711.4127/18
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
As stated in Mr. Chilton’s note No. 239 of May 7th, 1928, the United States Air Commerce Regulations, Section 64, provide that:
“All applicants for pilots’ licences must be of good moral character. The minimum age requirements are 16 years for private pilots and 18 years for industrial pilots. Private pilots may be citizens of any country. Industrial and transport pilots must be citizens of the United States or of a foreign country which grants reciprocal piloting privileges to citizens of the United States on equal terms and conditions with citizens of such foreign country.”
As further pointed out in Mr. Chilton’s note, citizens of the United States are eligible in Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the issue of licences, (a) as private pilots, and (b) as public transport pilots, provided they attain the standards laid down in the regulations, copies of which were enclosed.
Mr. Chilton also forwarded with his note copy of a letter dated December 22nd, 1927,7 addressed by the United States Director of Aeronautics to the Air Attaché to this Embassy, stating that the issue of pilots’ licenses upon a reciprocal basis in the United States and in the United Kingdom appeared to be provided for by the existing regulations, but that an official exchange of correspondence through diplomatic channels was necessary to confirm the arrangement.
As stated by Mr. Chilton, His Majesty’s Government in Great Britain and Northern Ireland are anxious to have this reciprocity confirmed. It is understood, however, from State Department notes of June 14, 1928 and January 22nd, 1929, that the United States Government are reluctant to recognize the reciprocity provided for in the above regulations until an agreement has also been reached for the reciprocal recognition of airworthiness certificates.
His Majesty’s Government fully understand the desire of the United States Government to conclude such an agreement, and as stated in Mr. Kellogg’s note of January 22nd last, informal conversations on the question have been proceeding for some time past. At the same time, His Majesty’s Government adhere to the view that the issue of pilots’ licenses and of airworthiness certificates should be treated as separate and distinct questions. The one concerns personnel, the other equipment; and while they hope it will be possible to arrive at an agreement which will be satisfactory to the two Governments upon [Page 524] the latter point as well, they cannot but regard the connection between the two as purely arbitrary.
In his note of January 22nd Mr. Kellogg expressed the hope that negotiations might be expedited in order that the present restrictions upon American pilots and aircraft in British territory, and upon British pilots and aircraft in American territory might be removed. His Majesty’s Government would observe that while informal conversations are still being held in the hope of reaching an agreement upon the question of airworthiness certificates, the reciprocal issue of pilots’ licences appears to be already provided for by the regulations actually in force in the United States and in the United Kingdom, so that all that is necessary to remove the existing restrictions upon American and British pilots is a formal note from the United States Government stating, in reply to Mr. Chilton’s note of May 7th last, that British subjects are reciprocally eligible to receive licences in the United States.
It is noted that the United States Government are anxious to arrange for the reciprocal issue both of pilots’ licences and airworthiness certificates in the British possessions overseas, and in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland and India, and the necessary steps are being taken to bring the matter to the attention of the Governments concerned. In the meanwhile, His Majesty’s Government in Great Britain and Northern Ireland wish to express again their earnest hope that the United States Government may see their way in the near future to recognise, by a formal note, the existing regulations for the reciprocal issue of pilots’ licences to the nationals of the two Governments.
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