(US) New Process for Student Pilot Certificate Issue

As I understand it, effective April 1 there is a new process for issuance of Student Pilot Certificates. Have any glider operations obtained clarification from their local FSDO or investigated the process on IACRA? I'm especially curious about how I (as a CFI-G) "accept" the application in the new process (see below table). Any insights or help appreciated, as we have a couple of folks who should be getting ready for solo by late Spring, and it looks like the new process could take a while to complete.

http://download.aopa.org/advocacy/16...244.1457314625

It is spelled out in the new Advisory Circular:

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/m.../AC_61-65F.pdf

Also take a look at the RAS post "New Student Pilot Certificates". We did have our FSDO talk about this last weekend.

The AC spells it all out, but the CFI-G has to properly check among other things the applicant's ID and English language proficiency. He can always defer the application and the student to the FSDO or DPE if he feels it is too difficult for himself to call.

On Monday, March 28, 2016 at 7:22:18 AM UTC-5, Papa3 wrote:
As I understand it, effective April 1 there is a new process for issuance of Student Pilot Certificates. Have any glider operations obtained clarification from their local FSDO or investigated the process on IACRA? I'm especially curious about how I (as a CFI-G) "accept" the application in the new process (see below table). Any insights or help appreciated, as we have a couple of folks who should be getting ready for solo by late Spring, and it looks like the new process could take a while to complete.

http://download.aopa.org/advocacy/16...244.1457314625

I have read the AC and I have a student (adult) pending right now. I can see his application through IARCA but I can't do anything with it. I can view it, print it, or kick it back to him, but there's no action I can take to advance it. Maybe on April 1?

On Monday, March 28, 2016 at 5:08:06 PM UTC-4, Papa3 wrote:
I have read the AC and I have a student (adult) pending right now. I can see his application through IARCA but I can't do anything with it. I can view it, print it, or kick it back to him, but there's no action I can take to advance it. Maybe on April 1?

Perhaps. From the looks of the AC all you have to do is follow the
"recommending instructor" process in IACRA and the student will get
their certificate in the mail 3 weeks later.

Has anyone tried this so far with students wanting to solo before age 16?

Matt

Wouldn't that be age 14 for glider solo?


Cookie

On Monday, March 28, 2016 at 7:23:49 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Monday, March 28, 2016 at 5:08:06 PM UTC-4, Papa3 wrote:
I have read the AC and I have a student (adult) pending right now. I can see his application through IARCA but I can't do anything with it. I can view it, print it, or kick it back to him, but there's no action I can take to advance it. Maybe on April 1?

Perhaps. From the looks of the AC all you have to do is follow the
"recommending instructor" process in IACRA and the student will get
their certificate in the mail 3 weeks later.

Has anyone tried this so far with students wanting to solo before age 16?

Matt

Yeah, I'm the "recommending instructor", but there's no action I can take to move it along. Unlike other times I've used IACRA (for instance recommending a student for a practical test). Wondering whether it will change on Friday; I'll wait and see.

The new process does not start until 1 April. So even as recommending instructor, that action to certify the student pilot application cannot happen until 1 April.
This was a big discussion area in the Glider CFI Webinar last week.

BillT

The changes take effect on April 1. The CFI will not be able to accept applications through IACRA until then or "move it along".

Until then your student can still go to an AME, DPE or to the FSDO to apply for and get a Student Pilot certificate on the spot.

After April 1 AMEs, DPEs and the FSDO will no longer be able to issue Student Pilot certificates. After April 1, CFIs, DPEs and the FDSO will be able to accept Student Pilot certificate applications, and the FAA in OKC will subsequently issue them through the mail.

On Monday, March 28, 2016 at 7:48:25 PM UTC-5, Papa3 wrote:
Yeah, I'm the "recommending instructor", but there's no action I can take to move it along. Unlike other times I've used IACRA (for instance recommending a student for a practical test). Wondering whether it will change on Friday; I'll wait and see.

On Monday, March 28, 2016 at 8:48:25 PM UTC-4, Papa3 wrote:
Yeah, I'm the "recommending instructor", but there's no action I can take to move it along. Unlike other times I've used IACRA (for instance recommending a student for a practical test). Wondering whether it will change on Friday; I'll wait and see.

I am a DPE and CFI-G. I have one such situation unfolding TODAY. I have a student who is ready to do his first solo on his 14th birthday, TODAY. If his birthday happened to fall on 31 March instead of April 2nd, we would have all been celebrating the first solo of a pilot, whom I believe has the passion and skill to soar to great heights and distances.

Unfortunately, as of April 1st, the forces of security theater ( https://en..wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_theater ) have created a system that no longer allows solo flight on a student's 14th birthday. At least for the meantime.. I became aware of the potential situation in March 2015, and by October 2015, we were planning all sorts of potential workarounds.

I received the advice, "Just fill in the application early!" No-Can-Do:
IACRA: The IACRA system doesn't even allow somebody to begin an application until their 14th birthday.
Old-school-Paper: FAA Order 8900.1 states that the application can't happen until the 14th birthday. http://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?...Vol.5,Ch2,Sec6

This morning, I received an e-mail from my star student; he's filled in the application in IACRA. I've accepted it as a recommending instructor. I've viewed his ID, entered that into the system. I've delivered the Privacy Act and Pilots Bill of Rights. Now the paperwork goes off into the bureaucracy.. We'll see how long it takes for this star 14 year old to get his plastic certificate in the mail.

I'll keep you updated.

Signed, Frustrated

Update. Seems to be working. Turns out the student had missed something in the application. Fixed it and I now have actions to complete and submit. Student forgot his IACRA password today, so we didn't wrap up at the field.. But, as soon as we are both logged in it looks like it should work.