[Rant] Universal Pilot Certificate- Why Not??

ARFlyer

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Friend of mine keeps trying to get me to come to Australia to fly for a year. To quell her latest attempt I looked up the process to convert to a CASA certificate. I found that it's a several step process that actual isn't as bad as going EASA. All this got me thinking about the crap ton of different "licenses" across this blue marble.

Why can't there just be a universal license??? It's flying for god sake. Physics in Europe is the exact same as here and vice versa!! Flying a Cessna, 737, or Space Shuttle is the same everywhere.

Just take ICAO, make everyone the same regulations, and slap on a graduated universal certificate. It would make it so much easier for Joe Blow to fly anywhere in the world without having to be retested, scammed out of $$$, and learn the local sky cop rules.

It's just silly that in the 21st Century we can't have a universal agreement of something as simple as airman certification.
 
So you are wanting a PADI cert in the Aviation world?
 
So your wanting a PADI cert in the Aviation world?

Basically :D The Bends is the same here in BF Arkansas as it is in the Dead Sea.

I've heard so many stories of friends getting screwed going from FAA -> EASA. My old CFI, who is French, gave up on trying to convert to EASA and took as job as a BMW test driver.
 
Why can't there just be a universal license??? It's flying for god sake. Physics in Europe is the exact same as here and vice versa!! Flying a Cessna, 737, or Space Shuttle is the same everywhere.

Just take ICAO, make everyone the same regulations, and slap on a graduated universal certificate. It would make it so much easier for Joe Blow to fly anywhere in the world without having to be retested, scammed out of $$$, and learn the local sky cop rules.

It's just silly that in the 21st Century we can't have a universal agreement of something as simple as airman certification.
Hahahahahahahahaha! International agreement on rules and regulations? You have got to be kidding.

The US is probably the least regulated of ICOA states. So, you actually want more regulation?
 
Yeah, what midlifeflyer said. It's funny that you think it has anything to do with logic and common sense... This is government regulations we are talking about, common sense and logic have no place where obfuscation, complexity, and onerous, arcane, costly burden reign.
 
On the other hand you can get a really pretty Australian pilot's certificate (looks sort of like a passport) on the basis of your US certification or as I did, just fly there with a letter of authority (those are even easier).

Of course, if you want excuses not to go, the big one is getting the "security card" needed for unescorted access to most airports in Australia.
 
On the other hand you can get a really pretty Australian pilot's certificate (looks sort of like a passport) on the basis of your US certification or as I did, just fly there with a letter of authority (those are even easier).

Of course, if you want excuses not to go, the big one is getting the "security card" needed for unescorted access to most airports in Australia.

How do you do that? I'm headed there in a few weeks, and I was just going to grab an instructor for a ~2 hour sightseeing flight near Cairns. I just presumed the conversion was not worth the effort. W&B would let me rent a 172 if I didn't have to haul an instructor around.
 
I don't know the procedure. I was part of an organized air tour that did all the paperwork for me.
 
Why can't there just be a universal license??? It's flying for god sake. Physics in Europe is the exact same as here and vice versa!! Flying a Cessna, 737, or Space Shuttle is the same everywhere.

You have a universal license. You can fly a US registered aircraft anywhere in the world.

If you want to fly an Australian Registered aircraft, you have to learn their rules of what you can or cannot do.
 
Why can't there just be a universal license??? It's flying for god sake. Physics in Europe is the exact same as here and vice versa!! Flying a Cessna, 737, or Space Shuttle is the same everywhere.
Physics may be the same everywhere, but rules and regulations are not.

And if you think it requires the same skills and knowledge to fly a Cessna (presumably you mean a 172 and not a Citation) vs. a 737 vs. the Space Shuttle, then you are, at best, misinformed.
 
...the same regulations, and slap on a graduated universal certificate. It would make it so much easier for Joe Blow to fly anywhere in the world without having to be retested, [scammed out of $$$], and learn the local sky cop rules....

Probably that... I am sure there is a dollar figure tied to most things that don't make sense.
 
On the other hand you can get a really pretty Australian pilot's certificate (looks sort of like a passport) on the basis of your US certification or as I did, just fly there with a letter of authority (those are even easier).

Of course, if you want excuses not to go, the big one is getting the "security card" needed for unescorted access to most airports in Australia.

Yeah I was reading about the ASIC card. It costs almost $300 according to the website I found.

Is it just the major airports or are the outback dirt strips also included?

You have a universal license. You can fly a US registered aircraft anywhere in the world.

If you want to fly an Australian Registered aircraft, you have to learn their rules of what you can or cannot do.

The job would be flying Australian Registered aircraft.

Did the Europeans get rid of the G- registered loop hole?

Physics may be the same everywhere, but rules and regulations are not.

And if you think it requires the same skills and knowledge to fly a Cessna (presumably you mean a 172 and not a Citation) vs. a 737 vs. the Space Shuttle, then you are, at best, misinformed.

I know quite well what the different skill and knowledge sets are required. But those skills and knowledges sets do not change between countries, only the over arching regulations.

I can fly an EMB-145 anywhere in the world with the knowledge and skill I have learned. It doesn't change.

Probably that... I am sure there is a dollar figure tied to most things that don't make sense.

Yeah $$$ drives almost all ridiculous regulation when talking about international relations.
 
Yeah $$$ drives almost all ridiculous regulation when talking about international relations.

And protectionism, jobs, etc. Visas are one way to handle the issue, international certificate conversion is another.

Considering how many foreign pilots we train here in the US, it can't be that hard to convert your certificate into a license elsewhere; it's just not in the places american pilots would like to go.
 
The thing is that "they", including us, are all sovereign countries, and they can determine their own standards. ICAO makes an attempt to harmonize these standards, but you can see what an uproar it causes when we, meaning us, change even something small as a nod to those standards.
 
It's a shame ICAO doesn't work like it should, should just be a simple written test for the differences between that country and your native country, then done here's your new ticket, use your current IACO medical.
 
The card is required for any place with scheduled air service which is just about every airport in Australia. Even the outback nowhere towns get like one or two puddle jumper flights a week.

Flying an VH- registered plane isn't a big thing. There are a few different reporting rules (there are like in many of the UK countries MBZs and the phraseology is a little different) but nothing you can't pick up in the single flight "BFR" that you're required to do with an instructor to turn on your LOA.
 
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