FAA Commercial License

To get your Commercial License with Airplane Single Engine Land, Rotorcraft Helicopter, and Instrument Airplane and Helicopter ratings just follow these steps:

As of June 14th, 2011:


 * Take the Military Competency Exam - Helicopters (Code: MCH)...$150. This test is administered by LaserGrade at various flight schools. The two closest to Whiting Field are Peter Prince Airport in Milton and Pensacola Aviation (850-434-9728 ext 120). Call LaserGrade at (800)211-2753 to set up an appointment or just call the school.  Study the test gouge a few times, then bring your driver's license (and a piece of mail with your current address and name if it is not on your driver's license). The test takes 30 minutes max and you only need a 70 to pass.

1. Go to the IACRA website
 * Set up your IACRA account (Pensacola Aviation will offer to help you, but the info here is current and free):

2. Click on "register".

3. Under "Applicant", check "applicant", then click "Next" to set up your user profile information.

4. Skip "Certificate Information", complete "Personal Information", then click "Register".

5. Log in then click on "Start New Application".

6. Use the menus to select: Type of application -> pilot; Certifications -> commercial pilot -> standard -> military competency -> original issue

7. Click "Start Application"

8. Enter Personal Information: fill in all your info, minus the SSN. Click 'DO NOT USE.'

9. Certificate Sought page: Make sure it says commercial pilot, standard, military competency, original issuance. Then click "click here to enter the military service information". Enter your info. Date Rated is your winging date. For Service Number enter DO NOT USE (if that doesn't work you'll have to use your SSN, but the intent is not use your SSN anywhere). Click 'Yes' to all three questions, and put your primary and advanced aircraft in both of the blanks (e.g. T-34, TH-57). Click 'OK'.

10. Click "click here to select the category/class ratings." Select AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND, INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE AND HELICOPTER, AND ROTORCRAFT HELICOPTER. Then click 'OK'

11. Certificate held page: Click 'Yes' to "Do you now hold or have you ever held an FAA pilot Certificate?" Then enter your student certificate under "Click here to EDIT US Standard Pilot Certificate information." (Enter the number on your IFS student pilot certificate without dashes.)

12. Supplemental Data Page: Click 'Yes' to "Do you hold a Medical Certificate?" Put in the date and doctor's name as it appears on your certificate (including DO or MD), and click 'Third.' Click 'No-Yes-No' to the last three questions.

13. Aeronautical Experience page: Click 'Next' at the bottom. No need to edit the spreadsheet or add hours.

14. Summary page: review all the information to make sure everything is correct. Click 'Submit' and MAKE SURE YOU WRITE DOWN THE APPLICATION "FTN" NUMBER.


 * Go to the nearest FSDO (Flight Standards District Office). However, do not go to the one in Alabama, that's where the mil examiner from Pensacola Aviation is from (Jack Omer)! Make sure to set up an appointment with the military examiner ahead of time. Update August 2011, if you're heading to San Diego or Pendleton do not waste your time going to the FSDO in Houston or San Antonio.  The Houston FSDO says San Antonio doesn't do certifications anymore and Houston thinks you have to take both the helo Milcomp and the fixed wing Milcomp exams, despite having the 85% the same questions.  I tried to argue that we get both fixed and helo instrument ratings in Pensacola and at Miramar and I was told some offices do it differently.  I replied that what he meant to say was that the Flight Standards District Office don't hold a standard, he didn't like it.  After 30 minutes of arguing I walked out with a commercial instrument helo certification, but no fixed wing.  The Miramar FSDO does it for free and they've done it for Naval Aviators hundreds of times. Go to them, it's quick and painless and you don't have to argue about getting your fixed wing rating.  Bring your Naval Aviator designation documents, a copy of your standard instrument rating form (Your NATOPS jacket), the original military helicopter competency exam, and your logbook.  They will have you fill out some paperwork (the San Diego Office didn't even want any IACRA details) and you will be out the door within 30 minutes with your FAA Commercial 'Airplane Single Engine Land' 'Rotorcraft Helicopter' and 'Instrument Airplane and Helicopter' rating.


 * Call Jack Omer (if you want to be a sucker) and schedule an appointment with him at least a few days after you take the exam (at his house in Pensacola, usually Tuesdays between 3:30-4:30). Tell him you've already set up your IACRA account. Bring: Military Competency Exam printout, military logbook (doesn't need IFS logbook), driver's license, FTN number for IACRA, your designation certificate (the one with the gold seal), your IACRA login ID and password, and an $80 check. It takes about 30 min. I would recommend only doing this if you aren't going to be near an FAA FSDO other than the one in Alabama within the next month or so. This guy is pulling a scam on all the aviators who wing out of the Pensacola area and charging them $80 for something that most any FAA FSDO office will do for free.


