"You should return a deceased airman's certificate to the FAA"??

[RussR]

I just got a new airman certificate and decided to read the paper it comes with.

At the very bottom of the front side it says "A deceased airman's certificate should be returned to the Airman Certification Branch within 30 days of death."

I assume this is an attempt to track living airmen. But does this actually ever happen? Since the Airman is probably the only one who even has a slight chance of reading this document, how would the surviving spouse/children/etc even know they "should" do this? And of those, how many are actually going to bother to put it in an envelope, address and stamp it?

I'm guessing the compliance rate on this is pretty exactly zero. Seems like pretty wishful thinking to bother including this statement.

 

[midlifeflyer]

The corpse will be getting a Notice of Proposed Certificate Action after the 30 days are up.

 

[weilke]

If I die, I'll keep it.

 

[iamtheari]

The corpse will be getting a Notice of Proposed Certificate Action after the 30 days are up.

Probably not immediately after, though. There is probably a decades-long backlog of these.

 

[Bob Noel]

I wonder how much funding the FAA's enforcement division gets to go after all these people who fail to return their cert.

 

[Racerx]

I'm taking mine to the grave and they can pry it from my cold dead hands. Getting it back would be desecration. Good luck.

 

[Bell206]

I wonder how much funding the FAA's enforcement division gets to go after all these people who fail to return their cert.

Unless its regulatory somewhere like for aircraft registrations probably never. One of the reasons they changed registrations to a renewal system was they were not being returned after death of the holder within 60 days.

 

[Rgbeard]

When my dad passed, I dropped an email to the FAA. They returned my message asking me to jump thru hoops.

I decided it was too much for my at-the-moment level of motivation.

To further my lack-of-motivation, he and I share a name, and I don’t want an error to happen, canceling MY certificate. So I’m gonna let it ride. No harm I can see.

 

[MauleSkinner]

Just make sure to submit the change of address.

 

[Zeldman]

I will either be buried with my certificates or have them put on display at the zeldman museum, which I am sure will be built shortly after my demise...

 

[MauleSkinner]

I will either be buried with my certificates or have them put on display at the zeldman museum, which I am sure will be built shortly after my demise...

If you see them starting to grade the land, watch out!

 

[frfly172]

Not sure how one notifies the FAA after their death.

 

[Bell206]

Not sure how one notifies the FAA after their death.

For the registration, they put it on the estate.

 

[asicer]

I'm not sure my heirs would appreciate me coming back for this.

 

[Ghery]

Somehow I doubt I would notify my estate of this requirement. And how would the FAA know?

 

[SixPapaCharlie]

I assume my kids will keep mine or my wife. I want my dad's.

 

[Jim K]

I assume my kids will keep mine or my wife.

Pretty bold of you to assume you won't be revoked before then

 

[3393RP]

I will either be buried with my certificates or have them put on display at the zeldman museum, which I am sure will be built shortly after my demise...

You'll finally be popular. It'll be a good reason to exit I-40 and explore Gallup.

 

[sonopoa]

if you have an idea by what age you wont be alive you could post it back now with a do not open until year x written on the front


oh wait

 

[JackL-3J]

"If you are illiterate, call 1-800 . . for free reading lessons."

 

[mandm]

If I die, I'll keep it.

Going in my casket

 

[JackL-3J]

Going in my casket

I'm thinking about those WW2 pilot safety films with "Joe" . . . maybe a scene where a pilot can't use his wings in Heaven because he foolishly notified the FAA of his own demise and is an "uncertificated" angel.

 

[Pinecone]

I decided it was too much for my at-the-moment level of motivation.

To further my lack-of-motivation, he and I share a name, and I don’t want an error to happen, canceling MY certificate. So I’m gonna let it ride. No harm I can see.

For the same two reasons, I am not looking for my Dad's certificate to send it in.

 

[AquaLand]

I sent the FAA airmen certification branch a copy of my father’s death certificate as I never found his pilot certificate (ATP). Twenty-five years after his death, he’s still listed in the FAA registry.