Single Engine Add-on

I would think all you need is a sign-off in the platform you want to fly.  You have ratings exceeding the SEL, so you should be able to get signed off by a local instructor.  Your insurance may want you to get a minimum of 15 hours dual time, but it should be easy to get.  

John Choberka:
I would think all you need is a sign-off in the platform you want to fly.  You have ratings exceeding the SEL, so you should be able to get signed off by a local instructor.

Thanks for the references Ron.  That is exactly what I needed.  I did fly the T-34C in training so I should be able to take my log books and other documnets down to the Atlanta FSDO and get it all worked out.

I know I will still need some time with an instructor for both insurance purposes and to bring me back up to speed.  I will report back with my results.

Actually, I should also have mentioned the T-28 flown at Whiting when I went through P-cola, but that would probably date me too much.  And since Ron flew T-34C's, I think those would have been only a memory when he went through.  The interesting thing is that a lot of USAF pilots who went through back when UPT had only T-37's and T-38's and then went multi-engine aircraft operationally never got any single engine time, and so would not qualify for an SE rating under this rule (nor a ME rating without CLT restriction if they went into F-4/15/111's).  Now, with the current USAF pipelines, everyone goes through the single engine T-6 Texan II and the twin engine trainers (either T-38 Talon or T-1 Jayhawk, aka Beechjet 400), and thus qualifies for both SEL and MEL (albeit with CLT limit from the T-38) ratings on UPT graduation.  OTOH, the fixed-wing Navy folks of my era all got both SE and ME time in the T-34B and then either the T-2 in the jet pipeline or the TS-2 in the prop pipleline -- only the helo folks didn't fly AMEL at all, but they'd qualify for both ASEL and Rotocraft-Helicopter.

Hi Ron, old Marine A-6er here.  Good luck with your paperwork.  Just wanted to chime in about the Cherokee 180, there is an AD out requiring wing root inspection which could be very expensive so heads up.  My aero club dodged a bullet but others have had to pat thousands for the fix.

Had the same situation..I was USAF then airline. Got my FAA cert just as I was leaving AF.
FAA wouldn't recognize my USAF T-41(C172) checkout for SEL rating purposes because my SEL time was more than 24 months prior.
FAA only would issue me an MEL rating on my cert.
Had to take Comm SEL CFI training in a 172 and then an FAA/DPE check ride to get the SEL rating.
Kind of a pain but dems da rules. LOL
B.

Hey Bill, et al.,
perhaps it is time for us to get Congress to force the FAA to recognize the military hours/training/experience.  Our national pilot shortage means that our military is being solicited to join the airlines, but if everyone has to waste countless hours on this paperwork, it seems to be at the root of our shortage.

Perhaps we can get the AOPA and other aviation organizations to have Congress address these issues.

Here in Kentucky, we have both Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul.  I believe that it can be essentially presented to them that we need to force the FAA to accept the military hours/training/experience and stop wasting everyone's time/money/effort.  We don't have time to lose these military pilots and their life experiences.  Our commercial industry must be working towards helping them.

I do not have the numerous details of what is wrong our the exact laws/FARs that need updating, but it clearly must be accomplished.  For the AOPA REPRESENTATIVES, please get involved on this topic as it impacts thousands of military pilots from all branches of the service.

Best wishes,
Brennan

William Sabo:
Had the same situation..I was USAF then airline. Got my FAA cert just as I was leaving AF.
FAA wouldn't recognize my USAF T-41(C172) checkout for SEL rating purposes because my SEL time was more than 24 months prior.
FAA only would issue me an MEL rating on my cert.
Had to take Comm SEL CFI training in a 172 and then an FAA/DPE check ride to get the SEL rating.
Kind of a pain but dems da rules. LOL
B.

Brennan Callan:
Hey Bill, et al.,
perhaps it is time for us to get Congress to force the FAA to recognize the military hours/training/experience. 

Brennan is apparently unfamiliar with the Part 61 change on this issue introduced many years ago.  As I said above, the 12-month limit is long since eliminated.  They also added getting a CFI ticket if you were an IP.  Again, this is all spelled out in 61.73(b)/(g) for pilot/flight instructor certificates.

I went to my local FSDO and got the SEL added to my license.  It was fairly easy but was not without incident.  The only problem was the IACRA system was not capable of adding a rating that has already been “superseded.”  The “fix” was doing old fashion paperwork and submission via USPS. In any case it is done.  

THANK YOU for all your advice.