Non-Citizen flight training....

[Traumahawk]

I don't know if I'm late on this issue and if it has already been addressed.....
But I guess in the passing of the Homeland Security Act no non-citizens can be trained to fly aircraft over 12,500lbs. I know of one pilot recently hired by comair who was about to go to class that week was turned away because of this, and a couple others are concidering stopping instructing since theres no point for them to work for the current company if they can't fly large aircraft here in the US.
Any details anyone know of?
---T-hawk

 

[DC10]

Your details are somewhat inaccurate. Since Sept 11, new background checks have been in effect for non US citizens. Any non US citizen must now go through an additional Dept. Of Justice "Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force" background check.

This check ............"may include, but is not limited to, biographical, financial, law enforcement and intelligence information". It can take anywhere up to 45 days to complete. Any non US citizens who have not completed the check will not be allowed to start training in any aircraft weighing over 12,500lbs. This is probably the reason the Comair pilot was turned away from class. The airline should have made sure that the check was completed before class started, though.

This check is only for new hires. Anyone flying large aircraft prior to Sept 11th, does not have to go through the check in order to continue flying the same aircraft for the same company, however they would have to go through it if hired by another airline.

Hope this clears things up.