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Tuesday, 11 March, 2008

FAA Phasing Out Paper Certificates

March 11, 2008

What's at Issue
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued final regulations requiring replacement of all airmen certificates and altering aircraft registration requirements.

Why It's Important
All paper airmen certificates will be obsolete, and the holder of a paper certificate will be unable to exercise the privileges of that certificate if it is not replaced with a new plastic certificate before the deadline specified in the new rules.

Also, all aircraft transactions now must be reported within 21 days of a transfer of ownership.

Major Provisions
Replacement of Airmen Certificates
Virtually all paper certificates must be replaced according to the schedule below. Any airman who does not obtain a new certificate prior to the deadline will not be able to exercise the privileges of that certificate until it is replaced. This rule does not apply to student pilot or flight instructor certificates, as they already expire 24 calendar months from the month they are issued or renewed.

Type Of Certificate And Replacement Date
-Pilot Certificates must be replaced by March 31,2010
 
-Paper certificates issued to ground instructors, flight crewmembers other than pilots (regulated by Part 63) and airmen other than flight crewmembers (regulated under Part 65) must be replaced by March 31, 2013
 
Aircraft Registration Changes
Any person selling, or otherwise transferring ownership of a U.S.-registered aircraft must return the certificate of aircraft registration to the FAA Registry within 21 days of that transaction.

Applications for registration will require applicants to provide a printed or typed name along with his or her signature. The FAA has clearly stated their intent to reject applications that contain illegible names, or incomplete or inconsistent information.

NATA Position
During the rulemaking process, NATA had objected to the FAA requiring certificate replacement at this time because the FAA is under a Congressional mandate to upgrade certificates to include a photograph. This final rule does not satisfy that mandate and, therefore, at some future point all airmen will once again have to obtain a new certificate.

Although the reissuance process is not overly burdensome or costly, NATA remains concerned about the repetitive nature and potential for future confusion about the validity of a certificate issued under this requirement. NATA is pleased that the FAA expanded the deadline for submission of the aircraft registration to 21 days from the originally proposed five days.

Status
The new regulations become effective on March 31, 2008, and certificates must then be upgraded according to the above table.

Staff Contact:

Jacqueline E. Rosser
Director, Regulatory Affairs
NATA
jrosser@nata.aero

For general press inquiries, contact Shannon Chambers at 703-298-1347 or schambers@nata.aero

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has been the voice of aviation business for more than 80 years. Representing nearly 3,700 aviation businesses, NATA’s member companies provide a broad range of services to general aviation, the airlines and the military and NATA serves as the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies.