Definition
A unique identification number assigned by the Federal Aviation Administration to each individual airman certificate holder. It appears on the pilot or instructor certificate and is used in place of the holder's Social Security number for identification on logbook entries, endorsements, applications, and other FAA records.
Plain English
A personal ID number the FAA gives to every certified pilot or instructor. It is printed on the certificate and is used to identify the person on official paperwork and logbook entries.
Context Anchor
Seen in logbooks, training records, endorsements, airman certificate records, and other FAA paperwork connected with pilot training.
Derivation
ID is a shortened form of “identification,” meaning a way to show exactly who or what something is. In this term, the number identifies one person in FAA records, rather than relying only on a name.
Why Pilots Care
Required to properly attribute logged training time and flight experience to the correct individual for certification and record-keeping purposes.
Intuition Check
Do not treat an FAA ID number as just a casual account number. In this context, it is the official number that points to a specific person in FAA airman records.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor wrote her FAA ID number, certificate expiration date, and signature beneath the solo endorsement in the student's logbook.
Example Sentence 2
When applying for an additional rating, the applicant listed their FAA ID number exactly as it appears on the existing certificate.