 * Also make sure that after you take the military competency exam that you have all your paperwork signed off by the FAA within 1 year of your T-34 Instrument Check Ride (as will be verified when you bring in your logbook) or you do not get your fixed wing instrument rating, only helicopter instrument.

-- Miscellaneous Notes:


 * "Complex" (variable pitch prop and retractable landing gear) and "high performance" (over 200 hp) aren't actually ratings and are not reflected on airmen certificates; the fact that you have logged time and a sign-off for PIC in a complex/high perf a/c in your logbook is enough to fly a similar type a/c as a civilian commercial pilot.


 * If you want help setting up your IACRA account, call Steve Giles at Pensacola Regional. All you need is your Third Class Medical Certificate from IFS. It should be inside your IFS logbook. If not, no worries. Just tell Steve, and when you meet with him, he'll help you get the information you need. (It takes maybe 5 extra minutes and a phone call to the FAA.) When you're done copy your FTN number, not your application id. (If you forget, it should also be in the email the FAA sends you.) You'll need it for the next step. It takes 30 min to an hour. $30


 * Take the Military Competency Exam - Helicopters (Code: MCH). Verify you're taking the Helicopter version of the test (Code: MCH). I recommend taking the test soon after your instrument check ride before data dumping all that instrument knowledge.


 * Here's the test gouge the multi-engine kids use at Corpus. Use the "Official gouge" link and you'll be fine.


 * After you wing, if you take leave or enroute to your next duty station go to the nearest FSDO (Flight Standards District Office). However, do not go to the one in Alabama, that's where the mil examiner from Pensacola Aviation is from! Make sure to set up an appointment with the military examiner ahead of time. Bring your Naval Aviator designation documents, a copy of your standard instrument rating form, and your logbook.  I did not need it, but as a safeguard, bring copies of your instrument check ride ATFs from both primary and advanced.  Cost of signoff: FREE.  (I suggest bringing him a case of beer, just don't bring it inside the FAA building, they have some rule against that!) [ gouge verified 8/20/2010, verified at the San Diego FAA Office 8/11/2011 ]


 * So I just gave in to the easy way out, and took the Pensacola Aviation route. I'm not really happy with that decision, and I paid for it... literally...  The "review session" is two hours of an old marine (at least a really funny, politically incorrect, old marine), going through 200 slides.  Each slide contains one of the review questions already listed under Coastal Aviation's Gouge test gouge page.  So I paid $125 for someone to read me slides at 0800 on a Saturday morning, slides that are readily available to me anyway....[ verified again as of 8/20/2010, not worth the $$$ ]


 * The test is easy. Easy is an understatement actually.  The test is REALLY easy.  From the time I sat down at the testing computer to the time I walked out, the entire event was 14 minutes.  I spent more time on the sample questions and the end of test critique than I did on the test itself.  I got a 98%...


 * When I began to study the gouge I didn't think the test was easy at all. Lots of info that military aviators don't review or is different than OPNAV. I found an interactive test prep for free at http://www.webexams.com/welcome/index It's the same questions as the gouge and helped me a lot more than just the gouge.


 * I scheduled and took the test at Peter Prince. Studied the above gouge and made a 94%. You only have to make a 70% to pass. Short drive, no hassle, $150 FAA fee.

Note: IACRA is only used in Pensacola. I paid $30 to set up an account with Jack Omar in Pensacola only to get to the FAA Field Office in San Diego to have them make me fill out the same paperwork with pen and paper because they didn't know how to do it through IACRA.
 * Register with IACRA to submit an application. You get an FTN# which allows an FAA examiner (i.e. Jack Omer) to access your application, review the material and sign it online. Everything is done on IACRA.


 * If anyone is getting stationed on the west coast for a period of time the FAA examiner at Miramar will do it for free.


 * Omer and Pensacola Aviation have a real scam - Omer will charge you $150 to set up your IACRA account, and Pensacola Aviation charges $30. Meanwhile, they don't tell you that you can easily do it yourself.


 * If you've lost your IFS student certificate and/or medical certificate, call 405-954-4821, ext. 1. to get the status of your certificate and your examiner's name.