Many new and aspiring students ask the following question: do you only have US and Canada licenses, and how can I get an ICAO license? Such questions stem from fundamental misunderstanding of what is an “ICAO Pilot License”. Lets delve into the topic, so that we can explain to you as thoroughly as possible what it is, how to get it, and what are the “differences” between the FAA, TCCA and ICAO licenses.
Historical Development in the United States:
The history of pilot certifications in the United States dates back to the early days of aviation. In the early 20th century, as aviation technology advanced, there was a pressing need for standardized qualifications for pilots. The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 laid the foundation for the regulatory framework, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was established to oversee civil aviation. Over time, the CAA evolved into the FAA, and regulations governing pilot certifications became more comprehensive and stringent.
ICAO and International Standards
The International Civil Aviation Organization, founded in 1944, is a specialized agency of the United Nations. ICAO was established to set international standards and regulations for civil aviation. The organization’s Annex 1, titled “Personnel Licensing,” outlines global standards for pilot licensing, ensuring a harmonized approach to aviation safety and operational standards across countries. Member states, including the United States, align their national regulations with ICAO standards to facilitate international air travel.
So, as you can see, there is no such thing as an “ICAO License”. Pilot licenses are never issued by ICAO. ICAO is just an organization which invigilates the international standards of pilot training. It has no authority to issue any pilot licenses, no authority to extend them or revoke them. It’s similar to the UN: country members of the UN are members of the United Nations on the volunteer basis. UN, as organization, can not physically make any of its members to do anything against their will. ICAO follows the same logic: counties join ICAO and, to the best of their abilities, promise to observe ICAO pilot licensing standards when they issue licenses to their pilots. But the licenses are always issued by the member states civil aviation authorities, and never by the ICAO itself.
All the Pilot licenses issued by the ICAO-member states are ICAO pilot licenses.
(see the full list of member-states below)
FAA Pilot Certifications
The FAA issues pilot certificates in accordance with Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), particularly Part 61 and Part 141. The certificates include Student Pilot, Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, and Airline Transport Pilot. Each certificate has specific eligibility requirements, training hours, and aeronautical knowledge tests. The FAA’s emphasis on safety and a thorough understanding of aeronautics ensures that pilots meet high standards before taking command of aircraft.
ICAO Pilot Certifications
ICAO’s Annex 1 sets forth global standards for the issuance of pilot licenses. Member states align their certification processes with these standards to enable cross-border recognition. ICAO mandates that pilot licenses include key information such as the type of aircraft authorized, any limitations, and ratings, thereby ensuring transparency and clarity in international operations.
Differences between FAA and ICAO Certifications
While both FAA and ICAO certifications share common principles, differences exist in terms of documentation and specific requirements. One notable difference is the inclusion of a Type Rating by the FAA, which is specific to certain complex or high-performance aircraft. ICAO, on the other hand, focuses on broader categories without the detailed type-specific endorsements found in FAA certifications.
Another distinction lies in the specific regulations and training syllabi each authority mandates. The FAA’s regulatory structure is unique to the United States, whereas ICAO provides a framework that member states adapt to their individual needs.
Best way to obtain pilot certificates and ratings
A lot of aspiring pilots do not know how to obtain the licenses and rating. Well, the best way to do so is by enrolling into an integrated, comprehensive, fully-encompassing flight training and internship program, which will take you from Zero experience level to a full, unrestricted ATP license, preparing you to become airline employment ready. This way, your training will be fast, cost-efficient, focused and career-oriented: exactly what the airlines want to see at the interview.
Achieving your licenses on the “Pay-as-you-go” basis for an aspiring airline pilot is not advisable. It’s a type of training where student achieves a licenses or rating by taking 1-2 classes peer week and pay for each class separately. Also, it is called “modular” training, when a foreign student comes to the US or Canada to complete one license and rating, then goes home, then comes back. Such strategy will not allow you to progress through your training quickly and cost-efficiently (you will forger a lot of information and skills that you have acquired, if you take big pauses throughout your training) and you will not be able to qualify for the pilot internship in the US or Canada after the training is over. So, the integrated program for international students (or Indian students) is the only recommended way to acquire professional pilot licenses.
