B727DRVR

Hey Everyone,

I've posted on this subject here before, and have followed the advice, but now have a few more questions.

Recovering from cancer and being out of flying for over a year and a half, I decided to get all my ducks in a row to get another flying job. So I sent a request for my "Complete" Airman Records file back in October and just received it yesterday, along with a $7.50 bill for copy fee. So that's great! I'll be receiving my accident/incident file and medical file separately... I already received the one page letter with the 0 accident/incident/violations and list of my ratings and medical certificates held.

But here's the bummer part: I'm a 3 out of 4 time loser, with 3 out of 4 companies ending up in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. So when I opened up my "Complete" Airman file, there were only my Rating Checkrides with the FAA and NONE of the many Part 135 and Part 121 Checkrides that I took over the last 23 years of flying! My last Chief Pilot stated that my former company never responded to the PRIA request for all of us pilots that flew there.

So, any ideas on how to get proof of taking all those many initial and recurrent checkrides (None of them resulted in a type rating other than B-727 SIC)? It would be nice to be able to get all those training records from my former bankrupt companies... But how?

You out there, Rickair? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

rickair7777

The FAA records will not includes 135/121 checkrides unless they resulted in a type rating or ATP certificate.

But you don't really need the history on recurrent training events...

1. Employers will assume you did recurrent events while employed in 121/135.
2. They will assume you passed them unless you tell them otherwise (or if PRIA indicates failures).

Regarding employers no longer in business...a larger company (ie airline) will typically have a trustee appointed to maintain records and respond to things like PRIA requests. May take some digging to find out who the trustee is, and I assume the trustee arrangement terminates after some number of years.

For a smaller company, it would be normal for records such as PRIA to no longer be available. You would not be the first pilot to be in this situation, and I'm pretty sure they'll just take you at your word if it was long ago and they have no reason to doubt you. A mitigating strategy would be to track down a former boss or even coworker from that company and use them as a reference.

The PRIA law requires new employers to ask for the records, and former employers to respond (assuming they still exist). It does not require that the new employer actually obtain all past records, they just have to ask (if there's anyone left to ask).

This sort of detail would not normally come up until after they make a job offer, so you should be in a position to explain if needed. But like I said, plenty of aviation companies have gone out of business (understatement), and plenty of us have worked for them.