Foreign Pilots

Air America Flight Center has successfully trained over a thousand foreign pilots from countries all around the world. Air America proudly offers foreign pilots the opportunity to fly in the newest and most advanced aircraft at the lowest prices available. Our flight instructors are experienced and knowledgeable and our teaching environment is relaxed, yet professional. One of our best qualities is our devotion to our student's success. While relying on proven teaching methods and lesson plans we have the ability to change our teaching styles to meet the needs of our foreign pilots. Recognizing these learning differences allows us to develop a training syllabus specially created for you!

Air America Flight Center is also a popular place for foreign pilots to come to when they are unhappy with their current U.S. flight school. Since Part 141 schools each have their own company-specific training syllabus it is common for the foreign pilots to lose credit for their prior flight training when they try to transfer it to another Part 141 school. This will never happen if you come to Air America! Since we are a Part 61 school, we can count 100% of your prior flight and ground training towards meeting your training requirements. We can even use any training that you received outside of the U.S. if it was properly logged and endorsed, if necessary.

Foreign Pilot Services Offered at Air America:

Foreign Pilot Flight Training (Visa Required, TSA Registration Required for Certain Ratings)
Foreign Pilot Time Building (Visa Required, TSA Registration Not Required)
Foreign Pilot License Conversions (Visa Required, TSA Registration Not Required)

Foreign Pilot Flight Training (Visa Required, TSA Registration Required for Certain Ratings)

Unlike most schools, Air America Flight Center does not require foreign pilots to pay in advance for their flight training. Instead, you pay as you learn. We provide year-round training for foreign pilots wishing to fly from the "first-solo" to the Private Pilot Certificate (PPL) up through the Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (ATPL).

Visas

Air America can not issue visas. To receive your flight training at Air America you must have either a green card or an F-1 (Student) visa. If you have a J-1 (Exchange Visitor) or M-1 (Student) visa you may be able to receive your flight training here if you first get written permission from the issuer of your visa. B-1 (Business) and B-2 (Tourist) visa holders can also receive their flight training here but they are limited to 17 hours of flight training per week (ground training is not limited).

Transport Security Administrion (TSA)

Foreign pilots must register with the TSA for the following Certificates and Ratings:

Private, Recreational, or Sport Pilot Certificate
Commerical Certificate (only if this is the candidate's initial FAA license)
Instrument Rating and Multi-Engine Rating

Foreign pilots do not have to register with the TSA for the following Certificates and Endorsements:

Flight Instructor and ATP Certificates
Flight Reviews and Instrument Proficiency Checks
Complex and High Performance Endorsement
Aircraft Rental Checkouts

To register with the TSA please go to www.flightschoolcandidates.gov.

Notes about the TSA registration process:

You must have a passport and visa
You are a category 3 student
You will have to pay a $130 application fee
Once approved you will notified via email. You must then get fingerprinted
Once fingerprinted Air America will take your photo
Once your photo is sent to the TSA your flight training can begin!
If, at any time, the TSA determintes you are security threat they will notify us and training will be stopped immediately
If flight training does not begin with 180 days of TSA approval the candidate must resubmit their application and re-pay the $130 application fee however new fingerprints will not be required

Foreign Pilot Time Building (Visa Required, TSA Registion Not Required)

Air America has one of the largest and newest fleets available for rental all at the lowest prices available. This has made us a popular place for foreign pilots to come to rent aircraft for solo flying for the purpose of time building. Our types of aircraft range from a two-place Cessna 150M all the way up to a Cessna 182T with a G1000 Glass Cockpit and Beechcraft Duchess twins. The best value we offer to foreign pilots is a 10 hour block time rental of our Cessna 150M for only $680. This is a wet rental which means that it includes the price of fuel! For more information about our fleet, please click here.

Before being able to rent an airplane solo you will need to complete an Aircraft Rental Checkout with an Air America Flight Instructor and you will be required to convert your Foreign Pilot License into a FAA Pilot License. For more information about this conversion process, please click here.

Visas

Air America can not issue visas. To rent an airplane from Air America for the purpose of time building you must have a green card or a B-1 (Business), B-2 (Tourist), F-1 (Student), J-1 (Exchange Visitor) or M-1 (Student) visa. There is no limitation to the amount of time building that you can do during the time your visa is valid in the U.S.

Foreign Pilot License Conversions (Visa Required, TSA Registion Not Required)

It is very popular for foreign pilots to come to the U.S. to covert their Foreign Pilot License to a FAA Pilot License. This process is surprisingly easily and Air America Flight Center has years of experience in performing these conversions. There are three requirements that all foreign pilots must meet to convert their Foreign Pilot License. They are:

You must speak the English language fluently. Air America does not offer English speaking classes therefore we can only work with foreign pilot who already speak English fluently
You must have a green card or a B-1 (Business), B-2 (Tourist), F-1 (Student), J-1 (Exchange Visitor) or M-1 (Student) visa
You must be able to hold a third class U.S. medical certificate

The following can be completed before arriving in the U.S.:

The first step of the Foreign Pilot License conversion process can be completed before you even arrive in the U.S. It begins with the FAA verifying the authenticity of your Foreign Pilot License. To do this, you must fill out Verification of Authenticity Form and then fax it to 405-954-9922 or mail it to:

Federal Aviation Administration
Airmen Certification Branch, AFS-760
P.O. Box 25082
Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0082

At this point the FAA will verify the validity and currency of your Foreign Pilot License. Once this has been completed (which can take up to one month) the FAA will send a Verification Letter back to you in your home country. When you arrive in the U.S. and come to Air America you must bring this Verification Letter, Logbook, Foreign Pilot License, Foreign Pilot Medical, Passport and Visa with you. At this point we assist you in doing the following:

Receive an FAA medical examination (at lease a third class)
Receive an Flight Review Endorsement along with a Aircraft Rental Checkout in the airplane you wish to time build in

Since most foreign countries consider night time as being IFR, most foreign private pilots have zero or little night experience. With your new Foreign Pilot License you will be legal to fly at night so it might be necessary that you receive adequate night training beyond the requirements of the Aircraft Rental Checkout.

Once these are completed we will schedule an interview with a FAA Designated Examiner to meet you at Air America. During the interview, the FAA Designated Examiner will have the opportunity to meet you, review your information and verify that you speak English fluently. If everything is complete and accurate the new FAA Pilot License will be processed. A practical test is not required. For this interview you must provide the FAA Designated Examiner the following:

Completing a FAA Form 8710 (We will fill this out for you)
FAA Designated Examiner Fee (Typically $50.00, Cash Only)
Two photocopies of your Passport, Foreign Pilot License, Foreign Medical Certificate and FAA Medical Certificate
Logbook

Notes about your new FAA Pilot License:

Your new FAA Pilot License is based on your Foreign Pilot License. This means that you required to carry both copies with you when you fly in the U.S. to be legal
You will be required to register with the TSA to receive flight training to add an Instrument or Multi-Engine Rating to your FAA Pilot License

Flag icons courtesy of IconDrawer.