Warbird Information Exchange

Could someone explain the near-mythical "unlimited type rating" in detail? I've heard about it, but details are incredible scarce - to the point that most people aren't even aware it exists - so it is hard to find any concrete information about it. (To the point that I'm not exactly sure how to refer to it. Unlimited type rating? "All classes and categories" authorization?[1] "All makes and models"? "Authorized Experimental Aircraft"?[2]) My understanding is that part of the reason for that is that the FAA no longer issues such certifications.[3] For the same reason, pretty much all of the references I've found mention that only a double digit number of pilots still hold one. So, I'm also curious who in particular still has one.

Even what exactly it allows is difficult to determine and it seems like there is some confusion even among pilots. The way I've heard it explained, it allows a pilot to fly any piston powered aircraft - if they can demonstrate proficiency in three randomly chosen aircraft.[4] I've also seen it compared to a letter of authorization.[2] I know there is some relationship between LOAs and type ratings, but I've never fully understood that either. I thought that LOAs were more or less just a temporary type rating, but as someone who is neither a pilot nor a mechanic, I am under no illusions this may be incorrect.

Given the way that it has been characterized, unlimited type ratings seem similar to the history of limited type certificates. That is to say, they are both legacies from an earlier time – the post-World War II period – when aviation regulations and enforcement was much more lax and that as time has gone on the FAA has attempted to sunset them.

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Tri-State Warbird Museum Collections Manager & Museum Attendant

Warbird Philosophy Webmaster

The All Makes and Models applied to Experimental category aircraft only. It was discontinued around in the early 2000s. There is a move to bring it back but it continues to run into FAA roadblocks despite Congress asking for it. Back in the day you were issued an LOA to fly an experimental aircraft that required a checkride. They later changed this to an Experimental Type Rating and they may have changed it to something else now....I don't recall. Back in the day if you had three Experimental LOAs you could apply for the All Makes Models (if you had only single engine experimental LOAs it was a single engine all makes and models). There are bunch of guys I know that have the All Makes and Models. I was just talking to a Experimental Aircraft Examiner that was at our house this week doing a checkride for my son, and he said now if you hold the All Makes and Models after you fly a new airplane you notify the FAA and they add it your certificate.

If you hold a All Makes and Models license it does not make you legal to fly an aircraft in the Limited Category that requires a type rating. For instance you can hold an all makes and models and go fly an Experimental B-25, but you couldn't fly a Limited one...

I may be off on some of the details as it has been a while...but this is the gist of it...

I have the "All makes/models single engine piston powered' on my license

Pretty sure it is for all aircraft over 800HP, irrespective of how it is licensed.

There is one for single and one for Multi engine aircraft.

I haven't added any aircraft in a while but when I did add the P-40 I didn't have to go through as much of an ordeal as someone who doesn't have one. No 3 take offs and landing with someone watching etc. I was told it was as easy as just read the book and talk to someone who has flown one.

My 3rd was in a Seafury with Neil Anderson.

Doesn't matter to me as I still got a ck out from Tom Richards for safety.

Tim's description matches my memory when I held an unlimited LOA for single-engine piston-powered experimental aircraft. It allowed me to fly experimental aircraft over 800 hp. My first three LOAs before the unlimited LOA were in FM-2, A6M2 and SB2C.

Randy