Bill Introduced To Digitalize Pilot Certificates

[AV8R_87]

I wonder if it'll stall in a House Committee or actually get to a vote and pass.

Bill Introduced To Digitalize Pilot Certificates

The Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act aims to modernize pilot certification by allowing digital copies of medical and airman certificates.

www.avweb.com

A new bill introduced in Congress aims to digitalize pilot certificates—eliminating the need for pilots to carry physical copies of their medical and airman certificates.
Congressman Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., introduced the Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act earlier this month, aiming to improve efficiency by allowing pilots to store these documents on electronic devices or cloud platforms.
“Everything we do is online nowadays,” said Rep. Burchett in a Dec. 9 press release. “I don't see a reason why our pilots should have to carry physical documents with them instead of keeping them on their phone like everything else.”
As it currently stands under FAR Part 61.3, pilots must have a valid pilot certificate, a medical certificate and an identification (ID) while flying. These documents must be readily available for inspection by the FAA, law enforcement or other authorities.

Proponents say the Pilot Certificate Accessibility Act would streamline the credentialing process for both pilots and authorities, offering a simpler and more efficient way to present credentials while also reducing paper waste.
The legislation, which was co-sponsored by Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., is now awaiting review by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

 

[ateamer]

Long overdue! Registration and airworthiness certs should be the same. As should driver’s licenses, car registration and insurance. It all can be done online and through apps. We’re a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Why are we stuck in the the 20th century when it comes to this stuff?

 

[eman1200]

Long overdue! Registration and airworthiness certs should be the same. As should driver’s licenses, car registration and insurance. It all can be done online and through apps. We’re a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Why are we stuck in the the 20th century when it comes to this stuff?

Too busy spending time/money updating documentation from “airmen” to “air mission”. You know, the truly important stuff.

 

[flyingron]

Long overdue! Registration and airworthiness certs should be the same. As should driver’s licenses, car registration and insurance. It all can be done online and through apps. We’re a quarter of the way through the 21st century. Why are we stuck in the the 20th century when it comes to this stuff?

My airworthiness certificate came as a PDF. I still have to have one printed out, but I can print them on demand.

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

We need a bill which makes the medical application autofill, with all previously entered medical history.

 

[nauga]

We need a bill which makes the medical application autofill, with all previously entered medical history.

Count me out. Given the FAA's current disregard for maintaining personal identifiable information I don't want a mandate for them to make more available online.

Nauga,
down by the dox

 

[Matthew]

We need a bill which makes the medical application autofill, with all previously entered medical history.

I kind of like the way the application just disappears into the ether after a while. That’s handy for some people who fill it out, complete it, then want to make changes or start over. You can do that with a new email and the old one eventually vaporizes (or so I’ve been told.) But it sure would be nice to be able to import from your own local copy.

 

[midwestpa24]

This would be nice, especially for medical certificates. We are required to carry the wet-ink original flimsy piece of paper for years at a time. Usually by my next medical, it is so dog eared and faded it is absolutely useless.

 

[midwestpa24]

We need a bill which makes the medical application autofill, with all previously entered medical history.

This is something I've said for years. If I've already reported something to the FAA on a medical application, that is known information. Why do I have to keep reporting it every couple of years, or be punished because I forgot about something that happened decades ago although I already reported it.

 

[mandm]

Count me out. Given the FAA's current disregard for maintaining personal identifiable information I don't want a mandate for them to make more available online.

Nauga,
down by the dox

Kind of funky that you put in a pilots name and suddenly you know where they live. You can opt out, but most people do not. I’m sure you can still get ahold of that information somehow.

 

[mandm]

This is something I've said for years. If I've already reported something to the FAA on a medical application, that is known information. Why do I have to keep reporting it every couple of years, or be punished because I forgot about something that happened decades ago although I already reported it.

My memory definitely doesn’t go past 10 years and that’s a stretch.

 

[nauga]

Kind of funky that you put in a pilots name and suddenly you know where they live. You can opt out, but most people do not. I’m sure you can still get ahold of that information somehow.

You also can't opt out on the aircraft registry if an airplane is registered in your name. There are ways around it, but none provided by the FAA.

Nauga,
AKA Nauga

 

[mandm]

You also can't opt out on the aircraft registry if an airplane is registered in your name. There are ways around it, but none provided by the FAA.

Nauga,
AKA Nauga

If in a LLC can you opt out? How do you do that?

