FAA finally proposing Pilot Certificate photos

The announcement comes one month after Rep. John Mica, R-Florida, criticized the agency for dragging its feet, noting that the only picture on the current FAA license is that of aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright
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I don't care but I don't want to be bothered with it. I don't want to take a day off to schedule an appointment with the FAA for them to take my picture, just because some know nothing Rep. has no idea what he is talking about.

We already carry photo IDs, what card it is on it shouldn't matter. In fact I fly with three, will a fourth make us all safe? The more I think about it, the more of a waste it is.
 
For those of us who fly for a living...

This is one additional cost that we should not be expected to pay due to our profession. Ridiculous.

Really is only about one thing - revenue generation.

Just more waste for those of us who shouldn't have to be bothered with this in the first place. The 10 year FBI background check not good enough? What about those of us who hold classified clearences due to military service? Whatever.
 
The regs say that you have to have your pilot cert, valid medical and gov't issued photo ID. I don't fly with my wallet that contains my driver's license, and Oklahoma won't allow simultaneous, duplicate driver's licenses, so I obtained an Oklahoma ID card. This would save me having to track another piece of plastic with an expiration date.
 
I saw one of these "prototype" certificates several months from an inspector at the FSDO, He told me they scrapped the idea because they cannot reconcile the expiration of the photo with non-expiring pilot certificates per the FARs.. He said the only way they really could do it was to change the rules to have the pilot certificate expire every so often.

He then went on to say one idea they had floated around but ruled out was making the flight review the first step of the renewal process, no endorsement from a CFI, no renewal. Explaining that was the only way they could see it done but no one wanted to take responsibility for proposing the rule change. He was not confident that what was going to be proposed (the NPRM in its current form) would pass.

This could get interesting.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Not aware of any "battle" over pictures on airman certificates right now, but we all obviously pay EAA/AOPA/ALPA etc to fight crap like this. You know, our special interest lobbyists.
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Which is exactly what I'm saying. I hope AOPA/whoever doesn't fight this one. Not worth the time & effort, when there are much bigger fish to fry in the next few years.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Very true. I'm on both sides of the issue with this one. One, I don't think putting the picture on the certificate does anything for security. On the other hand, I don't think its unreasonable to have to a small fee to have the certificate, much like a drivers license.
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I agree, the picture doesn't do anything to enhance security. They shouldn't be charging a fee either, if they do, others are right it will be easy to slap an expiration date on them and start charging lots of money for them. Heck, most of us have our ATP's, CFI, and Ground Schools licenses. It could get expensive in a hury. Just ask the truckers what they pay for licensing every year or two. My Chauffeur's license was nearly $50 to renew this time around.
 
Perhaps they could just make it optional for people that already have their plastic certificate. If they want the photo they could pay the $2 but don't force them to get it. All new certificates could require the photo and eventually the non-photo certificates will work their way out over time.
 
Maurus said:
But you could pick up all the hawt chicks that way!
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That's not the point. Considering that a threat assessment happens when you start primary training (remember 49 CFR 1552?), if you hold a pilot's certificate you've already been through some TSA vetting. See where I'm going here?
 
surreal1221 said:
Really is only about one thing - revenue generation. .
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Actually, this was mandated by congress after 9/11- to make us all safe by making it impossible for any unauthorized bad guy to take the controls of any airplane ever again- at least not without getting into a butt-load of trouble with the authorities.
 
Mike H said:
Actually, this was mandated by congress after 9/11- to make us all safe by making it impossible for any unauthorized bad guy to take the controls of any airplane ever again- at least not without getting into a butt-load of trouble with the authorities.
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"PILOTS NEED TO HAVE THEIR PICTURE ON THEIR LICNESE! Our country is not safe because we don't know who is flying our airliners!!!!!!"


"Whoa, I almost fell over from my knee jerking!"
 
LOL with a little knowledge and a several thousand dollar printer one could fake a lot of ID types including pilot's licenses...
 
Bandit_Driver said:
It would be easy for those of us in CASS. They could just use the CASS pictures to print the ID's. I'm suprised they haven't gone to some smart card type ID like the FSDO employees use. Heck while were at lets just make the pilots the ATP license a SIDA ID too. I am so sick of fighting with morons on the ramp tell me I have to have an ID or an escort to walk to/from or around my plane.
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Wonder if they could modify CASS for the other way around, it would bring up your FAA photo instead. Would make implementing it easier for smaller carriers.
 
why fix something if it aint broken? Cary your photo ID and pilot certificate. Why isnt that good enough? Is it that hard to carry a form of ID with your certificate?

Pilot certificates with Pictures are a waste of time and money for everyone involved.
 
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