Definition
A lifetime authorization issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that allows the holder to operate certain radio transmitters, including aircraft radios, on international flights or aboard aircraft equipped with radios that fall under FCC licensing requirements. It is issued to an individual operator, not to the aircraft, and does not require an examination.
Plain English
An FCC-issued permit that lets a person legally use an aircraft radio when the rules require an operator license, mainly for flights outside the United States.
Context Anchor
Seen in radio license guidance when a pilot is preparing for flight outside the United States or checking required aircraft and pilot documents.
Derivation
‘Restricted’ here means limited in scope — the permit only allows operation of certain types of stations, not all of them. ‘Radiotelephone’ means voice radio communication (as opposed to telegraph or data). The full phrase signals a limited-purpose voice-radio operator permit.
Why Pilots Care
Federal regulations require pilots to hold this permit before transmitting on aviation frequencies in most domestic operations.
Intuition Check
“Restricted” here does not mean restricted airspace. It means the permit gives limited radio-operator authority for specific kinds of radio use, rather than broad authority for all radio services.
Example Sentence 1
Before her first international trip to the Bahamas, she applied to the FCC for a restricted radiotelephone permit.
Example Sentence 2
Before the checkride the instructor verified that the student had applied for the restricted radiotelephone permit.