FAA MCA - Military Competance Airplane

[pjxc415]

For any newly minted aviators out there, or older guys looking to get their commercial with instrument privileges.... I just took the FAA test. It is called the MCA (Military Competance Airplane). Here is a link for the gouge .... http://www.coastalbendaviation.com/militarycompetencyexam.html .... go to the site, download the "updated gouge," look over it twice, and go take the test. 50 questions, took me no more than 10 minutes. For fixed wing guys you will get your commercial license with an instrument rating, and I think rotary guys get commercial with instrument prvileges but are restricted from taking passengers for hire beyond a 50nm radius of origin airport.

http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/airmen/media/test_centers.pdf .... Here is a link for testing centers around the country by state.

Best,

PJ

 

[Pepe]

We can take pax as well. The 50nm restriction only comes into play if you have a Commercial ticket without the Instrument stamp.

 

[squorch2]

Rotary guys get single-engine land and rotary commercial and instrument ratings so long as you last flew in the T-34/T-6 within a year of your competency exam.

 

[pjxc415]

thanks for the correction, wasn't sure

 

[Pepe]

Rotary guys get single-engine land and rotary commercial and instrument ratings so long as you last flew in the T-34/T-6 within a year of your competency exam.

Not the case anymore. We get the commercial for the single-engine land and rotary, but only get the instrument rating for the rotary.

 

[squorch2]

Wonder what changed - the FARs or their interpretation?

 

[usmarinemike]

Does the ground, sim, and flight time in primary BIs/RIs meet the FAA requirements to take the FAA instrument checkride? My FAR/AIM is a little old so I'm not sure it's right. If I get helos (assuming I get through primary) I'm thinking I'll fork out the cash for the instrument airplane rating between primary and advanced while I have a little time to get hands on the plane I'll be taking the checkride in and the material is still fresh.

 

[Gatordev]

Does the ground, sim, and flight time in primary BIs/RIs meet the FAA requirements to take the FAA instrument checkride? My FAR/AIM is a little old so I'm not sure it's right. If I get helos (assuming I get through primary) I'm thinking I'll fork out the cash for the instrument airplane rating between primary and advanced while I have a little time to get hands on the plane I'll be taking the checkride in and the material is still fresh.

I think a possible hurdle would be that none of that time was received by a CFII (or very little of it was). Your fleet instrument check will count towards your FAA instrument currency "check" (I forget how the FAA words that flight), but that's only after you have your instrument rating.

 

[xmid]

Aren't all military instructor pilots now able to take a Military comp test to get their CFI? Since the FAA now views military instructor pilots in the same light as civilian CFI's wouldn't that mean your instruction from them should count as instruction from a CFI? It seems wierd that the FAA would recognize the level of training we recieve when its completed, but not recognize it on an hourly basis.

 

[insanebikerboy]

I think a possible hurdle would be that none of that time was received by a CFII (or very little of it was). Your fleet instrument check will count towards your FAA instrument currency "check" (I forget how the FAA words that flight), but that's only after you have your instrument rating.

Additionally, wouldn't an individual also have to have a rating to begin with? I.e., a private license, before they could apply any time towards an instrument rating?

 

[BACONATOR]

For any newly minted aviators out there, or older guys looking to get their commercial with instrument privileges.... I just took the FAA test. It is called the MCA (Military Competance Airplane). Here is a link for the gouge .... http://www.coastalbendaviation.com/militarycompetencyexam.html .... go to the site, download the "updated gouge," look over it twice, and go take the test. 50 questions, took me no more than 10 minutes. For fixed wing guys you will get your commercial license with an instrument rating, and I think rotary guys get commercial with instrument prvileges but are restricted from taking passengers for hire beyond a 50nm radius of origin airport.

http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/airmen/media/test_centers.pdf .... Here is a link for testing centers around the country by state.

Best,

PJ

Just to nitpick. You get helo commercial and helo instrument. Airplane commercial, but NO airplane instrument. Hence the commercial restriction beyond 50nm or at night.

 

[squorch2]

I think you guys are getting boned by the FAA - on my license it says "Commercial Pilot Airplane Single Engine Land; Rotorcraft-Helicopter; Instrument Airplane and Helicopter" and I took the exam back in 2006.

 

[BACONATOR]

I think you guys are getting boned by the FAA - on my license it says "Commercial Pilot Airplane Single Engine Land; Rotorcraft-Helicopter; Instrument Airplane and Helicopter" and I took the exam back in 2006.

We ARE getting boned, but that's because of a recent change to the FARs. About 6 months before me, guys were get IA. That's now not the case. You need to have an instrument checkout (read: NATOPS instrument rating) in a military aircraft to get the civilian ticket. We never get that in primary, so we don't get IA. It's completely asinine, but that's the case.

 

[ryan1234]

Call me crazy but the FAA is not infallible. Part 61 says this about military aviators wanting an instrument rating. A rated military aviatior:


(1) Passed an instrument proficiency check by a U.S. Armed Force in the aircraft category for the instrument rating sought; and (2) Received authorization from a U.S. Armed Force to conduct IFR flights on Federal airways in that aircraft category and class for the instrument rating sought.

If that is part of what you've done in a fixed wing aircraft why not try to get them to add it on.

 

[C420sailor]

Call me crazy but the FAA is not infallible. Part 61 says this about military aviators wanting an instrument rating. A rated military aviatior:


(1) Passed an instrument proficiency check by a U.S. Armed Force in the aircraft category for the instrument rating sought; and (2) Received authorization from a U.S. Armed Force to conduct IFR flights on Federal airways in that aircraft category and class for the instrument rating sought.

If that is part of what you've done in a fixed wing aircraft why not try to get them to add it on.

You don't do a legit NATOPS instrument check in the T-34/T-6 unless you're an IP. In Primary it's usually just a departure, point-to-point, a few turns in holding, and three approaches (LOC, TACAN/VOR, PAR).