Application for a US Pilots License
By Foreign Licensed Pilots
For WSPA Seminar, Reno July 19-23, 2010
By Mary E. Rust, CFI - Gliders
Hemet, California, USA
Suggested Timeline:
First read all of the information below.
1. February 1 - May 1, 2010 - Mail your Verification of Authenticity form to the FAA in Oklahoma City. It should come back to you within 2 to 4 weeks, according to my sources at the local FSDO (Flight Standards District Office).
2. March 1 - July 1, 2010 - Download the Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application and fill it out, following the instructions. (Optional - practice with me. Please see information below.) Bring your completed form with you to Reno 1 or 2 days before the Seminar begins.
3. July 1-10, 2010 - Call the Reno FSDO to make an appointment on the day you arrive in Reno. For example, ask for an appointment on Wednesday - Friday, July 14 - 16. They are not open on Saturday or Sunday. (Go on line to see their hours of operation, address, phone number, etc. See below.)
What to bring to the Reno FSDO:
1. Your Passport
2. Your Foreign License and Medical Certificate (with English transcription)
3. Your Verification of Authenticity
4. Your Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application
5. Your pilot logbook/record of flight experience
6. Optional: Any other information that you feel might be helpful for the Officer at the Reno FSDO to see your ratings and/or how your country issues them.
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Step 1: Verification of Authenticity (Do not send it to the FAA until after Feb. 1, 2010. It will be good for only 6 months. You will not want it to expire before the WSPA Seminar, July 19-23.)
Go on line to http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/ and select the PDF form named "Verification of Authenticity of Foreign License, Rating, or Medical Certification" (AC Form 8060-71 (10/09) Supersedes previous edition.
A. Fill in the blanks with your current certificate information.
B. Print it out and mail it to: Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Airmen Certification Branch, AFS-760, PO Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. Include in your envelope a "copy" of your foreign pilot license and medical license or endorsement. If applicable, provide a copy of the "English Transcription of your pilot's license."
(Make copies of all of your documents for yourself to bring along to the US.)
Step 2: Wait. This may take 2 to 3 weeks, while the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) checks with your country to verify all information. When the Verification of Authenticity is approved and is returned to you by mail, save it with your original/current pilot certificate and documents until you come to the WSPA Seminar in July. When you arrive in Reno, Nevada, USA, you must report to the Reno FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) to get your American Pilot's License. At that time there will also be another form that you will need to complete to get your license: "Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application" (Form 8710-1). You can download it ahead of time and fill it out before you get there to save time. Go to: http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/ and look under "FORMS" - Application for Pilots - Form 8710-1.
Step 3: Make an appointment at the Reno FSDO, 5466 Longley Lane, Reno, Nevada 89511. Call them [775-858-7700] a week or two ahead to set up an appointment that fits into your schedule before the WSPA Seminar begins. You may also go on line to: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/rno/
and send them an email requesting an appointment time to meet with them on a weekday before the seminar at a time that you would prefer. This web page also has directions to find the office and the hours that they are open.
Step 4: Your Appointment: Bring all of your paperwork (Passport, Original/Current Pilot's License, Medical License/Endorsement, Verification of Authenticity Form 8060-71, and Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application Form 8710-1, Logbook/Flight Records).
English Proficiency - To prove that you can read, write and speak English well enough to fly and communicate from airplanes in the US, you will be given a short test when you visit the FSDO in Reno. It will probably consist of reading and filling out a form, and then having a conversation with the officer at the FSDO who will be certifying you.
Step 5: When you arrive at the seminar with your US License, we will also need to see your foreign license in order to verify which type(s) of glider launch you are qualified to perform. In fact, you are required to carry both your Foreign License and your US License while piloting an aircraft in the United States. Your US License is only valid when connected to your original Foreign License. If you are planning to fly as Pilot in Command (solo) in the United States, you will need to complete a "Flight Review" with a Certified Flight Instructor, which consists of at least one hour of flight time (or 3 shorter flights with gliders) and one hour of ground training reviewing flight rules and standards.
Additional information:
Note #1: After receiving your request for Verification of Authenticity, AC Form 8060-71 (Step 1 above), the United States FAA sends a request to your country to verify all the information that you have sent. Many countries are already set up to work with the US. We are part of a group of countries that honor each other's pilots' ratings. (If you are from a country that does not participate in this group, then the application process may take a little longer and may include a few extra steps.) Nevertheless, once your information is finally verified, the FAA will send you a completed Verification of Authenticity. This process could take 2 to 4 weeks.
Note #2: Do not wait until May to begin this process. If something goes wrong with the process, you may not have enough time to straighten it out before the Seminar.
Note #3: When filling out the "Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application" (Form 8710-1), in the box that asks place of birth, foreigners only have to put the City and the Country (example: Paris, France). In the box that asks if you have a medical certificate, please write the grade or level and date issued. If you are from a country that adds it as an endorsement, then please write the word, "endorsement." You do not have to fill in section 3 (III) if you do not want to. It is optional.
When you download this form it comes with instructions as part of the PDF form. You can make copies of the form so that you may practice filling it in, before you make your final draft. (My students usually do that because nearly all of them have trouble getting every box filled in correctly, mainly due to formatting errors.) If you would like to practice completing the form and then send it to me via FAX or via email attachment (if you have a scanner), I would be happy to look at it and tell you if it is all correct. The FAA is very strict about the way the form is filled out. For example, you must write all dates with the MONTH -DATE-YEAR, like this: 12-03-2009, not like this 12/01/2009. Your weight must be in pounds (lbs) and your height must be in inches. However, neither number can have a symbol after it.
Like this -- Weight: 150, not 150 lbs. Height: 75; not 75".
If you have further questions, please contact Mary Rust, CFIG, at maryflies@roadrunner.com or by cell phone: (909) 519-0420.