FCC License?

No. Used to, not any more unless you cross a border. If you plan any
international flights, check first.

Dan
5J

On 3/7/21 12:09 PM, John DeRosa OHM Ω http://aviation.derosaweb.net wrote:
I'm circling back on this old 2010 thread as I received a letter from the FCC asking me to renew the radio license specific specific to my N number (aka "Call Sign").

So here is a question that really needs a simple yes/no answer*.

"Do I need an FCC license for my glider (or for that matter for the myriad of GA power pilots flying their airplanes owned or rented) while flying WITHIN THE US so I can transmit across the entire aviation frequency range (118-137 MHz) and I can communicate with other pilots, small/large airports, ATC, etc, etc?"

I believe that the answer is "No". See the reference links below.

https://www.fcc.gov/commercial-radio...icense-program
https://www.aopa.org/travel/internat...r-certificates
https://sportysacademy.com/fcc/
https://cfiacademy.com/how-to-get-fc...rivate-pilots/

Let the conversation begin.

Thanks, John (OHM)

*PS - I'm *NOT* talking about a license for my gliderport, international flying, drug running, insurrection, or (for Bruno's benefit) flying in an air show.

You can get a license for a mobile ground station (in support of
glider operations) to transmit on a single frequency, i.e. 123.3. I
have one. You need a second license if you want to transmit on
123.5. Such mobile ground stations are not allowed, however, to
transmit on the CTAF.

Lynn Alley
"2KA"

2KA wrote:
You can get a license for a mobile ground station (in support of
glider operations) to transmit on a single frequency, i.e. 123.3. I
have one. You need a second license if you want to transmit on
123.5. Such mobile ground stations are not allowed, however, to
transmit on the CTAF.

Crazy, isn't it? Hand held air band transceivers have been around for a
long time but it is only recently that they've become "dirt cheap" and
everybody and his brother has one. Case in point - in 1985 I paid almost
US$500 for an Icom A20. Today, I earn 3 times as much as I did in '85
and I got an A6 for well under US$300.

I suspect that the current communications regs are simply a reflection
of the earlier era - at least, I hope so.The reality is that if you
briefly and occasionally use a hand held outside of an aircraft, the
feds will not come after you - not that I recommend illegal use, mind
you. If you repeatedly mis-use a base station, chances are that they
will - http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2004/DA-04-3498A1.html ,
http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2009/DA-09-1258A1.html.

Tony, LS6-b "6N", W1DYS

I can show an example that makes this incorrect. Our club had a
license that allowed ground support stations to use either 123.3 or
123.5. Also, 87.323 says explicitly "Aviation support mobile stations
will be assigned 123.300 and 123.500 MHz". "And", not "or". Perhaps
you can pay a fee to get them to correct your license?? That's
crazy...


On Dec 31, 6:04*am, Tony V wrote:
2KA wrote:
You can get a license for a mobile ground station (in support of
glider operations) to transmit on a single frequency, i.e. 123.3. *I
have one. *You need a second license if you want to transmit on
123.5. *Such mobile ground stations are not allowed, however, to
transmit on the CTAF.

Crazy, isn't it? Hand held air band transceivers have been around for a
long time but it is only recently that they've become "dirt cheap" and
everybody and his brother has one. Case in point - in 1985 I paid almost
US$500 for an Icom A20. Today, I earn 3 times as much as I did in '85
and I got an A6 for well under US$300.

I suspect that the current communications regs are simply a reflection
of the earlier era - at least, I hope so.The reality is that if you
briefly and occasionally use a hand held outside of an aircraft, the
feds will not come after you - not that I recommend illegal use, mind
you. If you repeatedly mis-use a base station, chances are that they
will -http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2004/DA-04-3498A1.html,http://www.fcc.gov/eb/Orders/2009/DA-09-1258A1.html.

Tony, LS6-b "6N", W1DYS

When I got my support license, I called to ask specifically about
using 123.5 as well. You are correct that such an option is
available, but it costs twice as much. You have to fill out two
license applications. But at the end you're right -- they give you a
single ground station ID and allow you to transmit on either.

Lynn
"2KA"