Hi Yes it was easy, a little more complicated then Mike reports from back in 1983/1996 but still simple, I did it in 2006, download the form off the FAA website, send it in 2-6 months before you are going there, nominate the FAA office you want to pick it up from. The FAA contact CASA and confirm licence details and then send you a letter confirming it all and the licence awaits you when you arrive. No need for flight reviews, security checks, fees or any theory or practical tests. No need for a medical either. The licence is valid for as long as you continue to hold your Aussie licence and medical. I went back again in 2008 for another tour using the licence issued in 2006. If CASA issued a PPL Glider Rating similar to the other ratings you get on your PPL then it would be a snap to get the FAA to recognize it. I can't see how the GFA will ever be able to get the FAA and their equivalents around the world to recognize any document they produce because it will not be ICAO compliant.
On the other side eg OS pilots wanting to visit Australia, CASA have a way to go to make it simpler. The CASA process means it seems to me that every time an OS pilot visits Australia they have to go through their processes, security check, flight review etc. In the interests of promoting aviation related tourism it would be good to have CASA adopt the easier and cheaper USA system. I also see CASA won't let you fly at night on a CV or fly IFR and each time you come to Australia you have to apply again. Still they are at least better then the Kiwis, last time I looked they wanted you jump through more hoops to get approval to fly a NZ registered aircraft on a PPL. It actually seems easier to get a NZ CPL based on your Aussie CPL because of the Trans Tasman Mutual Professional Recognition Act, I got it done recently without any hassle other then having to do another medical. I'm also looking to fly in South Africa next year but their approval process puts me off, theory test including use of radio to be passed, 3 hour cross country flight test and wait for 2-3 days to get the paperwork issued, kind of cuts into the trip time. As for gliding there, don't know what you need? Oh for a time when every country recognizes ICAO licenses and lets you fly their aircraft on a PPL without having to get a country specific licence like happens in most countries with car licences. Mark -----Original Message----- From: aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net [mailto:aus-soaring-boun...@lists.internode.on.net] On Behalf Of Christopher Mc Donnell Sent: Friday, 13 November 2009 11:36 AM To: Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia. Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Glider pilot licence Mark said: "....it was dead easy to get my Aussie PPL recognized by the USA FAA and have a USA PPL issued at no cost and no flight test based on my Aussie qualifications." Was it really that easy? Compare with CASA. http://casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_90024#validation Chris ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Borgelt" <mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com> To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." <aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net> Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 10:33 AM Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] Glider pilot licence > At 07:53 PM 10/11/2009, you wrote: >>Could not agree more with below, it's a increasingly international world, >>many pilots want to experience flying overseas, it was dead easy to get my >>Aussie PPL recognized by the USA FAA and have a USA PPL issued at no cost >>and no flight test based on my Aussie qualifications. When I tried the >>same >>with my glider ratings, forget it they said as they don't recognize them. >>Why is there such resistance by the GFA to having an internationally >>recognized glider licence (ICAO) as many other countries do including the >>USA? My preference would be to have CASA administer Glider licences the >>same >>as occurs in the USA and many other countries and as far as I can see with >>no more hassle or cost then through the GFA system, probably less in fact. >>Might even raise the standard of flying and also make some sense to >>potential glider pilots who at the moment have trouble understanding how >>it >>all is supposed to work. >> >>Regards >> >>Mark > > Mark, > > The resistance by the GFA is based on mindless adherence to the historical > order of things. > > If we had a CASA licence good for use overseas it would have to be good > for use in Australia. Imagine a CASA PPL(G) stamped NOT FOR USE IN > AUSTRALIA. I'm sure that would impress the hell out of another ICAO > contracting state who would quite reasonably say "if you won't honour it > in your own country why should we?" > > We are only having this thread because back in 2002/3 Bob Hall and Henk > Meertens went to the then Minister, John Anderson and killed the CASA > proposed Recreational Private Pilot Licence for gliding. Aided and abetted > by Paul Middleton of the RAAus who did the same for ultralights. Thanks > guys. It was probably the single greatest act of bastardry in the history > of sport aviation in Australia. You're champions at it. > > The proposed RPPL would have had ratings which could be added to and if > you had a PPL or higher those ratings would have carried over. The RPPL > wasn't an ICAO licence but the CASA PPL is and to fly O/S you would have > had to upgrade to the PPl although in the case of the US you could > probably argue that the medical standard for the RPPL(G) was the same as > for the US PPL(G) although note the US doesn't have licences, they have > pilot certificates. > > Now, I have it on good authority that the RPPL proposal is still on the > table. If the GFA really wants to help Australian pilots fly O/S and isn't > just blowing smoke, they could go to CASA, withdraw their objection and > ask CASA to fast track the process. I really don't care what the dimwits > in the RAAus do but as you say Mark, a CASA licence might actually improve > the standard there too. > > Of course once you have a CASA PPL(G) then you wouldn't be required to be > a member of GFA and a club (just as when you have a PPL you don't have to > join AOPA or an aero club although you may choose to do so if you want to) > and we couldn't have that could we? Heavens the parasites running the GFA > might have to justify their existence by actually selling their services > to the "members" on the open market instead of, fascist like, using the > power of the state to enforce "membership" in a private company. > > Mike > > > > > Borgelt Instruments - manufacturers of quality soaring instruments since > 1978 > phone Int'l + 61 746 355784 > fax Int'l + 61 746 358796 > cellphone Int'l + 61 428 355784 > > email: mborg...@borgeltinstruments.com > website: www.borgeltinstruments.com > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list Aus-soaring@lists.internode.on.net To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