Changing from one country to another
First of all we need to note that only ICAO licenses can be converted to other ICAO licenses. And the conversion process is not standardized. This means that each aviation authority might add some nuances to each license conversion process. However, in most cases, license conversion involves the following stages:
- License Verification – to ensure that your paper license is not fake, not suspended, not expired, etc. This normally involves one aviation authority directly contacting another and asking for verification document.
- Medical issuance – a pilot seeking a new licenses always needs to pass a Class 1 medical in the country where he is seeking the license from.
- Passage of theoretical exams – to ensure that you level of aviation knowledge is on the same level as other pilots licensed in this country try
- Passage of practical exams – they are called “check-rides”; and they are required to ensure that your flying skills meet the requested certification requirements.
What if you are issued a pilot license by the FAA (USA) and you want to fly for, let’s say, Emirates Airlines, which is located in the UAE? Well, you will have two options, depending on the airline.
Option 1: Flying on a license validation. License validation is a special supplement to your foreign pilot license (in our case – FAA), which authorizes you to fly an aircraft registered in a local country (in our case – UAE) for specific purposes (in this case – when you fly Emirates fleet for Emirates Airlines). Normally, such validations are valid for 6-12 months, and the local aviation authority would normally require a pilot to get a full local ATPL.
Option 2: Getting your licenses converted into the license issued by the local aviation authority. This is the normal requirement for most foreign airlines. The good news are – its easy! If you already have passed the FAA ATP exams and posses a required level of knowledge, passing the UAE ATP exams would not be a problem. Also, you will need to pass the practical exams. But the practical exams will be done on a specific type of a jet that you will be assigned to fly. Therefore, you will have extensive training on this jet’s simulator, before you are required to pass the ATP check-ride exams.
Types of Pilot Certificates
Now, that we have established the basic understanding of ICAO licenses, the differences between ICAO and FAA licenses and how they work, lets get into the types of licenses and ratings.
- Student Pilot Certificate:
- Description: Issued to individuals undergoing flight training, normally, right after they pass the medical examination.
- Use: Allows the holder to fly an aircraft under the supervision of an authorized flight instructor.
- Qualification Requirements: Minimum age of 16 for powered aircraft and 14 for gliders and balloons. Must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English.
- Private Pilot Certificate:
- Description: Basic level allowing for non-commercial flight.
- Use: Allows the holder to act as pilot-in-command of an aircraft carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire.
- Qualification Requirements: Minimum age of 17, hold at least a third-class medical certificate, log specific flight hours, and pass a written and practical test. Requires at least 40-45 hours of training and solo flight time.
- Commercial Pilot Certificate:
- Description: Allows the holder to be compensated for piloting services.
- Use: Permits the pilot to act as pilot-in-command of an aircraft for compensation.
- Qualification Requirements: Minimum age of 18, hold at least a second-class medical certificate, meet specific flight hour requirements, and pass a written and practical test. Requires at least 200 hours of training flight and sim time.
- Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate
- Description: Highest level of pilot certification.
- Use: Authorizes the holder to act as pilot-in-command of an aircraft for an airline.
- Qualification Requirements: Minimum age of 23, hold a first-class medical certificate, meet specific flight hour requirements, and pass a written and practical test. Requires at least 1500 hours of total flight time.
There are some variations to the CPL and ATPL certifications issued by ICAO countries. For example, some developing countries (like Russia, China Iran, etc) issue CPL licenses after only 150 hours of training. This is below the accepted ICAO standards of 200 hours. This is why USA, Canada, EU and so on, issue CPL license after at least 200 hours of training. Further, ATP licenses are divided into “Unrestricted”, “Restricted” and “Frozen”.
Unrestricted and Restricted are North-American terminology in reference to ATP licenses issue to pilots who have logged less than 1500 hours of total flight time, because North America requires a pilot to log at least 1500 hours of flight time for a full ATPL; but in some cases, when a CPL pilot holds a BSc degree in Aviation Science from an accredited US Aviation University, tan ATPL can be issued after 1000 hours; and if a CPL holder is a former US military pilot, an ATPL can be issued after 750 hours; despite that, the restricted ATPL holder will not be allowed to act as Pilot-in-Command of in any North American airline until he/she reaches 1500 hours of flight time.
