Tag: paperwork

  • Passing the IATRA Exam: My Experience and Lessons Learned

    Passing the IATRA Exam: My Experience and Lessons Learned

    One more exam is passed on the way to the professional pilot career! As I mentioned previously, I converted my FAA Commercial Pilot License to the Canadian one, and I am currently searching for my first flying job. In contrast to the US, Canada allows pilots to fly as a First Officer before reaching the…

  • Long-Awaited Canadian Aviation Booklet

    I’m thrilled to announce that I have finally received my Canadian aviation booklet in the mail! No, seriously, I am really happy! It’s been almost a year since I started the conversion process. During that time I got a Canadian medical, passed written exams, got my radio operator certificate, applied for an aviation booklet, and…

  • Canada: at least some progress

    I believe I already mentioned that I recently moved to Canada: there are really lots of flying opportunities here, and it is definitely better for me than some African or Asian country. As you probably know, I have FAA and EASA licenses, and I had to convert my FAA CPL into the Canadian one. While…

  • Canadian Medical

    After about 2 months I got my first class Canadian medical certificate. I found out that it is not so long for Transport Canada, so I can consider myself lucky! Medical is a very first step to convert a pilot license into Canadian one. I got the number – it will be my license number…

  • FAA to TCCA License Conversion: Medical

    The first step to obtain a Canadian pilot license is getting a medical. You need to find an AME (Aeromedical Examiner) in your area here and make an appointment. I decided to get both TCCA and FAA medicals, and it turned out that there are not so many options for that. I found only two…

  • Radio Operator Certificate – Europe

    Some schools in Czech Republic require their students to have a Radio Operator Certificate for operating a radio. As I understand, some EASA members do not have this requirement for domestic flights (but I don’t know for sure). For me it looks strange for a pilot license holder, since even the EASA PPL has a…

  • FAA Commercial Requirements…

    … or how to waste some money. Firstly I’d like to tell about the FAA check-ride situation in Florida: there are a lot of flight schools, there are a lot of students, and there are only 5 DPEs. In practice it means that usually one have to wait for a checkride more than a month.…

  • Demystifying Flight Time Logging: Navigating Tricky Differences in Aviation Regulations

    Logging the flight time can be a challenge when you need to meet the requirements of different authorities such as FAA, EASA and Transport Canada. While they share many similarities, there are some crucial differences that you should know to stay out of trouble and probably save some money. Firstly, let me explain some terms.…

  • Getting Started with Flight Training in Florida: Medical Exams and Fingerprinting

    Getting a US medical examination was my first priority after arriving in the US. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to fly legally. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to visit the doctor yesterday, so I spent most of the day sleeping. I’m guessing it was just jet lag. This morning, I finally made it to the…

  • How I’m Planning to Obtain My FAA and EASA Licenses as a Pilot

    As I may have mentioned before, I plan to continue my practical flight training in the US for various reasons: native English ATC, an easier CPL written test compared to the EASA one, and, of course, cheaper flight hours compared to Europe. The main reason though is that I don’t want to stay on the…