If and when I go to work for some company abroad that requires a license conversion does this mean I give up my FAA license in exchange for another type or do I have the privelige of operating under either? I just want to make sure I know what I am getting myself into here.

Thanks!

 

No one knows anything about foreign license conversion? Dang!

 

As far as I know you will never loose your US certificate/s if you obtain a certificate in another country.

They have no authority over those certificates and I can not imagine any country (except maybe North Korea or Iran) would ask you to surrender them to the issueing authority.

Other countries have more restrictive rules under which you can keep their certificate. E.g. I think a JAA certificate will actually expire just like the CFI certificate will here in the US.

Hope it helps,

GL

 

Yep, what he said....

I think it’s very unlikely that you'd be required to surrender your FAA certificates; it's just that working for a foreign airline you wouldn't get to actively use them very much. Generally speaking, if you work for a foreign carrier you will operate their aircraft under their foreign govt issued air ops cert, and with an appropriate foreign govt issued pilot cert/license, and comply with the foreign rules/regulations of the country that the foreign airline is primarily based in.

Now, if a foreign carrier happens to have FAA registered aircraft on its books, it may be permissible to act as PIC using an FAA issued ATP cert, under certain conditions and in compliance with the provisions outlined in the company’s ops manual, if specified. Eg. Ferry flight of a newly acquired aircraft from the US back to the home base of the foreign carrier. That's about the only instance that I can think of that you might be able to excercise the privellages of your FAA cert while still flying for a foreign carrier.

 

Thanks guys.... just the info I was looking for!

 

This is true! I kept my FAA license as well.

Good luck,
Lifter