Who Knew: 60-Month Student Pilot Ticket?

Am I the only one who missed the news in July 2010 that the FAA nearly doubled the life of a student pilot certificate (and the third-class medical certificate) for those 40 and younger, from 36 months to 60 months?

This discovery came with a question from JetWhine Publisher Rob Mark. He sent a link to the FAA Certificated Pilots 1929-2011 page on the AOPA website and asked, “Something weird about student starts here. Are they adding them all together?”

The table showed 72,280 active student tickets in 2009 and 119,119 in 2010, with an estimated 115,000 in 2011. The fine print told of the ticket’s new lifespan and said it was behind the significant increase in the student number. At first glance it seems like good news, until you see the 4,119 decline in the 2011 student estimate.

A more accurate—and telling—number  is found on the FAA website,  on Table 17 of the US Civil Airmen Statistics: Original Airmen Certificates Issued 2001-2010, a section of which is shown above. Original certificates issued is aviation’s birthrate, the number of newborn pilots joining the family. Look at the number of student, recreational, sport, and private tickets issued. The story they tell is not good for aviation’s future. Given the economy, anyone want to guess what the 2011 numbers will look like?

Missing news of the student certificate change was as vexing as the numbers. It would have grabbed my attention in any of the dozen or so aviation e-newsgrams to which I subscribe. Maybe their editors didn’t feel this was newsworthy, or they didn’t take the time to read the final rule.

The change, which also affects the third-class medical for those 40 and younger, was buried in the final rule that revised “Pilot, Flight Instructor, and Pilot School Certification” in Part 61, 91, 141, and took effect on October 20, 2009. See 61.19(b).

A Google search of “student pilot certificate” + “60 month” turned up eight hits. After looking at them, maybe I’m not the only one who missed the news. On the Pilots of American Message Board, BillTIZ was the only one who picked up on it, and noted that the FSDO wasn’t aware of the change either because it was issuing a non-medical student certificate with a 24-month lifespan.

There was a similar discussion on the StudentPilot.com Message Board, as part of a discussion on the trials and tribulations people must endure to become pilots. Pilot Medical Solutions reported the change to the third-class medical, but not the student ticket. And that is pretty much how the rest of the hits reported the change.

Upping the student ticket’s lifespan for those 40 and younger can’t hurt, but aside from the initial bump to the number of active certificates, I doubt it will have little affect on the declining pilot population. Few people today have the stoic will to withstand the rigors of flight training for two years, let alone five. — Scott Spangler