Originally Posted by DufusMcDufe
Not saying that I'm in the same boat (program was too structured *bleh*), but if a pilot was in that situation, how would you remedy it? Get the hours and take a 709? Or a regular checkride? Or could you get the hours and be qualified to hold the certificate from thence forth?
There's a story of an American Airlines captain that was transitioning to a new aircraft several years ago. At the time, the FAA was on a kick (still are) to review all log books for completion of the aeronautical requirements for all certificates and ratings. When the FAA inspector reviewed his logbooks, they found him short on some cross country requirement for the commercial. They "pulled" his ATP and Commercial, made him rent an airplane (the story is he rented a 172), fly the cross country, and then rescheduled his checkride for the transition. Whether this story is true or embellished, I don't know.
However, when it happened at our flight school, the checkride would stop, the missing aeronautical event would be completed, the checkride rescheduled, and on successful completion, all certificates and ratings restored. I think the FAA has been out covering the mistakes of DPE's with this "unofficial" policy. It happened to me. I was missing my instructor's signature for my two hour VFR night cross country for my Commercial. When I went for my CFI, it was caught before the checkride started when the DPE reviewed my logbook. I went out the next night, completed the flight with the instructor, rescheduled, and successfully passed my CFI. I was "warned" not to exercise the privileges of my commercial certificate until I completed the flight.