Air Force pilot + passed MCN test + aeronautical orders + an AF Form 8 (or the squadron Memorandum for FSDO if you are a recent UPT grad) → FAA commercial certificate, usually with instrument and multi-engine, issued on the video call. No checkride.
The rule, in plain English
14 CFR 61.73 lets a current or former U.S. military pilot turn military qualifications into an FAA commercial pilot certificate with the matching category and class rating, an instrument rating, and — where the FAA has a civilian equivalent — a type rating. There is no checkride. You pass one FAA knowledge test, you show official military records, and an examiner issues the certificate as an administrative action.
- The test: the MCN (Military Competence) knowledge test at any PSI testing center — commercial privileges and limitations, air traffic and general operating rules, accident reporting (§61.73(b)(2)). 50 questions, 70% to pass. The report prints its own expiration: 24 calendar months.
- The records: official records showing you are or were a military pilot, graduated military pilot training with a pilot rating, and passed a pilot proficiency check and instrument proficiency check (§61.73(h)(1)–(3)).
- The aircraft: for each rating, either a military pilot and instrument proficiency check in that category/class/type, or 10 hours of military pilot time in it (§61.73(b)(3)). Current FAA guidance says the 10 hours alone can't be the only basis — the proficiency-check record still has to be in the pile.
- The instrument rating: added in the same action when your records show a military instrument proficiency check in that category and that you're instrument-qualified to fly Federal airways (§61.73(d)).
The one bar in the regulation: a pilot removed from flying status for lack of proficiency, or because of a disciplinary action involving aircraft operations (§61.73(a)). That's it. Years since you separated is not a bar, and there is no expiry on the military check itself — veterans qualify on their records.
Who qualifies
- Rated USAF pilots — Pilot, Senior Pilot or Command Pilot — on active duty, in the Air Force Reserve, or in the Air National Guard
- Former Air Force pilots, no matter how long ago you separated, as long as the records exist
- Recent UPT graduates, including those who never received a Form 8 (see below)
Not eligible: a pilot removed from flying status for lack of proficiency or for a disciplinary action involving aircraft operations.
Your Air Force document checklist
- Aeronautical orders awarding your Pilot, Senior Pilot or Command Pilot rating — the designation half of the evidence
- AF Form 8 (Certificate of Aircrew Qualification) from your last QUAL and instrument evaluations — the proficiency-check half. A Q3 grade doesn't count, and a mission-only check doesn't cover it
- AF Form 942 (Record of Evaluation), if that's what your unit issued
- Flying history / flying summary printouts — the category, class and aircraft evidence
- MCN knowledge test report, unexpired
- Government photo ID or military ID; FAA medical or current military medical if you have one
- IACRA application started, with your FTN
Recent UPT grad, no Form 8? That's normal now.
The Air Force stopped issuing AF Form 8s at UPT graduation. Your flying training squadron admin office issues a "Memorandum for Flight Standards District Office" instead — ask for it by name, ideally before you PCS. FAA Order 8900.1 lists that memorandum (AFMAN 11-202v2) as an acceptable Air Force record, and it's processed here exactly like a Form 8. Aeronautical orders alone aren't enough: they prove the rating, the memorandum proves the checkrides.
Type ratings for Air Force airframes
A type rating only comes across when the FAA lists a comparable civilian type for your airframe (§61.73(e)). The FAA's current list (Order 8900.1, Figure 5-88) includes, among others:
- C-130 (every series except the J) → L-382. The C-130J has no civilian equivalent. More: C-130 pilots
- KC-135 / C-135 / E-3 → B-707/720. The KC-46 has none. More: KC-135 and KC-46 pilots
- C-40 and T-43A → B-737; C-32 → B-757; E-4 → B-747; KC-10 → DC-10; T-1A → MU-300 / BE-400
- C-17 and C-5 are not on the list. More: C-17 pilots
No type rating doesn't mean no conversion — you still leave with commercial, multi-engine and instrument, which is what airline hiring actually looks at. Tell me your airframes when you submit and I'll check the list for your exact models before the call.
Centerline-thrust limitation (T-38 and single-seat jet time)
If your §61.73 certificate came back stamped "LIMITED TO CENTER THRUST" from single-seat or centerline jet time, FAA policy lets military-competency applicants have that removed by reapplying administratively — paperwork only, no flight test in a conventional twin. Raise it when you submit and it rides the same appointment.
What the virtual appointment is
A 20-minute video call with an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner. Not a checkride, not an oral — an administrative review. Your documents are checked before the call, so the call itself is short:
- Identity check against a government photo ID (military ID is fine)
- MCN test report and military records confirmed against §61.73
- Your IACRA application reviewed and signed live
- Temporary certificate issued on the call — valid immediately. The FAA mails the plastic card later.
Works from a squadron office, a hotel room overseas, or a deployed location with decent internet. Booking needs 24 hours' notice so the FAA's oversight system (DMS) can be updated. Daytona DPE's FAA Certificate Letter of Authority (CLOA) carries Remote Technology Authorized for military competency — that's the FAA basis for doing this by video.
Pricing — $200 flat
No travel fees, no rescheduling fees, no charge if you're determined not eligible during the appointment. Details → Pricing
Related
Wings, an MCN, and a Form 8? You're one video call from FAA commercial.
Submit the form — your document page opens with the Air Force checklist. $200 flat.
Schedule your Air Force conversion →Frequently asked
How does the Air Force military competency conversion work, and what does it cost?
I graduated UPT and never got an AF Form 8. Am I stuck?
I separated years ago. Is my old Form 8 too old?
Do Air National Guard and Reserve pilots qualify?
Will I get a type rating for my airframe?
Do I need a checkride or an oral?
Can I also get my CFI from my Air Force IP time?
← Back to the Military Competency (MCE / MIE) hub · every branch and airframe page is listed there.