In the past, we’ve recieved several emails from members of the MIT Flying community who are International students about the challenges they’ve faced with trying to start training for their Private Pilot’s License. Some CFIs (Certified Flying Instructors) and flying schools are unwilling to train International students who do not have a TSA Clearance since it can become a big legal problem.
Some key points:
- In general, the process is straightforward, however, it can take a long time to get it processed. A detailed walkthrough of the steps can be found here
- Talk to your flight school and instructors and let them know so they are in the loop. They can send you to the right people if you have questions about certain parts of the process.
- Get your fingerprints scanned. They will require TWO photo IDs (passport and driver’s license) at the time of collection. Make sure you arrange for this in time for your appointment
- Keep copies of all interactions with the TSA and appointment information (if anything gets lost or delayed you will have receipts for reference)
- Start the process as early as you can and do your ground school training while you wait for your approval. This way you won’t waste your time and can speed up your journey towards your PPL.
If you have further questions, please feel free to reach out to flying-exec@mit.edu.