By Randy Rowles This Could Be Your Path Back to Pilothood
As the pilot shortage becomes more of an issue within all segments of aviation, an increasing number of pilots who have not flown in several years are returning to the flight deck. One such group that is reentering the pilot fold consists of former military aviators. In some cases, these pilots left the military and did not obtain Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot certificates prior to discharging from their military service.
The daunting task of having to complete flight training all over again pushes many to reconsider this endeavor. To reengage pilot training is a costly, time-consuming effort that is never guaranteed to pay. But what about all those flight hours that were flown in service to our country? Is there a way to use those hours even after years of separation from the military? Absolutely!
The Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) 14 CFR 61.41 “Flight Training Received from Flight Instructors not Certificated by the FAA” provides the relief requested in such situations. This regulation says a pilot may credit all the flight training hours logged during training if certain conditions were met.
14 CFR 61.41 states that a person may credit flight training toward the requirements of a pilot certificate or rating issued under Part 61 if that person received the training from:
61.41 (a)(1) A flight instructor of an armed force in a program for training military pilots of either • •
(i) The United States; or
(ii) A foreign contracting State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation
Randy Rowles has been an FAA pilot examiner for 20 years for all helicopter certificates and ratings. He holds an FAA Gold Seal Flight Instructor Certificate, NAFI Master Flight Instructor designation, and was the 2013 recipient of the HAI Flight Instructor of the Year Award. Rowles is currently the owner of the Helicopter Institute. He can be reached at
randyrowlesdpe@gmail.com
If you have any comments or questions, please let me know at
randyrowlesdpe@gmail.com
80 Sep/Oct 2022
Furthermore, the ability to credit flight hours from years gone by is not limited to those within the military. This regulation also provides the opportunity for pilots from other countries desiring FAA pilot certification to credit their previously accumulated flight training hours received from non-FAA certificated flight instructors in other countries:
61.41 (a)(2) A flight instructor who is authorized to give such training by the licensing authority of a foreign contracting State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, and the flight training is given outside the United States.
So, as you can see, the FAA provides a path to allow credit for previously logged flight hours with conditions. The conditions stated make sense, as the FAA desires the training to be conducted by an entity within a country that is a member State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (or ICAO). This provides a standardization of knowledge and experience that is accepted globally.
It is important to note that both dual instruction as well as solo flight operations conducted within the specifics of the regulation are creditable. The limitation that is critical to regulatory compliance is within the endorsements received by the pilot for certain authorizations during the flight training program.
Endorsements received by flight instructors not certificated by the FAA that meet the requirements of 14 CFR 61.41 are not valid for the purposes of FAA functions.
61.41 (b) A flight instructor described in paragraph (a) of this section is only authorized to give endorsements to show training given.
What this means is that the pilot desiring FAA certification using non-FAA flight instructor flight training may utilize endorsed flight training hours only toward training, not for such pilot actions that include solo flight or endorsements toward an FAA Practical Test.
Yes, it is possible to credit flight training from non-FAA flight instructors and use those hours to obtain FAA certificates and ratings. Welcome back!
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