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Underlying foreign license not current

Asked by: 3557 views , ,
FAA Regulations, Private Pilot, Student Pilot

I think I know the answer, but want to be sure.   A new glider club member has not flown in 20 years. He has a paper FAA Private Pilot ASEL Certificate issued "on the basis of" an Australian license. In order to exercise the privileges of that certificate he would have to revalidate the Australian license. He's a US resident so that makes no sense. (Plus paper must be replaced with plastic, address updated, etc.)   "On the basis of" certificates can be used to gain fully independent ones, Private to Commercial for example. You can add ratings to the "on the basis of" certificate that don't exist on the base document, IFR, ME, but still require the base document to be current/valid.   We often get new members who haven't flown in 20 years, have no medical, flight review, etc. but they do have a private pilot certificate. They don't have to become ASEL current to take a glider checkride. No written either.   I believe the new member can train in gliders without getting a Student Pilot Certificate from the FSDO, and when he passes his checkride with a DPE will have an independent Private Pilot Glider Certificate. I just cannot figure out entirely  how to prove it yet.   What are your thoughts?

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1 Answers



  1. Kris Kortokrax on May 03, 2015

    61.3 requires a person to possess a pilot certificate when acting as a required crewmember.

    61.19(c) states:

    “The holder of a pilot certificate issued on the basis of a foreign pilot license may exercise the privileges of that certificate only while that person’s foreign pilot license is effective.”

    If he is going to fly solo, he would need a Student Pilot certificate because his Private certificate issued on the basis of his foreign license is not valid.

    61.103(j) states that in order to apply for a Private pilot certificate one must “hold a U.S. student pilot certificate, sport pilot certificate, or recreational pilot certificate.”

    It says nothing about holding a Private pilot certificate based on a foreign license.

    Why would he not want to get a Student Pilot certificate? It is a quite simple process and the certificate can be issued by a DPE. He doesn’t need to go to the FSDO.

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