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European FI/FE in the US

Hello,

This is surely a very long shot but would there be any EASA FI/FE in the US permanently or visiting at regular intervals? I’ve been flying back to France for each renewal of my PPL but scheduling is always difficult so doing it here with a local or visiting instructor would be much easier.

Thank you

KHPN, LFBE, EGKB, United States

You might be able to find one in FL. There is one AFAIK near San Diego, but seeing where you’re based that doesn’t help you. Suggest you search for EASA flight schools in the US (Google brings up the relevant doc) and get in touch with them. IIRC there a re a few in FL and the one here in SoCal.

PS: I’ve been doing the same as you – do it when I’m in Europe, which happens about 2-3 times a year.

Last Edited by 172driver at 11 Sep 21:42

Try Naples Air Center in Naples, FL. They may have one, I did my ATPL theory there. Also there is OSM (formerly Scandinavian Aviation Academy) in California.

Sweden

I don’t think there is a way for an EASA FI to do it on a n-reg outside the airspace of its licence issuer (UK for me) but if I’m proven wrong I’d be happy to do your hour and sign your licence on on of my visits to NYC (2-4 times / year)

The 6-7 US schools that offer EASA licenses will have instructors and examiners capable of signing off these papers. I am sure those people will have valid FAA papers anyway so they can be PIC if required.

A European FI/CRI visiting the US will be able to do this provided the candidate is legally PIC i.e. his license has not yet expired.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

A European FI/CRI visiting the US will be able to do this provided the candidate is legally PIC i.e. his license has not yet expired.

On an N-Reg?

What I do have:
EASA (UK) PPL/CRI
FAA PPL (61.75)

What I don’t have
FAA instructing privileges.

I’d probably have to do it for free, but I am sure that wouldn’t be an issue.
Not sure how it works with insurance. Rental airplane probably wouldn’t work.

Last Edited by Noe at 12 Sep 07:28

I think you need FAA FI privileges (i.e. CFI or CFII) only if instructing towards FAA papers.

This is probably a grey area, and is thus both ways i.e. some stuff has been going on in Europe along these lines.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

It’s on the wrong coast but https://headingwest.net/FR/index.php do both FAA and EASA instruction. This post might be relevant for you too

EGHO-LFQF-KCLW, United Kingdom

Davidson and Beale might still be available in Phoenix. Kevin Beale with CAE is on the list of non-French examiners (link) where his contact details are given. He should have Davidson’s contact details but if not send me a message. The FE in San Diego is Martin Lloyd contactable through American Aviation Academy. At Fort Pierce there’s Stephen Fisher who may be contacted through EFT. Naples Air Center, which isn’t listed on the ATOs under direct EASA oversight (link see downloads) because it’s approved by UK CAA as a satellite of Andrewsfield Aviation in Essex, has resident and visiting examiners. The examiner at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL, is Anthony Best whose contact details are in the FITA directory (link).

The EASA Examiner Differences Document (pdf link) does not permit examiners approved by other than France to endorse a French licence. Similarly FCL.945 in Part-FCL permits an FI to endorse a licence only when “specifically authorised for that purpose by the competent authority responsible for the applicant’s licence.”

London, United Kingdom
I think you need FAA FI privileges (i.e. CFI or CFII) only if instructing towards FAA papers.
This is probably a grey area

The peremptory edict issued 3 Aug 2017 to William W Grannis by the Office of the Chief Counsel has addressed this matter. The exemption from the requirement to hold an AOC and operate iaw 14 CFR 121 or 135 rules applies only in respect of student instruction or training flights for US purposes. If these AOC exception are applicable then the pilot must hold at least a US commercial pilot certificate. A restricted private pilot certificate issued on the basis of a foreign CPL is not sufficient.

Grannis in his letter of 28 Feb 2017 “asked FAA to distinguish the ‘student instruction’ exception in § 119.1(e)(1) from the ‘training flights’ exception in § 119.1(e)(3).” The 3 Aug 2017 response from Lorelei Peter, Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations, states:

“… FAA interprets ‘student instruction’ broadly as referring to an operation in which a person receives flight training from an authorized instructor for the purpose of obtaining a certificate, privilege, rating, or authorization under part 61. Section 61.1 defines ‘flight training’ as that training, other than ground training, received from an authorized instructor in flight in an aircraft. A person who holds only a commercial pilot or ATP certificate may not conduct flight training for [the] purpose of satisfying the ‘student instruction’ exception in § 119.1(e)(1) because he or she does not hold a flight instructor certificate.”

“The FAA interprets ‘training flights’ described in § 119.1(e)(3) as referring to operations in which a person receives training for the purpose of satisfying a training requirement outside of part 61, such as the crewmember training requirement of § 91.313. Therefore, flight crewmember training in special purpose operations, such as crop dusting, seeding, spraying, and banner towing, would fall under the ‘training flights’ exception of § 119.1(e)(3).”

Lorelei Peter, Assistant Chief Counsel for Regulations, in a separate interpretation given 16 Nov 2016 to the EASA CFI at CTC in Goodyear Arizona, Caroline Olson, states that EASA flight tests are not deemed to be “practical tests” within the meaning of US regulations and that such flights are operations for compensation or hire. Again, at least a US commercial pilot certificate is required. Chief Counsel stopped short of addressing whether an EASA test (or assessment or check) would come under one of the 14 CFR 119.1(e) exceptions.

Assuming flight training for Part-FCL purposes falls under either exception what position should be taken by a Part-FCL instructor, who is not also a US-certificated flight instructor, vis-à-vis the security awareness training required of US certificated flight instructors by 49 CFR 1552? I think both of these issue ratchet up the wisdom in putting on the full pontificalia by holding at least a US flight instructor certificate before conducting Part-FCL tests checks assessments or flight training in the US.

There is a separate provision for Canadian/Mexican flight training done on a Canadian/Mexican aircraft in the US if the training comes within the scope of NAFTA Specialty Air Services. These operations come under 14 CFR 375 instead of 119 and benefit from a blanket permit.

I’d be happy to do your hour and sign your licence on on of my visits to NYC

That will require appropriate work authorisation as it’s deemed to be labour whether or not remunerated.

London, United Kingdom
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