Saturday 3 March 2007

I have returned to Air Orlando at Orlando Executive Airport (KORL) to renew my Biennial Flight Review(BFR).

I hold a UK pilot's licence but a US (FAA) licence can be issued on the basis of the UK licence subject to some form filling to the US FAA and UK CAA. Needless to say but the only cost involved in all this is a fee (currently£38 - June 2007) to the UK CAA. All they do for this money is reply to an e-mail confirming your basic details. Good work if you can get it! Once the paperwork is complete then you take the paperwork, your UK licence, your logbook(s) and your current UK medical to the local FAA FSDO(Flight Standards District Office). They will issue you with a Temporary Airman's Certificate and all you need to do now is to complete the BFR. The BFR is then current for two years and all you have to do is to keep your UK licence and medical current. Two months later a credit card type FAA pilot's licence gets delivered to your home address.

The minimum requirements for the BFR are 1 hr groundschool and 1 hr flying. If you have not flown in the US before and/or this is your first BFR you can expect to do a little bit more than this - perhaps 2 hrs groundschool and 2 hours flying as a minimum. Don't be in a rush as you will find it all quite useful as some aspects of flying in the US are quite different to flying in the UK.

My current BFR expires in 3 months so I have booked an Air Orlando instructor and C172SP N826SP for my renewal.

The day dawns wet & overcast - not very Florida like!

A couple of hours later I am turning up nice & early for my reservation. The rain has stopped but it is still all a bit grey.

I am introduced to Antony and he decides that we will do the flying first as the afternoon forecast is for more rain coming in from the West.

Air Orlando is situated on the west side of Orlando/Executive Airport and is a short taxi to the holding point for runway 7.

Departure checks complete and we depart to the north-west heading for the local flying area at Lake Apopka. The next twenty minutes or so is taken up with steep turns, stalls in the clean & approach configuration and a practice forced landing amongst other things. Airwork complete Antony suggests we go to Leesburg and fly a few circuits. No landing fees to worry about - this is the land of the free (literally).

Several circuits later we are on our way back to Orlando/Executive. 1h 10 minutes and that is the flying done. Time for a Diet Coke and Antony then helps me brush up on my knowledge of US air law/airspace/maintenance/weight & balance etc. All very useful.

BFR is complete and we both decide to go for lunch and head for the local bagel bar. Lunch is on me!