Airman Certificate Paperwork

JetCrew

JetCrew

Well-Known Member
HI Everyone.

Hope everyone is well. I have a question for you all (or at least the more experienced folks). As I stated in my first post on here, I received my FAA Dispatcher License in December of last year. That day, I was presented with a Temporary Airman Certificate that expires on May 31st of this. I was told that due to the sequester back in October, I probably would not receive my permanent license until sometime in March this year. It is May and I still haven't received my permanent card.

I emailed the examiner a while ago but never got a response. I recently sent him another message but still no reply to date so I took it upon myself to contact the FAA directly. I tried pulling up the info online but that was unsuccessful so I called and spoke to a very nice lady. She pulled my file and we discovered that the application for the license was never sent in by the Examiner. She encouraged me to get in touch with him and ask him to resend the paperwork. She also recommended to contact my nearest FSDO office and request an extension for my temporary certificate.

Now, after that winded explanation, the question. Does this sort of thing happen often when the examiner simply forgets to file paperwork or misfile paperwork for a license?

Thank you all.
JetCrew.
 
I can't imagine Examiners forget to send their paperwork in being normal. Perhaps they were holding it because of the sequester and then lost track?
 
I know some examiners that never sent in their paperwork. Idk if they lost it or just forgot about it.
I also know some people that waited as long as 2 years to get the little plastic card.. Personally i waited about 6 months for mine..
Im guessing the best thing to do is just keep pressing them with phones calls..
 
Work closely with your FSDO to ensure you remain in compliance with your temporary certificate. You're doing the right thing. It's a government agency, so expect to be annoyed by the process.
 
It took me about a month to get mine in Hawaii, so definitely hit up the FSDO and school you went to so that the bureaucracy begins to move things
 
I can't speak to examiners 'forgetting', but if it helps: I got my temp in mid Nov 2013 (so was affected by the shutdown) and received my permanent the first week of February. I was living overseas at the time, so was worried that it would take extra time. I have also kept in touch with many of my classmates and most got theirs in the same timeframe (including several non-US residents). Only one that didn't get his at the same time, was waiting to turn 23.
Good luck and Congrats.
 
JetCrew said:
Does this sort of thing happen often when the examiner simply forgets to file paperwork or misfile paperwork for a license?
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Unfortunately, the answer is "not often, but even once is too often". It's not necessarily the examiner who failed to do their job. It can also get side tracked in the FSDO. Then there is the old standby "it must have gotten lost in the mail", which is used far more often than things are ever lost.

However, setting that issue aside, the real question is what to do about it. When you contacted the nice lady, you did the right thing. Now it's time to contact the FSDO. They grant the authority to the examiner, so the responsibility rests in their court regardless of who is at fault. Most FSDO's are following stricter security procedures, so call before you just drop in on the FSDO. Once you get in touch with an inspector, you have two issues where you need their help. The first is locating and resolving your original paperwork. The second is to issue you what is called an "Emergency Field Issuance" certificate. The one you have has passed the 120 mark, so it's not now valid. The emergency field issuance certificate can be good for 60 days, which should be enough time for everyone to sort out the problem.
 
JetCrew said:
HI Everyone.

Hope everyone is well. I have a question for you all (or at least the more experienced folks). As I stated in my first post on here, I received my FAA Dispatcher License in December of last year. That day, I was presented with a Temporary Airman Certificate that expires on May 31st of this. I was told that due to the sequester back in October, I probably would not receive my permanent license until sometime in March this year. It is May and I still haven't received my permanent card.

I emailed the examiner a while ago but never got a response. I recently sent him another message but still no reply to date so I took it upon myself to contact the FAA directly. I tried pulling up the info online but that was unsuccessful so I called and spoke to a very nice lady. She pulled my file and we discovered that the application for the license was never sent in by the Examiner. She encouraged me to get in touch with him and ask him to resend the paperwork. She also recommended to contact my nearest FSDO office and request an extension for my temporary certificate.

Now, after that winded explanation, the question. Does this sort of thing happen often when the examiner simply forgets to file paperwork or misfile paperwork for a license?

Thank you all.
JetCrew.
Click to expand...

First, did you keep a copy of all the paperwork for your files?
Second, you said you emailed the examiner. Why not call him? Over and over again until you get satisfactory results. It's your certificate.
Third, have you gotten an emergency field issuance replacement yet?
Your temp should be enough proof but if you don't get a response from examiner and have to reconstruct it helps to have the entire file.
If you completed it via IACRA, which I assume didn't happen since Airman Records doesn't have it, be sure to white out the "Unofficial Copy" on all pages, and sign it in ink.
Remember too that examiners are at the discretion of the POI and if you can't get him to take care of your issue, alert the POI.
Good luck.
 
The sequestration screwed things up for sure. The FSDO had to extend my temp ATP because they were so backlogged. It took about 6 months to get my plastic one.

Keep working with the FSDO and keep trying to call and track down the examiner.
 
desertdog71 said:
The sequestration screwed things up for sure. The FSDO had to extend my temp ATP because they were so backlogged. It took about 6 months to get my plastic one.

Keep working with the FSDO and keep trying to call and track down the examiner.
Click to expand...
Wonder how long Airman Records is going to use "Sequestration" as an excuse.
It was 6 months for my plastic certificate to show up also.
 
currently processing certificates that were issued April 25th, one month is not bad at all, best I've seen and IACRA is usually quicker.

It's the NTSB I wish could do better, generally 2 years behind, though for major accidents this is fair enough, I don't know how they are resourced compared to a FSDO?
 
Is it possible to change the address even if I still have my temp? The house address that its going to be sent to will be sold within the next few weeks.
 
Andy Nguyen said:
Is it possible to change the address even if I still have my temp? The house address that its going to be sent to will be sold within the next few weeks.
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§61.60 Change of address.
The holder of a pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor certificate who has made a change in permanent mailing address may not, after 30 days from that date, exercise the privileges of the certificate unless the holder has notified in writing the FAA, Airman Certification Branch, P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125, of the new permanent mailing address, or if the permanent mailing address includes a post office box number, then the holder's current residential address.

http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/update_address/

It's easy to accomplish and is a requirement. If you want a new certificate with new address it does cost but not much.
 
Andy Nguyen said:
But my certificate number is still pending though...
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If I recall, your certificate number is your social security number until you are issued a certificate. You can check the FAA registry database to see if you've been issued a number yet. When in doubt, ask the FSDO.
 
pljenkins said:
If I recall, your certificate number is your social security number until you are issued a certificate. You can check the FAA registry database to see if you've been issued a number yet. When in doubt, ask the FSDO.
Click to expand...
SS numbers are only used if you request it to be.
It's not a requirement to put it on the 8710 anymore.
 
I don't remember having trouble getting my permanent certificate - my biggest issue was getting my money back from the VA for the course...the school even got involved to see what was going on. But I got it eventually. When it comes to trouble with government agencies, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
 
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