Certificate ?

Speedy

Speedy

Pre-Flight
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Apr 29, 2012
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Panama City Beach, Fl
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Speedy
About how long does it take to get the PP certificate in the mail from our dear friends at the FAA ?
 
They have 120 days, expect it to take that long. If you still don't have it when your temp expires, they will issue you a new one.
 
Henning's answer is correct but incomplete.

First, while there was a lot of backup during the big paper-to-plastic conversion two years ago, that isn't the case now. Permanent certificates are arriving a few weeks after the checkride, nowhere near the 120-day limit.

Second, if you are approaching the 120-day limit, you must go to your local FSDO to get a new temporary issued; DPE's are not authorized to do that, and it's not handled at either HQ or OKC.
 
Ron Levy said:
Henning's answer is correct but incomplete.

First, while there was a lot of backup during the big paper-to-plastic conversion two years ago, that isn't the case now. Permanent certificates are arriving a few weeks after the checkride, nowhere near the 120-day limit.

Second, if you are approaching the 120-day limit, you must go to your local FSDO to get a new temporary issued; DPE's are not authorized to do that, and it's not handled at either HQ or OKC.
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Unfortunately that's not as easy as it once was, OTOH, they'll fax it to you.
 
In addition to every thing else mentioned, I believe that the certificates get batched, so when you get your certificate depends on if you made the cutoff date for the next batch. It's sort of like getting your first paycheck at a new company. You'll get it on the next payday unless you joined after the payroll date, in which case you'll get it at the NEXT payday.

If it's been more than 60 days, I'd be surprised, especially since your DPE should have submitted everything via IACRA.

I think I must have taken my CFI ride right before the cutoff date, because I think I got my certificate in 17 days or something ridiculously short.
 
Henning said:
I meant about being able to get to the FSDO, you need an appointment now which means you need to get hold of the person you need which isn't necessarily going to be easy.
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FSDO's have Inspectors on "front desk duty", one for Ops and one for AW. If you call the FSDO, tell them what you need they will schedule you with an Inspector for that day and time.
 
RotorAndWing said:
FSDO's have Inspectors on "front desk duty", one for Ops and one for AW. If you call the FSDO, tell them what you need they will schedule you with an Inspector for that day and time.
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I've never had an issue getting an appointment with a day or two notice. Walk in, inspector comes out, we go into a consultation area and do our business, and walk back out.

When it comes to dealing with the Gov't in person the FAA (at least the Washington FSDO) has been the easiest of all the agencies I've had to work with.
 
RotorAndWing said:
FSDO's have Inspectors on "front desk duty", one for Ops and one for AW. If you call the FSDO, tell them what you need they will schedule you with an Inspector for that day and time.
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Getting someone to answer the phone is the tough part around here.
 
I got mine in less then 2 weeks! :)
 
TMetzinger said:
I've never had an issue getting an appointment with a day or two notice. Walk in, inspector comes out, we go into a consultation area and do our business, and walk back out.

When it comes to dealing with the Gov't in person the FAA (at least the Washington FSDO) has been the easiest of all the agencies I've had to work with.
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Dulles was nice to me as well. I got there an hour early for my appointment and they took me right away. Not like they were doing anything...
 
I passed my Private checkride two months ago. It took three weeks.
 
Dulles was pretty quick when I did my FRZ clearance. As I recall, very flexible, and a very short visit. It took far longer for the fingerprint processing and background check.
 
Ron Levy said:
Henning's answer is correct but incomplete.

First, while there was a lot of backup during the big paper-to-plastic conversion two years ago, that isn't the case now. Permanent certificates are arriving a few weeks after the checkride, nowhere near the 120-day limit.

Second, if you are approaching the 120-day limit, you must go to your local FSDO to get a new temporary issued; DPE's are not authorized to do that, and it's not handled at either HQ or OKC.
Click to expand...

In the last year I have had three new certificates mailed to me. Two were for type ratings being added to my pilot certificate and a CFI renewal.
The first was at an airline. That one took 117 days. I kind of liked that one because it dequaled me for duty. I got paid to sit at home for a month because the airline was really messed up and forgot to tell dispatch I was good to go after I gave them a copy of the certificate.
The second was for a type rating issued by flight safety. That one took 68 days to get to me.
The CFi renewal was done at the FSDO and I had that one in less than three weeks.
I do know guys from the airport whom are getting their new certificates in as little as two weeks up to two months.
Hit or miss I would say.
 
LearDriver said:
In the last year I have had three new certificates mailed to me. Two were for type ratings being added to my pilot certificate and a CFI renewal.
The first was at an airline. That one took 117 days.
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Was that one paper through the airline and FSDO, or on IACRA? If the former, I can understand it, because it has to go through a lot of hands before it gets to the printer. I suppose I should have noted that I was talking about routine transactions done on IACRA, which shortcuts a lot of the old bottlenecks in the paper route.
 
Henning said:
Getting someone to answer the phone is the tough part around here.
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I have called the Miramar FSDO a couple times. No problem getting the receptionist though it is a crapshoot once they transfer you. The wierdest thing was when I needed to register the Arrow and needed the form. Called and asked and reception said I needed an appointment. "To pick up a form!!?!" I asked. "Hold on". They graciously allowed me to penetrate their Fort Knox security without an appointment to pick up a form. Your tax dollar at work.
 
Haven't seen my green card yet for the Instrument, but wasn't really expecting it that fast. IACRA. Been a few weeks.
 
RotorAndWing said:
FSDO's have Inspectors on "front desk duty", one for Ops and one for AW. If you call the FSDO, tell them what you need they will schedule you with an Inspector for that day and time.
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Agreed, when they locked down all the FSDOs after 9/11 I had to hit the Dulles one to get a new certificate (being vetted for the FRZ they had an issue that my pilot certificate listed my hair as brown and my medical said it was black. They didn't care which color I used as long as both matched). I just showed up at the FSDO and the guy was sitting out in the lobby processing paperwork (the guy ahead of me was getting a ground instructor certificate).

Calling ahead isn't a bad idea just to make sure they're not out to lunch or in some inane mandatory meeting when you plan to arrive.
 
Yeah, because the terrorists wanted to attack FSDOs. Hahaha. Right. Hilarious.
 
denverpilot said:
Yeah, because the terrorists wanted to attack FSDOs. Hahaha. Right. Hilarious.
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It might not be Terrorist they're worried about but the rogue airplane owner who got grounded over a missing compass card after he posted a GoPro video on an internet forum :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I had to give a demonstration at a tech center in the Social Security building in Portland not long ago, the amount of security to get in there was ridiculous. I asked the guards "Ya'll hidin' plutonium in here or something" apparently people come in daily POed about something, or so they said.
 
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Back when I was asking this question the common answer was a month. I got mine in two weeks. I think they must do it in batches somehow, so the time varies.

No worries though. I'm sure you have your paper, so you're good to go in the meantime. It'll be in your mailbox before you know it.
 
Went the 8710 route when I took my ride in the end of April. Permanent cert in my hand 4 weeks later.
 
I got TWO (one a few weeks after the first one). But the very first one came in less than a month.
 
Look up your name on the FAA pilot database. You'll get it a few days after your new rating appears there. Mine was just shy of two months for the original. When I "upgraded" to english proficiency, I think it was only a couple of weeks.
 
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