Is this it?

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/ladd

I think it’s only blocking the tracking of your flights, but I want people to see my flights so they know when to expect me.

 

[nauga]

If in a LLC can you opt out? How do you do that?

You cannot opt out, but you can list a different address obtainable any number of different ways. I'm not aware of any that are free.

Most anyone who's ever filled out an SF86 (IYKYK) is familiar with keeping a copy for future reference. Not that this make it any easier, but at least *I* felt a little better that the information is/was not stored by someone not me for easy access.

Nauga,
under the name of Sanders

 

[Jim K]

On the list of things I'm worried about in aviation, carrying the plastic card around is WAYYYYYY down the list. Actually I'm not even sure it was on the list.

How about we take the money the FAA would spend on hiring the contractor to make this happen, and use it for T-hangar grants?

Do you think the FAA will be able to put a picture on the electronic "card", or is that still too hard?

 

[SkyChaser]

I have mixed feelings about this. I wouldn't mind a supplementary system, I don't think, but I just hope it doesn't replace the physical cards all together. Besides the privacy concerns (who runs/develops/maintains the app or website and who has access to that information?), who is to blame when the app or website is down? Will it require internet/data access? Is it now a requirement to carry a fully charged smart device while flying?

It seems simpler to just allow a pilot to take a clear picture of their medical, their certificate, and their government ID and provide those instead of physical copies. Those who want to do away with carrying their physical cards can, and no new infrastructure has to be built or maintained to support another app or website. I would think it would be simpler to allow FSDO inspectors access to the part of the DMV database that allows them to check a pilot's driver's license number for validity instead of creating something completely new.

However, if they want to push through regulation that allows people to email their medical records to the folks in Oklahoma City and do away with the fax requirement, that might not be such a bad idea.

SkyChaser,
who doesn't have enough space on her phone for another app because apps will only install to internal storage instead of the 32GB SD card she added and who isn't sure she trusts backend security on most sensitive apps anyway

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

Count me out. Given the FAA's current disregard for maintaining personal identifiable information I don't want a mandate for them to make more available online.

They are already storing every bit and byte you enter.
So there is no decrease in security - by regurgitating it for us, each new medical.

 

[ateamer]

This would be nice, especially for medical certificates. We are required to carry the wet-ink original flimsy piece of paper for years at a time. Usually by my next medical, it is so dog eared and faded it is absolutely useless.

Not only making us carry the paper, but prohibiting laminating to protect it, or trimming away the paper that isn’t the actual pilot’s information is just bureaucracy at it’s non-thinking finest. Traditions like saluting the flag and booing the umpire are great. Mandating archaic record keeping methods needs to be buried.

 

[midwestpa24]

It seems simpler to just allow a pilot to take a clear picture of their medical, their certificate, and their government ID and provide those instead of physical copies. Those who want to do away with carrying their physical cards can, and no new infrastructure has to be built or maintained to support another app or website. I would think it would be simpler to allow FSDO inspectors access to the part of the DMV database that allows them to check a pilot's driver's license number for validity instead of creating something completely new.

Now that would be way too simple and common sense. No way the government would ever go for it.

 

[eman1200]

lanyard sales are going to plummet

 

[Pinecone]

My airworthiness certificate came as a PDF. I still have to have one printed out, but I can print them on demand.

Funny that the AW cert comes as a PDF, but the registration comes as a printed and mailed document.

I scanning mine.

 

[flyingron]

Funny that the AW cert comes as a PDF, but the registration comes as a printed and mailed document.

I scanning mine.

It's just a matter of time. My radio licenses are also PDFs. And the FAA finally did away with the NCR paper forms for the registration application and bill of sale.

 

[Pinecone]

This is something I've said for years. If I've already reported something to the FAA on a medical application, that is known information. Why do I have to keep reporting it every couple of years, or be punished because I forgot about something that happened decades ago although I already reported it.

My AME kept a copy of my previous medical form, so I could use it to fill out the new one the same way.

But as someone mentioned, the SF-86 for security clearances is online, and when you apply, it pulls up your last one and you confirm the info and update those things that needs updating. Nice and easy.

 

[jayhawk74]

This is something I've said for years. If I've already reported something to the FAA on a medical application, that is known information. Why do I have to keep reporting it every couple of years, or be punished because I forgot about something that happened decades ago although I already reported it.

