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5 Answers

How can Chinese pilots flying hours be credited in US or other countries?

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FAA Regulations, Instrument Rating

Dear sirs, I am a Chinese student pilot groomed by the CSN, I am currently choosing foreign(Canada,US,AS) flight schools offered by the CSN. After obtaining the CPL there, I need to work for the company for uncertain years. 

I am wondering if there is a chance ?that after becoming a skilled pilot(whatever cp or fo) I can find another job in foreign airlines with my flying hours be credited so I wont be a "zero" pilot with low salary.

I am particularly curious in these questions：

1.I once heard that the Civil Aviation Administration of China(CAAC) wont reply any verifying initiated by foreign government. IS THAT TURE?

2.Does this flying hours credit need verifying by the CAAC with no other possibility that one can simply leave out the Chinese gov?

3.Is anyone here dealt with cases like this?

thank u

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5 Answers



  1. KDS on Aug 25, 2017

    I believe Kris has expertise in this area. Hopefully he will see your question and give you a better answer than I’m able to give. However, I think the best answer you will get comes from the flights school you consider, assuming they do a lot of foreign students. They will be familiar with the details.

    At the level of my understanding, I know that to get a US certificate based on a foreign license, you do need to have a letter of verification from the issuing country. I do also know that some countries don’t respond well to inquiries from the FAA. I don’t know if China (either one) is one of those countries.

    I looked up the information in the FAA’s Order for inspectors. The link in there was a dead link. The phone number in there was a bad phone number. Then I looked up the phone number for the unit that does that work and got a recorded voice mail telling me to leave a message. So, as you can see, finding the answers isn’t easy even if you’re an American in the country. It’s tougher in your situation. So, again, I think the flight school is the easiest and best source of information.

    You flight hours SHOULD be credited towards any application for a US Pilot certificate.

    Assuming you get the letter, you can get a private pilot certificate based on a foreign license. You can take a written test and get a somewhat restricted instrument rating. From that point, you could not use that certificate to obtain a commercial certificate. You could take the instrument written and the practical test and get a “US TEST PASSED” instrument rating on your private pilot certificate. From that, you can take a commercial test and get an unrestricted US commercial certificate.

    I’m sorry I can’t give you a better answer than that. I wish you the best of luck in your future aviation efforts.

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  2. Lupin on Aug 26, 2017

    @KDS , thank u

    SInce i am new here,sorry but i dont know this person Kris.

    After a further research, I am really interested in Cargair the school in Canada, since my church gotta a branch there and life there seems to be easier than other cities of which my company offered schools.

    I gotta one more question here:

    If i gotta a cpl in Canada or US, do I still need to take the tests,rating mentioned by you( or even courses) to get a job as a FAA licensed pilot AFTER a long time ( maybe 4-5 years )outside US?

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  3. Kris Kortokrax on Aug 26, 2017

    US regulation 14 CFR 61.41 allows you to credit flight hours received outside the US as long as they are given by an instructor in a country that is a member of ICAO.

    This means that if you receive instruction in Canada from a Canadian instructor or in China from a Chinese instructor (or any other country from an instructor certified by that country) you may use that flight time to apply for a US pilot certificate. The flight time must be recorded in a log book and properly endorsed. The flight time does not need to be verified by the country or countries in which the training was received.

    You may not fly for a US air carrier unless you have a US pilot certificate.

    I have no idea whether China responds to requests for verification of a Chinese pilot license. If you are going somewhere else to train, that is probably not an issue.

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  4. Lupin on Aug 28, 2017

    Thank u Kris

    In this seminar, I am going to take a Chinese regulation class, I would like to ask you more after I get more knowledge if it’s okay.

    Thank you.

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  5. Lupin on Aug 28, 2017

    Oh, by flying hours, I mean the hours I operate aircraft for in my company, not just while training

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