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Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 61.73 allows the Federal Aviation Administration to issue U.S. civilian commercial pilot certificates, and appropriate ratings, to current or past military pilots based on their military flight training. I wiil attempt to explain in plain language what is required by FAR 61.73, in order to be issued a U.S. civilian pilot certificate.
An applicant for a certificate under FAR 61.73 must currently be on active flying status or must have been on active flying status within the past 12 months. If a military pilot does not make application within the 12 month time period, a U.S. pilot certificate or rating cannot be issued under FAR 61.73 without completing all applicable knowledge tests and practical tests for the level of pilot certificate sought.
In order for a certificate to be issued under FAR 61.73 a knowledge test must be successfully completed. It is called the Military Competency Airplane (MCA) or Military Competency Helicopter (MCH) as applicable to the applicant's military background and the category of pilot certificate sought. This knowledge test covers civilian certification and currency regulations, flight operation regulations, and accident/incident reporting regulations.
The applicant for a U.S. pilot certificate under FAR 61.73 must present documents to prove status as a military pilot. Official military checkout and qualification forms showing status as a pilot-in-command within 12 months prior to application. If the checkout and qualification was more than 12 months prior to application then evidence of 10 hours of pilot-in-command as a military pilot within the past 12 months needs to be provided. The checkout and qualification forms used as evidence, or the 10 hours of pilot-in-command time must be in the category and class of aircraft appropriate to category and class sought on the U.S. pilot certificate.
Evidence of qualification as a military instrument pilot will allow U.S. pilot certificates issued under FAR 61.73 to be issued with an instrument rating without further showing. Evidence of military qualification in large craft with FAA civilian type ratings will allow the U.S. pilot certificate to be issued with the appropriate civilian type ratings.
Original U.S. pilot certificates applied for under FAR 61.73 are issued at the private or commercial level. It is rare that a military aviator would request a certificate at the private pilot level. If a military pilot already holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and is qualified under FAR 61.73, in a large aircraft with a civilian type rating, he can apply to have that type rating added to his certificate at the ATP level.
Problem areas occasionally arise with military pilots making application under FAR 61.73 when trying to determine their status as pilot-in-command. The military pilot must be qualified to be the aircraft commander/pilot-in-command to be issued a U.S. pilot certificate under FAR 61.73. He must be the person qualified to call the shots in the aircraft. Logging First Pilot time does not qualify the military pilot as being the pilot-in-command or the aircraft commander.
Denny of Oakland
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