TC, FAA ink pilot licensing agreement

By Adam Hunt

Transport Canada and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration have signed an agreement that will allow Canadians to obtain unrestricted U.S. pilot certificates more easily.

The same deal allows Americans to get an unrestricted Canadian pilot licence more easily as well. Instrument and type ratings are included and will be easier to add to a licence, too.

The agreement was signed on Aug. 31, 2006 and will take effect on Dec. 1, 2006.

The TC/FAA agreement lays out an entirely new procedure for applicants from each of the two countries to get licences from the other.

It does not affect the existing methods of obtaining or validating foreign licences already in use and does not apply to applicants from countries other than the U.S. and Canada.

The current agreement only applies to airplane licences at the Private pilot, Commercial pilot and Airline Transport Pilot levels. It does not apply to helicopter, glider or balloon licences or any pilot permits.

This agreement also does not address the acceptability of Canadian Pilot Permits – Recreational Aeroplanes or Pilot Permits – Ultra-light Aeroplanes with Passenger Carrying Rating in the USA nor the acceptability of U.S. Sport Pilot Certificates in Canada. Work on those issues is ongoing.

This agreement will allow a Canadian Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot or Airline Transport Pilot to receive an unrestricted U.S. equivalent certificate by meeting the FAA age and language requirements, obtaining an appropriate FAA medical and writing an exam about air law and radio communications procedures.

Applicants will not be required to take a flight test. FAA language requirements currently include that the applicant must be able to read, write, speak and understand English. Once the U.S. certificate is obtained pilots must meet the normal U.S. biannual flight review and take-off and landing currency requirements.

Requirements for U.S. pilots who wish to get a Canadian Private, Commercial or Airline Transport Pilot licence are similar to the Canadian requirements.

A Canadian pilot who holds a Canadian instrument rating will be able to add that rating to their U.S. certificate by writing an exam on air law and radio communications procedures. Canadian pilots must meet the same medical and language requirements as U.S. instrument pilots and no flight test is required. Once the U.S. instrument rating is obtained pilots must meet the normal U.S. biannual flight review and IFR currency requirements. U.S. pilots can obtain an instrument rating for their Canadian licences in a similar manner.

The agreement also allows aircraft type ratings to be transferred at the time that the licence is converted. Pilots will not be required to take a written or flight test for type ratings.

In all cases, issuance of a U.S. certificate to a Canadian citizen will require security screening in advance of the certificate issue.

This agreement will be of great advantage to pilots who wish to fly commercially in the other country, subject to immigration restrictions requirements on foreigners working in the USA.

It will be of limited use to non-commercial pilots. Most private pilots will find that the existing method of obtaining a restricted U.S. certificate based on their Canadian licence will continue to be the preferred method for getting a U.S. pilot certificate for renting aircraft while on holidays or ferrying a recently-purchased U.S. aircraft home to Canada.

Complete details on the agreement and the associated application procedures will be available by Dec. 1, in a TC General Aviation Advisory Circular.