FAA Urges Airmen To Change Certificate N

[Wowjack]

To help prevent acœdental theft, the FAA is urging any pilot who holds an airman certificate that uses his or her Social Security number as the certificate number to change it to a unique number. Pilots can find a request for change of certificate number format online at http://registry.faa.gov/docs/SSN_Change.pdf or request the form by calling the FAA's Airman Certification Branch at (405) 954-3261. The form gives pilots the option of allowing the FAA to use Social Security numbers internally as ID numbers or eliminating them from all FAA records although either option will prompt the agency to assign a unique number for the pilots airman certificate. It should be noted that the recently re-opened online pilot database does not list Social Security numbers or pilot certificate numbers as a matter of policy. Nevertheless, the FAA believes there is sufficient chance that such data could be gleaned from lost or stolen certificates, and this threat prompted its recommendation that pilots change their certificate numbers.

http://registry.faa.gov/docs/SSN_Change.pdf

I got this from another message board and think in spite of recent events it may a good idea.

 

[aggiepilot87]

Sounds good to me! So many people at work, the bank, school, or whatever want to use MY federal ID number (SSN) on documents, etc., it makes me really worry about ID theft. Hard to believe the FEDERAL bureaucrats want me to get away from this number! now if the boneheads in the Texas state bureacracies (sp?) would quit insisting on using my federal number with state business...

 

[diplomat]

and when are they going to place a picture on this stupid piece of paper . like this, it will be no possible to copy licenses in a copy machine.
outside of the US, all licenses have a picture, so???

 

[avbug]

Diplomat,

Did you really fly a cricri, or is that claim in the same balpark as the total hours on your tag?

Stupid paper to you. Source of my next meal to me. One man's ceiling is another mans floor. Welcome to my floor.

The option to change out the SSN for a unique number has been available for many years. (I swapped mine years ago for the very purpose of avoiding ID theft). I'm surprised more airmen don't take advantage of it.

Pictures can be copied, too. Having physical posession of a pilot certificate means very little (except that you're in violation if you fly without it, of course). Adding a picture to the certificate would do very little to reduce forgery, and certainly nothing to stop those who are serious. For a little cash, anything can be bought, almost anywhere.

 

[capnflyright]

I think they should apply pictures to the licenses as well. They can use the same technique that is being used with the new passports by applying digital pictures. These are pretty tamper proof.

 

[aero99]

Take it a step further....use the new "smart id cards" for access and starting aircraft. A code could be sent to each plane and only those pilots/crew scheduled can board, have access or fly with a swipe of their card.


It is already being used in some industries in this very manner.


Of course, who's gonna pay for?

 

[dondk]

I changed my several years ago, it's been available for at least 4 or more years. The side story to this is that 2 different FSDO's did not know how to do this nor could you do this. I found it ironic as the FRG FSDO only did it after an inspector who changed his did it for me.

I only rushed to do mine when the FAA was going to make the list public with airman numbers listed.

As for ID theft of our certificates... if someone really wanted to get an airman's number they can, unfortunately we are in the public domain. Or just take a ride with a CFI and have him sign your logbook, then you get a signature and a SS# for your pleasure. THe system is fault and I do look forward to a day that we may actual have air crew ID's that are secure.

 

[avbug]

There is no reason to go through your local FSDO to accomplish the change. All they will do is what you should have done; forward the information to Oklahoma City, Airman Certification Branch.

Forward a letter, just the same as you would if changing address, explaining your request. You'll get new certificates in short order, with a new date on them.

The only disadvantage is the lack of consolidation. Formerly, all my certificates had the same number on them. Now I have five different numbers, and have to refer to the certificates everytime I'm asked for the number of any particular one. An inconvenience, but a minor one.

 

[dondk]

your kidding, going straight to OKC?

I had to do another 8710, turn in my certificates, get tempo's and viola about 3 weeks later a new certificate with NEW dates on them came to the door.

Now I am ticked, I thought there had to be an easier way...

Yes, the multiple numbers are a pain... Heck I have had a few people in interviews ask me if I was a citizen because I was short a few numbers on my certificate!

 

[CFIPilot]

I did it at my commercial multi checkride...all I had to do was tear off a piece of paper, write something like "I, XXXX XXXX, desire to replace my current airmen certificate number, which is my SSN, and be issued a unique number in place of it". I couldn't believe it was that easy, but it worked. The problem is, the FAA utilizes your SSN to access your records. Let me explain...

After I did this, and hadn't received my certificate about two weeks before my temp expired, I called the FAA. When I told them I requested the change, the told me that when people request that, they have to issue you a "dummy" SSN that I had to copy down...can you believe that? I can, this is the government we're talking about

Anyway, a couple of days ago, my wallet was stolen (yes, I left it in the car overnight, something I almost never do!!!). So I called the FAA to get the temporary faxed version of my certs (I'm a CFI and really needed them), and they had a hard time finding me in the computer. It turned out that it was because I didn't give them that dummy SSN. I hope that they change that, because if they don't, we'll all be carrying those temps for a lot longer than the 110 days that it seems it always takes them to deliver my real ones. Meanwhile, if they give you the same type of number, put it in a safe place. I hope they come up with something better, but until then, KNOW it!

BTW, when I first became a pilot, I couldn't believe that my SSN was used as my cert number...and that was "the way it is done". The reason I made the change last summer was because of identity theft, which seems to be no big deal until it happens to you. Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe the Federal law states that the only time you are req'd to give your SSN is on your Federal tax returns, or to claim benefits. I don't give that number to anyone, and when I tell them that, they always say OK.