three to demonstrate to
the owner that I'm a competent pilot capable of safely flying and
returning the aircraft. I would expect to be checked at any club that
I visit; I'm subject to a Spring proficiency check at my own club each
year, both front and rear seat. I just don't know why I'd need a 4-
day course to demonstrate the skills that I would have been teaching
to my students in Canada the week before my trip.

John

You can start at this page from the Transport Canada web site. It does not cover glider licenses but it should be a similar process.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/ge...Conversion.htm

I would suggest you contact your local TCCA office and talk to the licensing people. They will give you the info you require.

On Nov 24, 7:24*pm, "BT" wrote:
Your Canadian certificate does not say Private Glider or Commercial Glider?
I had not seen that before. We get a few of visitors each year that already
hold their US FAA Pvt Certificate based on their Foreign, (UK, AUS or
Canada) certificate.
BT

My glider certificate shows "Glider Pilot". My power certificate
reads "Private Pilot - Aeroplane". My medical is valid for both, but
for differing time periods.

I think I'll contact Transport Canada about this.

In message , BT
writes
Your Canadian certificate does not say Private Glider or Commercial Glider?
I had not seen that before. We get a few of visitors each year that already
hold their US FAA Pvt Certificate based on their Foreign, (UK, AUS or
Canada) certificate.

Snip

Since the commercial licence is a higher qualification I would have
thought the common sense thing is to treat it as a Private Glider
licence - but when did common sense have much to do with it?

--
Surfer!
Email to: ramwater at uk2 dot net

Surfer! wrote:
In message , BT writes
Your Canadian certificate does not say Private Glider or Commercial
Glider?
I had not seen that before. We get a few of visitors each year that
already
hold their US FAA Pvt Certificate based on their Foreign, (UK, AUS or
Canada) certificate.

Snip

Since the commercial licence is a higher qualification I would have
thought the common sense thing is to treat it as a Private Glider
licence - but when did common sense have much to do with it?

Sense(any kind) and aviation bureaucracy are generally strangers.

After searching the FAA web site, this is what I came up with:

Airmen Certification: Verify the Authenticity of a Foreign License, Rating, or Medical Certification
http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certific..._verification/

In this case, you are interrested in FAR 61.75. (see below)


Private pilot certificate issued on the basis of a foreign pilot license.

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text...2.1.10&idno=14

From what I understand of the US system, you get a Private Pilot Licence with a Glider endorsement.

I may be wrong but, my previous comment about contacting TCCA/Licencing still holds.

BT wrote:

Your Canadian certificate does not say Private Glider or Commercial Glider?
I had not seen that before.

In the most countries of this world, the glider pilot license does not
say "private glider" or "commercial glider", because in most countries
of this world, there is simply no such thing. There's a glider pilot
license, and that's it. A fully ICAO compliant glider license, by the way.

So I think you should try and get some paper by the Canadian authorities
confirming that your licence is ICAO compliant.

On Nov 27, 10:58*am, John Smith wrote:
BT wrote:
Your Canadian certificate does not say Private Glider or Commercial Glider?
I had not seen that before.

In the most countries of this world, the glider pilot license does not
say "private glider" or "commercial glider", because in most countries
of this world, there is simply no such thing. There's a glider pilot
license, and that's it. A fully ICAO compliant glider license, by the way..

So I think you should try and get some paper by the Canadian authorities
confirming that your licence is ICAO compliant.

Canada has recognized that we're not completely ICAO compliant in a
couple of areas, and has begun the process of fixing that at a faster-
than-expected-for-beaurocracy speed.

On 1 January, you should be able to apply at
http://www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/ge...el/changes.htm for a
new-style Canadian licence, where your GPL and PPL will be combined in
to a single document that should satisfy the FAA's inspectors. If you
didn't have the PPL, and just a GPL, you'd have to wait until 2010 to
apply for the new document.

Cheers,

Rob