Still have your paper pilot certificate? It won’t be any good after March 31, 2010.
That’s when paper certificates expire, according to FAA officials, who have set up a special web page for pilots to replace their certificates. It’s going to cost you $2 to replace your certificate.
If you are handling the transaction online, it will take between seven and 10 days. Rather go through the mail? Give yourself some time — FAA officials estimate it takes four to six weeks for mail processing.
For more information: FAA.gov.
Dear Editor:
I have just read in your pages that a new pilot certificate will be required by the FAA in March. Thanks for this information that has thus far escaped me. Where did this come from? Why was “wider dissemination” of this action not made to the flying public by the FAA? Has the FAA now become like the Congress and President we now have, that we find out about rules, regulations and changes thereto “only after the fact”? I have held my pilot certificate for 45 years and have numerous ratings attached to it, in addition to a Flight Instructors Certificate. In addition, my annual physical requirement is also sent to them “Post Haste”! The FAA has a responsibility to inform me (and all other airmen) of any changes necessary to the certificates we now hold. Have they now been relieved of this obligation? I have received no such notice! So why do we, as pilots, have to file paperwork to get a license, that we already hold, because some “mindless minion” in our “ineffective government”, decided we needed a different one?
It isn’t like the FAA doesn’t know we exist or doesn’t know where we live. They know exactly where we all live or we wouldn’t have been able to renew our certificates over the years and add additional ratings to them, not to mention the numerous other information they send our way in the form of updates and bulletins. They have put strict laws into effect “mandating” that we keep them informed of our whereabouts, under penalty of law! So why haven’t they just sent the new pilot certificates out to us…after all that’s what we pay them for? I’ve always paid my taxes and I expect something for it! Has no one in the aviation venue never asked those who are “supposed to be working for us”, why this is? Someone should! These people are supposed to be working for us. So where did the concept come from that we work for and take orders from them and “must apply” for something we already hold? The dog wags the tail, not the other way around!
Larry D. Butler, Ph. D.