23 for the ATP

[Cardinal]

FAR 61.153 states that an ATP applicant must be at least 23 years of age. On another thread, somebody mentioned the possibility of obtaining a waiver from this requirement. Is this fairly routine? Or do you have to have a friendly inspector from a friendly FSDO? I researched the Inspectors Handbook and found one mention of a "letter of Aeronautical Competency" but I'm not really sure what that is. Has anybody done this?

http://www2.faa.gov/avr/afs/faa/8700/

 

[pilotyip]

Check ride

You can take the ATP check ride before you turn 23, but the Feds will not let you exercise the privileges of an ATP until after your 23rd birthday. You will get slip of paper that says you are qualified to be an ATP pilot except for age, and when you turn 23 you go to the feds and they give you your ATP certificate.

 

[pilotyip]

could be

I only know what I see on paper, we hired a 22 yr old pilot with a Comm cert and a piece of paper that said when he turned 23 he could get an ATP by walking over to the Feds and asking for it. Maybe things have changed, I have not seen it since 2000.

 

[Cardinal]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm not sure that the few days potentially saved is sufficient to justify the hassle, or how you'd convey the idea that one posseses an "almost ATP" ticket.

 

[msw]

Pre-23 "Almost ATP Letter"

Once upon a time, it was very easy to "convey" that you were an "almost ATP". I was 21 or 22 when I took my ATP checkride, took it at the same time I took a 135 checkride in a Chieftain. As I recall, the ride was the same as any other IFR 6 mo 135 checkride, but there were some additional (different) questions on the oral. When it was over, I got my 135 letter AND an official FAA letter on a separate piece of paper that basically said I had passed all the requirements for the ATP and bring this piece of paper to any GADO, FSDO etc on 23rd birthday, and they'd issue the ATP ticket on the spot. And that is exactly what I did. And until my 23rd birthday, I had that piece of paper to show any prospective employer that I had an "almost ATP". However, all this was over 25 years ago, and I have since heard that the practice is no longer allowed.

 

[capnflyright]

Been there and tried that. They no longer have the waiver available and that's been 3 years ago.