Converting FAA to TCCA License

[DYWAN]

On June 12, 2000, the United States and Canada signed an international agreement known as a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement to facilitate acceptance of various aspects of each other’s aviation safety oversight systems for the benefit of the users of those systems. The technical annex to the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the United States and Canada addressing pilot licensing is called the Implementation Procedures for Licensing. The Implementation Procedures for Licensing authorizes pilots holding certain licences or certificates from either country to obtain a licence or certificate from the other country when certain requirements are met.

Chapter II Paragraph 2.1(c) of the Implementation Procedures for Licensing states that “FAA pilot certificates issued on the basis of a foreign licence are not eligible for conversion to a TCCA pilot licence under these implementation procedures. TCCA pilot licences issued on the basis of a foreign licence are not eligible for conversion to an FAA pilot certificate under these Implementation Procedures.”

Similarly, Paragraph 5.0(3) of the Application Guidelines for Aeroplane FAA to TCCA Licence Conversion Agreement guides that “Holders of a FAA airman certificate issued on the basis of another foreign pilot licence are not eligible for conversion under these Implementation Procedures.”

What does “FAA pilot certificates issued on the basis of a foreign licence” mean?

Does “FAA pilot certificates issued on the basis of a foreign licence” merely refer to FAA pilot certificates issued under 14 CFR 61.75, which specifies on the FAA pilot certificate:

1. the person’s foreign license number and country of issuance; and
2. a limitation that the U.S. pilot certificate can only be exercised when the pilot has the foreign pilot license, upon which the issuance of the U.S. pilot certificate was based, in the holder’s possession or readily accessible in the aircraft?

Or does “FAA pilot certificates issued on the basis of a foreign licence” also include original FAA pilot certificates without the above specifications, but issued under:

1. 14 CFR 61.39(e)(1) read with 14 CFR 61.39(a)(6), permitting a holder of a foreign pilot license issued by a contracting State to the Convention on International Civil Aviation to take a practical test leading to a U.S. pilot certificate from an FAA-authorized examiner without an endorsement from an FAA-authorized instructor; or
2. 14 CFR 61.71, permitting a person who holds a foreign pilot license to apply for an equivalent U.S. pilot certificate on the basis of a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement and associated Implementation Procedures for Licensing?

[selfin]

Refers to certificates issued under 14 CFR 61.75.

[LTCTerry]

Originally Posted by DYWAN

What does “FAA pilot certificates issued on the basis of a foreign licence” mean?

Do you have a Canadian license issued because you have a license from another country? For example; a German pilot getting a Canadian Private Pilot License couldn't use the Canadian license to get an FAA certificate. However, someone who gets an independent, free standing Canadian PPL can use that towards an FAA Private...

[LTCTerry]

My example above was German-to-Canadian. I re-looked at the post.

As I read it, if you have a no-strings-attached FAA certificate (issued under Parts 61 or 141) you can use that to get a comparable Transport Canada license. Anything that requires some explaining won’t work.

[MarkerInbound]

A 61.75 certificate will state on the certificate "ISSUED ON THE BASIS OF AND VALID ONLY WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY [name of country] PILOT LICENSE NO. [12345667etc]. 61.39 (e) allows a foreign pilot to apply for a type rating or an ATP without having an instructor's endorsement. They still go through the normal written test and checkride leading to a regular FAA certificate. As of now the only country the US has a Bilateral Agreement with is Canada. The agreement states that the license to be converted cannot be based on a third county license but it has no ISSUED ON THE BASIS OF notation. I can't see someone applying for a TCCA license based on a FAA certificate that is based on a TCCA license.

[selfin]

There's a licensing agreement with the EU as well though the scope is narrower.

Note that the privileges of a Canadian IR can be maintained by completing a US IPC, if a US IR is held.

Transport Canada AC 401-005 (Maintaining Instrument Rating Privileges ...)

5.1(11) Transport Canada currently has a licensing agreement with the
Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). Pilots who hold both a FAA and a
Canadian licence endorsed with an Instrument Rating and complete an
FAA IPC under Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 61.57(d) will meet the
Canadian instrument recency requirements.