RADIO STATION LICENSES AND OPERATOR PERMITS – ARE THEY REQUIRED?
 
 
Communications regulations are the province of the FCC, not the FAA. Below are extracts from FCC regulations that state that no radio station licenses for US aircraft are required for domestic flights, and that no radio operator permits are required for operators of aircraft radio stations.
 
Strictly speaking, radio station licenses are still required for flights outside the United States. However, I have never heard of anyone ever being asked to produce one, either on entry into Canada or upon return to the US.
 
 
[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Revised as of October 1, 2000]
 
 
  TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
PART 87--AVIATION SERVICES
 
 Subpart B--Applications and Licenses
 
Sec. 87.18 Station license required.
 
(a) Except as noted in paragraph (b) of this section, stations in the aviation service must be licensed by the FCC either individually or by fleet.
 
(b) An aircraft station is licensed by rule and does not need an individual license issued by the FCC if the aircraft station is not required by statute, treaty, or agreement to which the United States is signatory to carry a radio, and the aircraft station does not make international flights or communications. Even though an individual license is not required, an aircraft station licensed by rule must be operated in accordance with all applicable operating requirements, procedures, and technical specifications found in this part.
 
 
 
 Subpart C--Operating Requirements and Procedures
 
Sec. 87.89 Minimum operator requirements.
 
(a) A station operator must hold a commercial radio operator license or permit, except as listed in paragraph (d).
 
(b) [snipped out as irrelevant]
 
(c) The operator of a telephony station must directly supervise and be responsible for any other person who transmits from the station, and must ensure that such communications are in accordance with the station license.
 
(d) No operator license is required to:
1. Operate an aircraft radar set, radio altimeter, transponder or other aircraft automatic radionavigation transmitter by flight personnel;
2. Test an emergency locator transmitter or a survival craft station used solely for survival purposes;
3. Operate an aeronautical enroute station which automatically transmits digital communications to aircraft stations;
4. Operate a VHF telephony transmitter providing domestic service or used on domestic flights.
 
 
 
One other reference is the FAA document FSGA 96-06 which says, in pertinent part:
 

B. Aircraft operating domestically are no longer required to possess a radio station license. Aircraft operating internationally are still required to possess the FCC aircraft radio station license.

 
 
© 2001 Stanley E. Prevost All Rights Reserved Worldwide.