FAR 61.55(d) SIC QUALIFICATION
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FAR 61.55(d) SIC QUALIFICATION
Hi everyone, i just want to find out more on FAR 61.55(d). Is this reg applicable to only those in the employment of company/Operator? As a foreign pilot who is not employed by a US operator, can i also obtain an SIC through that regulation if i have an FAA commercial certificate?
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Probably not. Wikipedia (take it for what it's worth) says there are 32 flying examples split between three operators. The SIC type is sort of a joke created to make foreign CAAs happy. For years in the USA it was assumed that the F/O on an airliner was qualified. They had company ID and were assign to a flight. An airline would not grab someone off the street and say "Put this shirt on and be our co-pilot today." The FAA conducts oversight of operators and this just wouldn't happen. Even before the internet era a pilot's records at an airline could be pulled an faxed anywhere in a day. The class room training an airline F/O received was the same as a Captain and there were just a couple maneuverers that weren't on the F/O checkride. That wasn't good enough for some foreign CAAs. So the FAA created the SIC type. Sort of like "English Proficient." The regs say I have to read, speak and understand English. You're talking to me in English. But that's not good enough, you need it typed on the certificate. The whole problem went away for airlines in 2014 when the regs changed and required ATPs with regular types for all airline pilots. It might still matter in the corporate world but many of them swap seats leg by leg.
