Nigerian pilot Caleb Okechukwu Chukwuemeka has been included on the prestigious US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airmen Certification Database after setting high standards in his flying.
Regarded as one of the highest honors an airman can have in the US, addition to the FAA database does to pilots who excel is several areas of their profession and the list is published n the agency's website www.faa.gov. Mr Chukwuemeka and other certified pilots who were recently added, were adjudged to have met or exceeded the high educational, licensing and medical standards established by the FAA.
In the US, certification standards have evolved over time in an attempt to reduce pilot errors that lead to fatal crashes. FAA standards, which are set in consultation with the aviation industry and the public, are among the highest in the world.
Transportation safety experts strongly recommend against flying with an non-certified pilot and FAA pilot certification can be the difference between a safe flight and one that ends in tragedy. Recently, the FAA announced that is it increasing the qualification requirements for co-pilots who fly for US passenger and cargo airlines.
These requirements mandate additional minimum flight time and training, as well as aircraft specific training. According to the FAA, the new regulations stem in part from the crash of Colgan Air 3407 in February 2009.
US transportation secretary Anthony Foxx, said: “Safety will be my overriding priority as secretary, so I am especially pleased to mark my first week by announcing a rule that will help us maintain our unparalleled safety record. We owe it to the traveling public to have only the most qualified and best trained pilots.”
At the moment, the FAA offers a variety of pilots licenses and certificates, each with a different set of privileges. These levels include student, recreational, sport, private, commercial and airline transport pilot.
Pilots with a student pilot certification are not permitted to fly solo and are barred from carrying passengers, while sport pilot certificate holders cannot carry more than one passenger and are permitted to only fly light-sport aircraft during the daytime. The highest level of certification is the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, which is required to fly a commercial airliner.
To obtain an ATP certificate, pilots must possess a commercial pilot license, have more than 1,500 hours of experience in aircraft and be at least 21 years old. However, pilots with an aviation degree can qualify for the certificate with just 1,000 hours.
Pilots obtaining an ATP certificate must also pass an exam covering air law, general aircraft knowledge, flight planning, meteorology, navigation, instrumentation and other important topics. They are then required to pass a physical examination administered by a FAA-authorized medical examiner.
- See more at: http://www.nigerianwatch.com
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