I feel I should enter this debate, as I have 'been there' and have some experience which may be useful. If you go on a flying holiday in the US, the F.A.R.s (Federal Air Regs) state that a pilot validation may be issued ONCE. You need to start the application process about three months before you go. So if you go there and get a PPL (based on validation of your overseas licence) for single engine aeroplanes, but not gliders, and go next year wanting a PPL for gliders, technically they can refuse to issue it. They've issued one, once, and that is your lot. So, it is best to get all your qualifications put onto the licence validation the first time you go to the US even if you are not going to use them all. This happened to us 4 years ago, when we had our US PPL issued based on a validation of the Australian PPL, but could not get the gliding added to it because GFA repeatedly failed to respond to emails from the FAA over the months that led up to our visit, and even after we had arrived in the US and were trying to resolve the problem. The FAA had no problem issuing gliding privileges based on the GFA certificate, at least not then, but the GFA wouldn't communicate with them. I was in direct contact with the individual in the FAA who was handling our application, and I also checked with GFA what email address they should be using, but was told GFA had no interest in replying to them anyway so our efforts never had a chance. There, I've had my gripe. Anyway, 2 years ago we had our FAA PPLs rescinded, and then re-issued using our Australian PPL (A) and European licences for Gliders, all went like clockwork. I suspect the FAA man bent the rules a bit, but he was trying to find a solution and was very helpful. It is a crying shame that we can't have a licence issued here that is recognised elsewhere in the world, and an even greater crime when the issuing body of our 'gliding certificate' can't even support that. I wonder what newcomers to our sport think in this day and age about such parochialism. It will be interesting to see if the GPL makes any difference. At least it would be nice to know if GFA is willing to stand behind it, once issued. >> As for our CASA issuing validations, a visitor from Holland recently had an ASIC card and a validation of his CPL issued, all took a couple of months, and when I helped him by contacting CASA about something, I can only say they were extremely helpful, and he had a case officer who was fully up on the facts of his application. >> Pam Kurstjens
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Christopher Mc Donnell Sent: Friday, 13 November 2009 10:36 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" <[email protected]> To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia." <[email protected]> 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: [email protected] > website: www.borgeltinstruments.com > _______________________________________________ > Aus-soaring mailing list > [email protected] > To check or change subscription details, visit: > http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring > _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring _______________________________________________ Aus-soaring mailing list [email protected] To check or change subscription details, visit: http://lists.internode.on.net/mailman/listinfo/aus-soaring