Similarly, in the EU (“EASA” Aviation Authority), a pilot can get a “Frozen ATPL” instead of a CPL. A Frozen ATPL is not recognized in North America and most other ICAO countries as an actual or restricted ATPL, but it is recognized as a basic CPL. (Confused? Get used to it – that’s normal when it comes to the aviation regulations!) In the EU, a pilot needs to decide, which career route he wants to take: working for an airline or working for a charter company. If he wants to work for an airline, he would need to pass 14 ATPL exams and, only after 200 hours of training, be eligible for an “ATPL Frozen” EASA license; if he wants to fly for a charter company, he would need to pass 6 CPL exams, and be eligible for an EASA CPL license after 200 hours. So, naturally, 99% of licenses in the EU are issued as Frozen ATPL, and not as CPL. A “Frozen” EASA ATPL “unfreezes” and becomes “Unrestricted” when a pilot logs 1500 hours.
Types of Pilot Ratings
Ok, now, when we are “clear” on the type of pilot licenses, let’s get into the type of pilot ratings. Pilot ratings are considered to be “add-ons” to the licenses. For example, an initial PPL license is issued as a license for a single-engine airplane, which is called a “airplane single-engine land”, or “ASEL”, and an “add-on” to operate a multi-engine airplane would be called “Airplane multi-engine land” (AMEL). Similarly, an add-on to fly in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) could be added; such add-on is called “Instrument Rating” (IR). If this add-on is added to an AMEL add-on, it would allow a pilot to fly a multi-engine airplane in the IMC.
Here is the list of all the possible PPL and ATPL airplane licenses ratings:
- Instrument Rating (IR)
- Description: Allows pilots to operate under instrument flight rules (IFR).
- Use: Enables flight in low-visibility conditions and provides a higher level of safety and flexibility.
- Qualification Requirements: Hold at least a private pilot certificate, log specific instrument flight hours, and pass a written and practical test.
- Single-engine rating (ASEL/ASES)
- Description: Authorizes pilots to operate aircraft with one engine.
- Use: Essential for those aspiring to fly any single-engine aircraft.
- Qualification Requirements: Automatically issued to the basic PPL, when training was completed on a single-engine airplane. ASEL is for Airplane Single-engine Land, and ASES is for Airplane Single-Engine Sea (for a seaplane).
- Multi-Engine rating (AMEL/AMES)
- Description: Issued as an add-on to PPL or CPL or ATPL allowing pilots to fly airplanes with more than one engine (any number).
- Use: Essential for all the pilots who are aspiring to fly professionally.
- Qualification Requirements: Satisfy the requirements for multi-engine rating (normally, 5 hours). AMEL is for Airplane Multi-engine Land, and AMES is for Airplane Multi-Engine Sea (for a seaplane).
- Flight Instructor Rating (CFI)
- Description: Authorizes the holder to provide flight instruction. Flight instructor rating can be issued with other ratings on top of it, such as Multi-Engine Instructor (MEI) and instrument rating (CFII)
- Use: Enables pilots to share their knowledge and experience with student pilots, work as flight instructors.
- Qualification Requirements: Hold at least a commercial pilot certificate, meet specific flight hour requirements, and pass a written and practical test (normally 25 hours of additional training on top of CPL qualifications).
- Type-rating (TR)
- Description: Required for pilots to act as pilot-in-command of certain large or complex aircraft with MTOW (maximum takeoff weight) exceeding 12500 lb or 5.7 tonnes; or any jet.
- Use: Necessary for those flying aircraft that require a type rating.
- Qualification Requirements: Satisfy the requirements for the ATP certificate, including specific flight hour requirements, and pass a written and practical test specific to the type of aircraft.
Frequent questions
- Do I need an Instrument rating for an ATP license? No, you don’t, because, unlike a CPL, ATPL can not be issued without an instrument rating. It can be issued with a single engine rating, or a multi-engine rating, or both, but it can not be issued as a VFR (visual flight rules) licenses only.
- Can I have a type-rating on my PPL? Yes, you can. You can attach all the existing ratings to your PPL, except for the instructor rating. So, you can have a PPL with a Single-engine sea ratings, Multi-engine land rating, Instrument rating, and an Airbus A380 type-rating. (Of course, no operator will let you fly an A380 with a PPL certificate, unless you actually own a personal A380).
- If I buy a small very light jet with MTOW under 12500 lb, do I need a type rating? Yes, you do. Any jet, no matter how small, requires a type rating.
Full list of the ICAO member states
Is YOUR country a member of ICAO? Here is the full list:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, State of Palestine, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.