What is required for someone who has CPL, IR and CFI licenses from Iran to fly in USA? What is the requirement to convert license?
1 Answer
You cannot convert the CPL to FAA-CPL. What is possible is to obtain a FAA-PPL certificate by verification of the your current foreign license. This certificate will be valid as long as your foreign license is (plus medical conditions, and 24-months PPL flight review required for any PPL in the US).
With the PPL certificate, you will be able to obtain IR and CPL:
- Pass IR and CPL written tests.
- Attend training for IR and CPL practical checks.
- Accumulate at least 250 flight hours. Time in the foreign country with the foreign license will count as well, but at least 3 hours are required with the FAA instructor. The instructor will vouch for the candidate is ready for the check-ride.
- Pass CPL and IR practical checks.
A valid residence permit will be necessary to use the FAA-CPL.
The CFI roadmap is similar, written tests and checkrides are mandatory, there no minimum hours to be flown in the US. As a large part of the knowledge required is similar to many ICAO-member countries (teaching, meteorology, navigation, aerodynamics, etc) this shouldn't be a problem to be certified FAA CFI.
Related:
- Do I need a PPL license for a CPL license?
- I have a European EASA license - what do I need to do to be allowed to fly in the US?
- Can a pilot with an ICAO Multi-Crew Pilot License fly an airliner into the U.S.?
References:
- Required knowledge FAR 61.123 et seqq.
- Required flight experience FAR 61.129.
- Pilot certification in the US on Wikipedia.
- Process for foreign CPL to FAA-PPL conversion (FAR 61.75).
- Flight Instructors FAR 62.181
-
1$\begingroup$ Could you clarify your remark that "A valid residence permit will be necessary to use the FAA-CPL"? Where is this requirement, and what if the aircraft was being flown outside the US? $\endgroup$ Commented Apr 28, 2015 at 17:11
-
$\begingroup$ I'm not a US citizen. I refer to the section Non-Resident Workers in Can foreign pilots get an FAA ATPL and work for a US-based commercial airline? for the case of a pilot without a Green Card. My understanding is that you cannot be employed by an airline. Am I wrong here? For what it is worth, this discussion on PPRuNe, very confused. $\endgroup$– minsCommented Apr 28, 2015 at 18:11