DanBlasier wrote:
Keep in mind FAA validation of a foreign license takes a couple of months depending on your CAA.
The validation part of my 61.75 piggyback back in April 2019 took 3 (three) working days and all that was needed was a photo of a signed form sent in via email. But yes, it does depend on the workload at the FAA and on the validating CAA, so do it sooner rather than later. The validation is valid for 6 months.
Getting an appointment at the FSDO (which can be done only after the validation is confirmed) was the more challenging part, and I would advise to get on the phone with your chosen FSDO if you don’t get a response to an email inquiry in a couple of days. That is, I am told, highly dependent on location – staffing issues and such.
I would also seek an appointment at the FSDO towards the beginning of your stay in the US, not towards the end, just to make it easier to handle any issue that might come up. But all of this is just common sense, and it really is “that easy” :)
All that said, everyone at the FAA was super helpful, looking to solve issues, not use them as an excuse to get rid of me. Same with my local CAA, who I called to confirm there will not be any “data protection” issues with them validating my license for the FAA. Overall a very pleasant experience.
