Licence by ASC (Aero Sports Connection)

greeny

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2004
Messages
178
Location
Mollis
Aircraft
Gyro DF-02 HB-YPS
Total Flight Time
600
A flight school in Europe does (or did?) issue "american" pilot licences for - among others - gyro pilots. They say they are entitled to do so by Aero Sports Connection (ASC).

My question:
Can and/or does the ASC give instructors the privilege to issue licences?
If so, are these licences any good in the States?
What is the ASC? Is it a well known institution?
 
ASC is an Ultralight training organization that used to hold a two-place training exemption from the FAA. EAA and USUA also had a training exemptions from the FAA.

Since there are really no BFI's (Basic Flight Instructors) left. The only training is with a Sport Pilot CFI or CFI.

Back to ASC. Here's their link http://www.aerosports.org/ ASC has changed to supporting the Sport Pilot movement here in the US.

Any training from the flight school in Europe under ASC would only allow you to fly an ultralight in the States. But this is something you could do on your own anyway. Because a Pilot's certificate is not needed in the US to fly an ultralight.

The advantage of being a registered ultralight pilot thru the ASC is the allowance of some of your ultralight time to count toward your Sport Pilot certificate.

ASC does not issue Pilots certificates. You can only register with them as an ultralight pilot.

Any flight training in the US for a foreign national has to be approved thru the TSA.
 
Many thanks, Chuck!

Peter
 
ASC and licensing

ASC and licensing

You asked some questions:

In ASC are instructors allowed to complete licensing? No. An examiner, we call an AFI, must complete the oral and check ride.

If so, are these licences any good in the States? No, they are only good in countries accepting our process. The US has now gone to Sport Pilot for all except the Powered Paragliders, and ASC has an exemption for ppgs.

The ASC process helps in other countries because it holds down the need for government resources until the number of aircraft require that higher level of support.

What is the ASC? Is it a well known institution? ASC has been the largest training exemption in all of the US. Larger than all the others put together. By that we are very well known. See www.aerosports.org for details.

Jim Stephenson
President/CEO
 
Jim, welcome to the forum! This post is a few years old, but it's good to see ASC still up and running, and able to help pilots in other countries. I was unaware of the organization's international nature.
 
Jim,

I would appreciate your comment, but according to my knowledge: Beware!

AFAIK, what is done under the name ASC in Europe is close to fraud.

Definition of "ultralight" in US and Europe is completely different.

In Europe it is 2 seater up to 450kg MTOW and needs special national licence.
In US it's single seat (with trainer 2 seat reception) and need no licence.

This misunderstanding has bad consequences.

Just recently a guy wrecked and ELA 07 in Poland (hard landing, Nov 1st, 2010).
He claimed he has a "licence" and presented a document called
„Ultralight/Microlight Aviation Pilot License and IPCP –
International Pilot Certificate of Proficiency”, allegedly issued by ASC.

Polish aviation authorities obviously didn't know exactly, what it is, ant let
him fly heavy 2 seater gyro with this worthless piece of paper.

For me, it seams that some flight schools in Europe misuse the ignorance
of pilots and authorities and use the name of ASC against it's intention.

The document mentioned above can only apply to the US "ultralight" class,
and has nothing to do with the European rules.

Just to remind:

In US:FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles, which specifies a powered "ultralight" as a single seat vehicle of less than 5 US gallons (19 L) fuel capacity, empty weight of less than 254 pounds (115 kg), a top speed of 55 knots (102 km/h or 64 mph), and a maximum stall speed not exceeding 24 knots (45 km/h or 27.6 mph). Restrictions include flying only during daylight hours and over unpopulated areas. Unpowered "ultralights" (hang gliders, paragliders, etc.) are limited to a weight of 155 lb (70 kg) with extra weight allowed for amphibious landing gear and ballistic parachute systems

In Europe:JAR-1 (ultralight) is an aeroplane having no more than two seats, maximum stall speed (VS0) of 35 knots (65 km/h) CAS, and a maximum take-off mass of no more than:

300 kg (661 lb) for a landplane, single seater; or
450 kg (992 lb) for a landplane, two-seater; or
330 kg (728 lb) for an amphibian or floatplane, single seater; or
495 kg (1,091 lb) for an amphibian or floatplane, two-seater, provided that a microlight capable of operating as both a floatplane and a landplane falls below both MTOM limits, as appropriate.
 
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This subject should be discussed in lenght, too many ifs on training . . .
a piece of paper is not better than any other, but instruction varies a lot.
There are bad, regular, good and excelent instructors, that should count . . .be there in that piece of paper.
but if you get caught dead, no piece of paper will matter, only to the insurers to dodge payments.
Got training with three good instructors, but they did not have the proper papers . . .so did I learn anything at all?
thanks
Heron
 
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