Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

3 Answers

Foreign license for Sport Pilot Privileges

Asked by: 2977 views , , ,
FAA Regulations, Light Sport Aircraft

If an individual has a foreign private pilot license but no medical can he obtain a US private license on the basis of the foreign license and then fly as a sport pilot without a medical?

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Dauntless Aviation's GroundSchool series of apps are the smart pilot's choice for fast and effective FAA knowledge test prep.
Actual, up-to-date FAA questions Polished user experience
Best explanations in the business Free lifetime updates!
Private Pilot IFR Commercial Pilot CFI ATP Sport Pilot Sport Pilot Instructor Parachute Rigger Aviation Mechanic (A&P)
You can get the app now and be studying right away. Available for PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android.

3 Answers



  1. LTCTerry on Nov 02, 2018

    61.75 allows the issue of an FAA private pilot certificate on the basis of a foreign certificate. An FAA private pilot certificate includes the privileges of lower certificates.

    Provided the individual meets the FAA’s medical requirements for sport pilot, and can find a light sport airplane to fly, then it’s possible.

    What are the medical requirements for sport pilot? A valid medical or a state-issued drivers license.

    So, he can’t fly “without a medical” unless he has a valid drivers license issued in one of the US states.

    Unless someone is going to be in the US frequently and for prolonged periods of time, i generally suggest just doing dual to fly while on vacation.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. Kris Kortokrax on Nov 02, 2018

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news.

    The original poster is asking about procuring a Private pilot certificate. Order 8900.1, Volume 5, Chapter 2, Section 14, Paragraph 5-597E states: “A person applying for a U.S. pilot certificate must submit evidence that he or she currently meets the medical licensing standards for the foreign pilot license on which the application for the pilot certificate is based (refer to § 61.75(f)).”

    If a foreign pilot does not have a current medical, the U.S. Private pilot certificate cannot be issued.

    If a person already possesses a U.S. Private pilot certificate, he must abide by the wording on the certificate that states “All limitations of the (country) pilot license apply.” If the pilot’s home country license requires medical certification to be valid, then that medical certification must continue.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  3. Kris Kortokrax on Nov 02, 2018

    I don’t like to present a problem without also presenting a potential solution.

    For the original poster, you are allowed under 14 CFR 61.41 to use any flight training acquired in your home country (and properly documented) to apply for a U.S. pilot certificate. You could bring your logbook to the U.S. and use it to show that you have had the required flight training (if you can correlate training you have received to the requirements of 61.313). If you can account for the training, you could get 2 hours of preparation for the Sport Pilot practical test, then pass the knowledge test and practical test. You would then possess an unrestricted U.S. Sport Pilot certificate and be able to fly as a Sport Pilot.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.