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Got your FCC license ?



Has anyone here flying into/through foreign space such as say Canada ever been penalized for not having a radio station license? Have you ever been scrutinized or fined by the US, Canada or Bahamas, or Mexico ? If so, what was the penalty?

The links listed include info for a restricted radio operator permit (RR)
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=service_home&id=aviation
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=licensing&id=aircraft_stations

From what I can understand, an AIRCRAFT needs a radio permit if communicating with foreign ground based radio, where a pilot needs an RR if s/he plans to make an international flight (implying flying into foreign airspace) such as Canada.

So perhaps for flying into Canada, say Nova Scotia, I should technically need both. But what do I know…not much. When I started flying I was issued an old Class III FCC radiotelephone permit, but then was later told it was no longer needed.

I searched this topic on BCP but could not find any previous threads. Many folks here also sail, and although I have never sailed out of US waters, off topic, I'm just curious re the regs there. I also know my US ham radio license is valid in Canada.

Can anyone comment. Thanks.

I don't know were it is required anymore but have had mine about the time I officially soloed in early 60s.
Still have my old CB license - don't know if that counts. - seems to me that we needed the radio station licence in US way back when AROW was ARROW.

Have heard it stated that Canada still requires them but I do not know for sure.
Guess it is better to have one and not need it.
Would seem that a Ham license should do.
Wannabe

Are you flying to Canada?

A "Station Licence" (for the airplane) is no longer required in Canada.

I doubt you would ever get asked for your operator's licence. I never have. In fact I lost mine years ago and haven't bothered to replace it.

It's actually an ICAO rule, not a Canadian rule. When flying "Internationally" (ie: from the US into Canada or Mexico, etc) the ICAO rules apply.

I seriously doubt if anyone has ever been asked for either a station license or an operator's permit.

MTV

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An amateur radio license will do nada for anything outside the ham radio bands. It does provide you the opportunity to gain a world of practical knowledge that can translate to aviation such as feedline impedence, SWR, coax, antenna theory, etc.

CB licenses? Do they even exist anymore? I had one for the purpose of controlling an old galloping ghost Radio Control airplane operating on the CB frequencies. I think family radio service (FRS) or whatever it is called has now taken over.

It seems the aviation world continues to get more and more complex. Starting April 1, 2016 for example just getting a student permit will get more difficult with Homeland Security getting into the game. Maybe radio communications, which heretofore were not closely scrutinized, will likewise eventually be subject to increasingly closer scrutiny.

I was just trying to be on the safe side and have any and all permits, including FCC documentation, if and as required for operations in foreign air space.

So, for those of you who do have the FCC licenses described, what reason prompted that move? I am going to contact AOPA and see what they have to say, and will post their response.

Paperwork is the best ...I so love it...

Denali wrote:.
An amateur radio license will do nada for anything outside the ham radio bands. It does provide you the opportunity to gain a world of practical knowledge that can translate to aviation such as feedline impedence, SWR, coax, antenna theory, etc.

CB licenses? Do they even exist anymore? I had one for the purpose of controlling an old galloping ghost Radio Control airplane operating on the CB frequencies. I think family radio service (FRS) or whatever it is called has now taken over.

It seems the aviation world continues to get more and more complex. Starting April 1, 2016 for example just getting a student permit will get more difficult with Homeland Security getting into the game. Maybe radio communications, which heretofore were not closely scrutinized, will likewise eventually be subject to increasingly closer scrutiny.

I was just trying to be on the safe side and have any and all permits, including FCC documentation, if and as required for operations in foreign air space.

So, for those of you who do have the FCC licenses described, what reason prompted that move? I am going to contact AOPA and see what they have to say, and will post their response.

Paperwork is the best ...I so love it...

The permits that are required are a Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit and a Radio Station License in the aircraft. Both are issued by the FAA. I have a Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit because back when I learned to fly, you were required to possess one to take the checkride for PPL. I had one in my last airplane because it went to Canada with some regularity. No big deal to get it, and good for life. Same with the RROP.

