I’ve just had a thought…
If the flight is done in a G-reg then the instructor can be paid and no DfT permission is required.
If the LHS (the pilot having the FAA BFR) is legal to be PIC at the time of the flight, does the FAA CFI need to have any JAA/EASA papers?
Presumably if he is charging then he needs the JAA/EASA CPL…
Some years ago, some FAA checkrides were done in G-regs and the FAA DPE sat in the back. A JAA FI had to be in the front RHS because, in a G-reg, the instructor is always PIC, and the FAA DPE didn’t have any JAA papers… There were some mishaps and that procedure was stopped.
But I wonder whether the LHS was capable of being a PIC on those flights. Normally, on an FAA BFR, the LHS can be PIC at the time of the BFR, because the BFR has not yet expired (plus he may have non FAA papers anyway).
I got this from a lawyer friend of mine:
FAA CFI needs to have JAA/EASA CPL if he is to be paid.
He does not need JAA/EASA instructor papers
Student is entitled to be PIC because from a JAA/EASA perspective it is not an instructional / exam flight.
I need to get my BFR done by the end of March: usually, I would just do this on a trip to see family and friends in Texas (and indeed, the BFR would also be with an instructor who’s also a friend, at Texas Taildraggers).
However, with the ongoing COVID19 situation, this looks highly unlikely to happen.
So I’m potentially looking for a UK based FAA CFI with these qualities, who can do my BFR:
- no objection to doing the BFR in the customer’s own non-EASA aircraft,
OR
- has access to a non-EASA aircraft to do the BFR in (preferably tailwheel)
- has access to an N-reg aircraft to do the BFR in (preferably tailwheel)
Preferred location would be either north west England, southern Scotland (perhaps @Jacko can help here) or northern Ireland, or somewhere not too distant from Rutland/Leicestershire (Spanhoe airfield), but if necessary I’m prepared to travel a bit.
Why not use the FAA pilot proficiency program WINGS instead?
Any FAASTeam Program Manager can credit you for flight activities phases based on suitable flight training exercises done with an EASA instructor or some proficiency checks.
There are thousands of knowledge activities on the FAASafety.gov site. There are also dozens of webinars, see https://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/events/EventList.aspx
For example here’s one this evening at 2030z (*):
I usually do mine at Breighton (the finest airport in God’s own county) with Lewis Kennington – shoot me an email or text for contact details.
The FAA Wings program is superb (pity the UK CAA is too busy harassing people for 50 ft “infringements” to copy it), but I do enjoy my biennial flight and chat with a CFI.
Due to COVID travel restrictions, my BFR has expired and I’ll need to go at least to the UK to find an FAA CFI. However, border restrictions are starting to ease (so travel becomes practical next month).
One snag is that the CFI must be able to also rent me a plane to do the BFR in, because my BFR has expired so I can’t just fly the Auster over, and border restrictions haven’t yet eased enough that non-Manx residents can travel over to visit us.
Any recommendations? Preferably in NW England but anywhere in the UK would do.
Maybe bit far away but you can try,
- Emma Carter at Goodwood (emma.aviatrixATgmail.com), she can do in her Fuji or Zlin or your Auster
- Eddie Lamb at North Weald (infoATacademyaviation.co.uk), he can do in his G-reg aircraft
Not far away is probably Jon Cooke from OntackAviation (flyingstuffAThotmail.com)
All can do EASA SEP & FAA BFR combined
Thanks for those suggestions – Wellesbourne (Ontrack) isn’t too far from Worcester where I have relatives, and one of the people who used to fly out of Andreas is now near Goodwood.
BasicMed doesn’t apply outside the US.
The Wings option can be found here.
I guess the BFR is a bit harder for US-based pilots now.
Threads on identical topic merged 
and more leads further back.
Are there any UK based instructors who can do a BFR? We used to use a chap at Leeds East but no longer an instructor – ideally someone up north! thanks.