I wish the FAA would go back to allowing us to put PRNC for information that was on previous applications

 

[ateamer]

I wish the FAA would go back to allowing us to put PRNC for information that was on previous applications

This. If it’s such a big deal to them, why don’t they hold on to the file?

 

[GaryM]

Do you think the FAA will be able to put a picture on the electronic "card", or is that still too hard?

They already have pictures. One of the few bits of FAA-provided information that ISN"T personally identifiable to the certificate holder.

Give your picture to the FAA and they'll probably post it on the public registry next to your name and address.

 

[455 Bravo Uniform]

What am I going to flash the pilots when I board an airliner? It’s going to be awkward showing my phone and the passengers around me won’t really notice. This sucks…

 

[Lowflynjack]

What am I going to flash the pilots when I board an airliner? It’s going to be awkward showing my phone and the passengers around me won’t really notice. This sucks…

I just wear all of my EAA gear and stand there until the pilot's acknowledge me!

 

[midwestpa24]

What am I going to flash the pilots when I board an airliner?

Sir, I really don't recommend flashing the pilots. They need to be able to see to fly the aircraft.

 

[flyingron]

Do you think the FAA will be able to put a picture on the electronic "card", or is that still too hard?

My license has my picture on it. I'm the guy with the mustache. I don't know who the other bald guy is.

 

[cowman]

I’m all for an electronic version but why couldn’t they just allow a photo/scanned copy you can keep on your phone? It’s not like either are any kind of secure ID anyway, the pilot cert is just your name and a number.

That said the only time I’ve ever needed either was for my instrument checkrides and BFRs… and on the those I just had it out, I’ve never actually had anyone ask to see it. I’ve actually started just keeping my medical in the plane with airworthiness and registration cards.

 

[Dana]

What am I going to flash the pilots when I board an airliner? It’s going to be awkward showing my phone and the passengers around me won’t really notice. This sucks…

"Oops, I thought my boarding pass was showing there. I have no idea why my PILOT CERTIFICATE was showing instead!"

I’ve actually started just keeping my medical in the plane with airworthiness and registration cards.

I've left my pilot certificate and medical (when I had one) in the plane for awhile now. I don't need it anywhere else. But I also have copies of all important documents (DL, passport, etc.) on my phone.

 

[MauleSkinner]

lanyard sales are going to plummet

My employer just cornered the market.

 

[MauleSkinner]

What am I going to flash the pilots when I board an airliner? It’s going to be awkward showing my phone and the passengers around me won’t really notice.

I’m sure you could wave your only fans page at everybody as you walk down the aisle. Less embarrassing on cold days, too.

 

[Half Fast]

But as someone mentioned, the SF-86 for security clearances is online, and when you apply, it pulls up your last one and you confirm the info and update those things that needs updating. Nice and easy.

And at every renewal, it seemed they had changed the formatting and I ended up re-typing most of it anyway.

 

[flyingron]

And at every renewal, it seemed they had changed the formatting and I ended up re-typing most of it anyway.

I swear the same company wrote that as wrote MedExpress. They smell equally bad.

 

[Bob Noel]

And at every renewal, it seemed they had changed the formatting and I ended up re-typing most of it anyway.

really? huh - I don't remember needing to do that... but my last one was done about 10 years ago.

 

[Half Fast]

really? huh - I don't remember needing to do that... but my last one was done about 10 years ago.

My last was in 2019, IIRC, but I've been retired since late 2020. Seems like I was on a 5 year refresh (TS, with some special access stuff).

I remember phone numbers changing from (xxx) xxx-xxxx to xxx-xxx-xxxx to xxxxxxxxxx. And I remember dates changing formats. Seems like addresses might have changed, or maybe just started requiring things like St or Rd or Ave to be spelled out.

 

[nauga]

They are already storing every bit and byte you enter.
So there is no decrease in security...

In theory, perhaps, but doubtful in practice. I disagree, but admire your faith in the FAA.

Nauga,
filed under 'Nunya'

 

[MauleSkinner]

In theory, perhaps, but doubtful in practice. I disagree, but admire your faith in the FAA.

Nauga,
filed under 'Nunya'

It’s not the FAA that’s storing stuff…it’s a special government agency tasked with monitoring our every communication and movement. The Bureau for Investigation and Governance of Brazen Radicals, Old Timers Hiding Everywhere, and Relatives.