Would I get them again? Not even.

MTV

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The permits that are required are a Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit and a Radio Station License in the aircraft. Both are issued by the FAA.

FAA or FCC?

I spoke with AOPA today. The guy was very knowledgeable and was quoting ICAO regulations. As per ICAO regulations, an FCC license was needed. Then he said that he had been with AOPA for 17 years and had never ever heard of anyone being asked or being hassled about this. He also was not sure, but he thought a penalty /fine did not exist. He sort of likened it to what he described as an " English Endorsement" that apparently used to be on old pilot certificates, again as per ICAO regulations, requiring competency in English.

Since I had an old license, he said I could try to apply to the FCC and request an address change. Then they might re-issue for free. If not, it will cost me $65, which I will probably not bother with unless I absolutely am going to fly into somewhere non-US.

Anyway, this is a weird topic on what seems mainly to be an ICAO technicality. That's how the AOPA guy explained it to me. In checking on this topic on other aviation boards, there seems to be a lot of confusing and conflicting information. I may send a formal letter to FAA one of these days and ask for their official explanation in writing. Right now I am sure we all have other things to worry about

Been back and forth many times, have never been asked!

I got a station permit for the plane but I screwed up on the website and didn't order an operator's permit.

Nobody cared. Just one data point, though.

Mine is a yellow, typed, perforated little card over 30 years old. Ive never had to show it.

Denali wrote:

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The permits that are required are a Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit and a Radio Station License in the aircraft. Both are issued by the FAA.

FAA or FCC?

Yep, my bad.....too many Fxx agencies.

MTV

I have the restricted radio operator's license, because it was a requirement when I learned to fly eons ago. I have never been asked to show it, period, not even when I took my private checkride in 1973. It's pretty dog-eared and faded now, but I still carry it.

I don't have a radio station license for my airplane, but I do have one for my boat, which I took to Canada for an epic trip back in 2001--see "The Ultimate Small Boat Adventure", still available, only $15.95, a bargain at twice the price. But again, I've never been asked to show that license, ever.

Cary

mtv wrote:

Denali wrote:.
An amateur radio license will do nada for anything outside the ham radio bands. It does provide you the opportunity to gain a world of practical knowledge that can translate to aviation such as feedline impedence, SWR, coax, antenna theory, etc.

CB licenses? Do they even exist anymore? I had one for the purpose of controlling an old galloping ghost Radio Control airplane operating on the CB frequencies. I think family radio service (FRS) or whatever it is called has now taken over.

It seems the aviation world continues to get more and more complex. Starting April 1, 2016 for example just getting a student permit will get more difficult with Homeland Security getting into the game. Maybe radio communications, which heretofore were not closely scrutinized, will likewise eventually be subject to increasingly closer scrutiny.

I was just trying to be on the safe side and have any and all permits, including FCC documentation, if and as required for operations in foreign air space.

So, for those of you who do have the FCC licenses described, what reason prompted that move? I am going to contact AOPA and see what they have to say, and will post their response.

Paperwork is the best ...I so love it...

The permits that are required are a Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit and a Radio Station License in the aircraft. Both are issued by the FAA. I have a Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Permit because back when I learned to fly, you were required to possess one to take the checkride for PPL. I had one in my last airplane because it went to Canada with some regularity. No big deal to get it, and good for life. Same with the RROP.

Would I get them again? Not even.

MTV

The station license is only good for 10 years now. When I flew my 175 to AK in the fall of 2014, I tried rationalizing to myself why it wasn't necessary to buy these. As people have already said, this is an archaic law that is not enforced any more and I called and heard the same thing from AOPA. At the end of the day, I bought them because I didn't even want to chance that a customs officer having a bad day could ruin my day over a $120 worth of certificates. The price was worth the piece of mind alone.

For the record, I flew from Wyoming to and around Alaska and back, and was NEVER asked about the aforementioned licenses.