Starting Flight Training in the US: My Journey and Plans Ahead

The blog is still alive, and I’m happy to report that I’m still pursuing my flight training. I haven’t made any post in a while, but that’s only because I’ve been studying hard (although not the EASA subjects) and waiting for my visa to be approved.

For those who are interested in flight training in the US, there are a few additional considerations compared to Europe. I had to obtain a student visa, pay SEVIS fees, obtain TSA permission, and secure a verification letter for my license. After completing all of these requirements, I made the journey from Russia to the US, which took about 20 hours. I’m currently writing this post from the school campus.

Compared to my accommodation in the Czech Republic, I’m happy with the facilities here. The campus has a washing machine, a well-equipped kitchen, and a large store nearby. The only drawback is that I can’t drive here from Russia, so I have to walk everywhere, and the school campus is my only accommodation option without renting or buying a car.

The first order of business is to take care of some paperwork. This mainly involves validating my license and obtaining a US medical certificate. I’ve already completed the longest part, which was obtaining TSA approval, while I was still in Russia. I plan to finish my Instrument Rating within a month. Although I’m well-prepared for the written exam, I haven’t flown for several months, and I’ve never flown by instruments before.

There’s an uncontrolled airport here with a long concrete runway, and the weather is perfect for training. I’ve missed flying so much!

I’ve made some changes to my original plans. Instead of pursuing the full EASA conventional step-by-step route, I’ve decided to obtain a FAA IR first and then apply for a F1 visa. If the F1 visa doesn’t work out, I’ll pursue the EASA IR, which will be easier to obtain with a valid FAA IR. After that, I’ll follow the usual EASA route of ATPL theory and CPL. As for what comes next…only time will tell.


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Milestones

04/09/2017: My First Flight
04/25/2017: EASA PPL written exam (6 exams passed)
05/21/2017: Radio Operator Certificate (Europe VFR)
05/22/2017: EASA PPL written exam (all passed)
05/26/2017: The First Solo!
05/28/2017: Solo cross-country >270 km
05/31/2017: EASA PPL check-ride
07/22/2017: EASA IFR English
08/03/2017: 100 hours TT
12/04/2017: The first IFR flight
12/28/2017: FAA IR written
02/16/2018: FAA IR check-ride
05/28/2018: FAA Tailwheel endorsement
06/04/2018: FAA CPL long cross-country
06/07/2018: FAA CPL written
07/16/2018: FAA CPL check-ride
07/28/2018: FAA CPL ME rating
08/03/2018: FAA HP endorsement
06/03/2019: EASA ATPL theory (6/14)
07/03/2019: EASA ATPL theory (11/14)
07/15/2019: FAA IR IPC
07/18/2019: FAA CPL SES rating
08/07/2019: EASA ATPL theory (done)
10/10/2019: EASA NVFR
10/13/2019: EASA IR/PBN SE
11/19/2019: Solo XC > 540 km
12/06/2019: EASA CPL
12/10/2019: EASA AMEL
02/20/2020: Cessna 210 endorsement
08/30/2021: FAVT validation
05/27/2022: TCCA CPL/IR written
05/31/2022: Radio Operator Certificate Canada