FAA radio license for int'l ops
 

Hi guys,

I intend to to some flying in Oz in early 2009 and am starting to get the paperwork together. I hold an FAA PPL, current medical and BFR. I've downloaded all the forms from the CASA site, BUT there's one thing that's not quite clear (at least to me): how do you deal with the radio operators' license ?

I cannot find anything on the FAA site, and the FCC site only talks about radio station licenses.

I also know that FLYING mag had an article by Lane Wallace a while ago about flying Down Under, but this issue, alas, has gone the way of all paper.

Anyone out there done that and know how to handle it?

You have to apply for a radio operator license or, if you are not a US citizen or green card holder, a restricted radio operator license.
You can do this through the FCC website. It's a little tricky to find the right link but it's there.
However, this is only required to fly US registered aircraft outside the US. If you fly a VH registered aircraft you need to obtain certificate of conversion from CASA anyway. This is only if you want to act PIC.
Remember, logging and acting PIC are two very different things. If you pass by Perth drop me a mail.
Cheers,
Space

Space,

Thanks for the info :ok: What I intend to do is to get the CASA validation and fly PIC in a VH-reg. Basically want to hire an a/c for a week or so and go flying. I'll try to give CASA a call tomorrow morning (I'm in Europe and with the time difference can't to today anymore) to clarify IF they need this restricted radio operator license (I'm not a US citizen) for the validation.

At the moment no plans for Perth, but hey! this could change and I'll be in touch.

Cheers!

Even US Citizens Use the Restricted Permit
 

Try this link to the FCC.
FCC Application

Cheers ! :ok:

Do not send any money to the FCC!

Below is a copy of my letter of 29 December 2007 to the FCC Chairman. There has not been any response and I have received neither the licence nor a refund. The Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan Washington DC and Eastern Pennsylvania refused to help as it will not handle complaints against a government agency. Martin is a conman running a scam.


Mr. Kevin J. Martin, Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Room: 8-B201
Washington, DC 20554
U.S.A.

29 December 2007

Dear Mr. Martin,

Re: Complaint regarding FCC

I refer to my letter of 30 October 2007, copy enclosed, which you did not respond to. Neither was there any email confirmation of its receipt as requested.

I have still not received the licence that I requested and paid for. It seems obvious that the FCC has no intention of issuing me with a licence and that your staff will find one excuse or another to continue this. I therefore request a full refund of the fee of $60.00.

Your employees (one of whom yet again left a message asking me to call her on a toll free number that does not work here!) suggested that I should reapply and pay again and that after (if?) the licence is issued I should ask for a refund “that might be considered” of the original application fee. There is an old Chinese saying: “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” As my wife pointed out to a supervisor in September, this could go on indefinitely. There is no way I will pay again. I have already paid for the licence! I would prefer to receive the licence but as it is obvious that this will not happen then I expect a full refund of my licence fee.

This form of serial obstruction is exactly the sort of corruption we faced on many occasions while living in Africa. It is normal there for officials to make any process as complicated as possible. They are then able to readily find excuses to deny service and to demand that the applicant apply again and PAY again. This goes on indefinitely until they have extracted sufficient money from the victim. Of course, not all of the reapplications and extra fees show up in the official records! My wife and I are appalled that the US government seems to have sunk to this level of behaviour and integrity.

All we are talking about is issuing a restricted radio operator’s licence to a pilot so that he may legally operate the radios in US registered aircraft. This should be a simple and speedy matter. Instead, it has been ongoing since last April, when I first applied for an FCC CORES number. It is a disgraceful indictment of your operation that I still do not have the licence nearly nine months later. I have aircraft radio operators’ licences from Canada and two other countries, along with their pilot’s licences. In all three cases the application form was simple and brief and the matter was concluded within one business day. Contrast that with the FCC’s 28 page Form 605, schedules and instructions and nine months with no progress! Perhaps the FCC should contact other countries to find out how to issue aircraft radio operators’ licences in a prompt and competent manner.

Kindly look into this matter and ensure that the refund is issued without any further obstruction or delay. Please confirm by email that you have received this letter and that the refund is in the mail.

Yours truly,

Ahhh.... too late, I just completed the online filing :eek:

We'll see what happens next, I'll keep you posted (although this may take a while :( )

The Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit is also required for US citizens when operating a US registered radio station outside the US.

Honor where honor is due
 

Promised to keep you guys updated - here goes. Filled in the online form and paid my money on Nov 24. Received the license dated Nov 25 (!!!!) a few days ago (not exactly sure when, as was traveling, but that included mail to the UK where I'm based). Can't really accuse these guys at the FCC of being slack......

Honor where honor is due - good job! :ok:

I have still not received any response, licence or refund from :mad: FCC organisation!

172driver, you were either very lucky, have connections or paid them a bribe. I can come to no other conclusion in view of my experience.

Carrier, as I have no connections to the FCC nor paid any bribe, I guess that either I'm very lucky or you were/are very unlucky......

FCC
 

Carrier,

You applied for the wrong thing. The license you need as a pilot costs next to nothing and will be mailed out asap. Until you get it you can use the temporary one that is attached to the application form. Might not be the US governments fault after all, maybe you made a mistake.

The application can be completed online at FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS): ULS Home with the FCC Universal Licensing System.

Here's an excerpt from the AOPA...

weasil, this is exactly what I did - and it worked.

Update
 

Now it is 2015. I just did the application process on line and although the website is not user-friendly at first glance, when you see where the applications are, it is easy, quick and done in max 5 minutes including payment.

So to everyone that has need of the radio operator´s permit, easy to get.:ok: