Hi. I’m from the FAA and I’m here to help you. Well, really I hope to help us both. I will not have to carry a lot of paper around, I can save money on envelopes and many stamps, I will not have to fight with the Club’s electric typewriter, and I can stop carrying around a six-pack of whiteout. I, as the FAA Designated Pilot Examiner am going to use the FAA’s IACRA software for all pilot applications in the future. Very soon the use of paper applications will be a thing of the past anyhow. So, I am going to try to make your job as a pilot applicant (Student, Private, Commercial, and Flight Instructor) a little easier. As an applicant you will be able to complete an FAA 8710-1 form (except for signature) from home or where ever you have internet access. To fill out an application you will answer a set of questions that the IACRA software will automatically transfer to an electronic FAA 8710-1 form. It will not allow you to make the typical mistakes, although it can not determine if the information you enter is accurate. It will only compare your answers to requirements for the level of application that you have specified. In the background it will access driver license, passport, and other identification methods to verify authenticity.

The process goes like this: as an applicant, or instructor first you will first have to register for IACRA on the FAA website. When the home page comes up, click on the IACRA home page tab. You will be given a number of roles to register for. When that is completed, you will answer questions and establish a user name (between 6 and 12 characters) and password (between 6 and 12 characters). The password must contain at least three of four types of characters (lower case letters, UPPER CASE LETTERS, numbers, and special characters such as @#$%^&*). The password might appears as (*IMPilot123*). When you have entered and confirmed your user name and password write them down to avoid loss of memory problems. The present plan is to have the back of the CCSC business cards printed with space for writing this information as well as an FTN # that will be issued by the FAA. Write this number down as well. You will need this information forever (at least as long as you plan to fly). At this point you will have finished registering.

The next step is to log onto the IACRA system using your user name, password, and FTN #. As an applicant you will start the application using a dropdown that will identify you as an applicant. Then answer all of the questions presented. The results will be automatically entered into an electronic 8710-1 after entering the type of certificate desired. If, you are an applicant for any certificate except student the type of aircraft to be used will be requested and a dropdown will be presented where you can identify the aircraft type. You will now be asked the category and class certificate. Note that at the top of the screen there are 6 numbered tabs. As the data in them is completed a check mark will be presented in the tab. Otherwise an x will show in the tab. Also note that there is an FAA presentation in M/S PowerPoint format that covers all of this information. When the information for a tab section is complete and a check mark appears. click the next tab to continue. When all of the tabbed sections are complete you can print a copy of the 8710-1 (it will state at the top – unofficial). When the application has been accepted an application ID# will be issued. Write this number down. At this point an applicant must contact the RI (recommending instructor) for the practical test recommendation.

To recommend an applicant the RI will log into the IACRA system using his/her user name and password and then selects “retrieve application” from the green RI menu. The RI then enters the applicants FTN # and clicks the “find application” button. The RI then selects the appropriate application clicks “continue”. An RI’s checklist appears and the RI performs the required steps. The RI can reset the application if incorrect data is found that must be corrected by the applicant. Note that as each checklist step is completed a check mark appears next to the checklist step. When all steps are complete, the RI clicks the “sign 8710” step. The RI can now either preview the application again or “sign” the application. To sign, the RI clicks the yellow link as shown on the 8710. The application is now ready for me, the Designated Examiner.

A similar process takes place for the practical test. Naturally the applicant must meet me and I will guide the rest of the process.

This sounds like a long drawn out process and reading it is. Once registered and an application is entered, the process proceeds relatively quickly.

If trouble is encountered the IACRA help number is 1-866-285-7272. My questions have been most quickly addressed by calling on my cell phone so that I can enter information while talking to the help desk.