We are Massimo and Mirko, both Italian private pilots with around 100 hour of flight and also some experience in the ultra light field. In Italy ultra light seems almost like US sport planes rather than tube and fabric machines. We would like to share our flight experience with other US and non-US pilots.

We were looking for a flight experience capable to give us the emotion of the flight in the US, test our English language while maintaining our safety standards. The final goal is to collect the information and skills needed to be able to cross, during next summer, the US continent form north to south or vice versa.
 
Our search starts from the Florida schools but after talking with some students claiming higher prices for housing, renting and describing that country more like a city amusement than the true US country, we divert for an alternate. Analyzing north US airports, FBOs, and schools we were immediately impressed by Wisconsin Aviation. The Web site forum concerning FBO and Flight schools leaves a very good impression about this facility. Wisconsin, too, is amazing, very near to Chicago, but more important was the proximity to Oshkosh, the homebuilder’s Mecca.
 
Weather was also a major argument, but after analyzing the rain monthly volume (much less than Florida), winds in the right amount to test our skills without any major risks, and temperatures much milder than Florida in the summer season, we decide to contact some Wisconsin flight schools. Immediately we were impressed by professionalism of the Wisconsin Aviation instructors and staff. We felt immediately in harmony for every aspect. The decision was made. Madison will be our first US airport.

Our journey starts the April 15 from Italy with an appointment in the same day in the West Chicago FSDO for the validation of our Private Pilot license. Immediately we found the first sad surprise. FAA refuses our European medical because Italy didn’t share the information concerning. The validation, for today, stays a dream, but within two hours, we were both provided with a fresh, 3rd class US medical. The validation becomes reality the following morning in the Milwaukee FSDO.

Instructors, Matt and Tina, were waiting for us in the classroom and after shaking our hands and examining our Curriculum they start the ground school. No time could be spent better in the sense of our needs. The instructors understood perfectly our skills and gave us the right concepts we were missing about US airspace, airports and procedures.  After some hours we started the flight activity. It was our first contact with a US airport, controller, and airspace and in a class C airspace and towered airport! Matt and Tina ensure us that the task was achievable for us. And it was, with their aid. After one more flight we were allowed to fly solo and rent the planes.

The following days were full of unforgettable flights all around the country visiting little and big airport. Boscobel, La Crosse, Prairie due Chine, Oshkosh, and Milwaukee were only some of the airports we touched in the wonderful country between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi river. Our short journey ended the 20th April, and volcanic ash permitting, we were able to fly home from Chicago.
 
Pro and cons of our experience:
Pro: professionalism of the people of the FBO, kind attention to the pilot, well maintained machines even at low hour rates, very skilled and motivated instructors, incredible facility, friendly class C airspace, beautiful environment for our flights.
Cons: we planned a too short trip to neutralize the jet leg and the food is too heavy and fatty for an Italian people!
 
To all those non US citizens that want to repeat our experience I suggest to use the material we studied in advance that revealed very useful: listening to www.liveatc.net as much as possible, follow the all free AOPA and FAA-SAFETY on line courses and tests, study the FAA material about US airspace, watch the King School DVD about US airspaces and radio communications.

But most importantly, call Wisconsin Aviation and fly with them.