Recently, many FAA licence holders were having their FC05 application delayed. If you read my earlier post about the forms you need to submit, you will understand that the FC05 is for foreign licence holders to have their foreign licence verified and to receive a Certificate of Validation (COV) so that these foreign licence holders are allowed to exercise their pilot privileges in a Singapore registered aircraft. This is needed before you can complete your Aircraft Type Rating requirements.
The problem in recent months is that CAAS has been unable to get official verification about the validity of the FCC radio licence. Knowing this, you could sit back and wait for weeks, or even months, for things to move along, or you can help yourself by helping CAAS get the required verification.
While FCC does have a online verification tool where any one in the world is able to key in a licence number and instantly see the name of the licence holder, CAAS says that the tool is not a “proper process of verification”. What CAAS needs is an email reply from FCC confirming the authenticity of your FCC licence. So here’s how you can help CAAS get the required email reply from FCC.
Upon submission of your FC05 to CAAS, give them a few days (about 5 working days) before doing a follow up with the CAAS officer.
If the CAAS officer confirms that your application is delayed because they were unable to get FCC verification, get verbal confirmation from the CAAS officer if CAAS would be ok if you halp get the email verification and forward them the email.
If the officer says ok, proceed with the rest of the instructions below.
Visit esupport.fcc.gov
Click on “Contact FCC support”
Click on “submit eSupport request”
Click on “Submit a help request”
Provide as much details about yourself, include your licence number and your date of birth in the “Problem Description”. Say something like
“Hi, I hold a FCC licence FRN XXXXXXX. My last name is [Last name], first name is [first name] and my date of birth is [DOB]. As part of my airline pilot application in Singapore, and as part of my Licence conversion for my FCC ATP, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) requires an email reply from FCC about the validity of my licence FRN XXXXXXX. Will it be possible for me to get an email reply from FCC, certifying that my Licence FRN XXXXXXX is valid and issued to [your name]”
Submit the form.
You should get a reply very quickly (I got the reply on the same day). Take note of the time difference between Singapore and USA. The email should say something along the lines of “The FCC does have an active/lifetime RL – Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit-Limited Use licence on file for [your name”]”. The email will follow on to explain how you can retrieve the licence at the following URL wireless.fcc.gov/uls
Follow the instructions and in the email and print in PDF the verification.
Forward the email, attached with the PDF that you printed earlier, to your CAAS officer.
Call the CAAS officer about the email verification that you sent and ask if that’s good enough a verification.
That should do it!
