Licenses vs. Certificates, Aviators vs. Pilots, This vs. That

[Mike Berg]

Hmmm! You're right....it's certificate not a license but I don't look like either of the two guys on the back (more hair and no fuzz under the nose).

[MEdwards]

Another example of aviation speak is that it seems aircraft are not "certified," they are "certificated." Does that mean they are issued a piece of paper (which allows certain things) without the "warranty" implied by the word "certified"?

[CarlOrton]

Another example of aviation speak is that it seems aircraft are not "certified," they are "certificated." Does that mean they are issued a piece of paper (which allows certain things) without the "warranty" implied by the word "certified"?

yes. The Certificate of Airworthiness.

[WLIU]

The Certificate of Airworthiness is proof that on the day that the ship rolled out of the factory, it conformed to the type desiign and the manufacturing documentation. Every day after that could have been a step towards chaos and oblivion. The signoff for the annual inspection in the aircraft and appliance logbooks says that on the date next to the signature, a certificated and authorized individual was of the opinion that the airframe and equipment met minimum standards for being an airworthy flying machine. The next day the airplane could have a parts failure and crash.

An airman's certificate is a similar document. On the date of issue an individual has demonstrated the minimum skills required for the level of certification stated. That airman's skills could start degrading to nothing the next day. But one one level its a merit badge that is a statement of achievement. Some folks collect sports trophies, other folks collect certificates and ratings. In the world of recreational activities, either is about equal.

Both Ernest Gann and Richard Bach had something to say about pilots and aviators. I think that I "get" that Bach thinks that for pilots, flying an airplane is something that they do. It is an accomplishment and honorable thing, but at the end of the day they go home to their normal pedestrian life and read the Wall Street Journal. For Aviators, flying is part of what they are. Not something left behind at the end of the work day or at the end of a trip to a fun vacation spot. His book "A Gift of Wings" illustrates this view of how people approach the activity we call flying.

Best of luck,

Wes

[Bill Greenwood]

I have been working on getting my CFI, I passed the written test, but have been a bit hit and miss about getting the rest of it done, especially the oral part. There are a lot of little rules and do dads that have very little to do with real flying and my mind has a hard time remembering the minutea. I would like to know it all well.

Anyway, I can hardly wait to be a Certificated Flight Instructor.

[WLIU]

And then you will want to be an Authorized Flight Instructor...

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

[Jim Heffelfinger]

RE Maritime connection - My USCG Master's certificate says "License" go figure......

[Hal Bryan]

According to the FAA, my pilot thingy is a certificate. But when I've flown in Canada (as PIC in Canadian-registered aircraft), I get what's called an FLVC: Foreign License Validation Certificate. So Transport Canada looks at my U.S. certificate, then gives me a certificate calling it a license (technically, "licence.")

So I have a certificate that certificates that my certificate is a license...

[Zack Baughman]

So I have a certificate that certificates that my certificate is a license...

And on that day, the Internets exploded...

[Bill Greenwood]

I looked on a British website for flight instruction and they call it a private pilot License, and as Peter Arnold says, "we (the Brits) invented the language.