
How to renew your converted Japanese pilot license (for foreign license holders)
1. Find your examiner
The renewal exam must be conducted by an examiner who is officially registered with the JCAB. Choose an examiner from the published list and contact the organization they are affiliated with. Discuss potential exam dates, what you need to prepare, and any other details relevant to your situation.
2. Submit Form No.28-6 & necessary documents to your examiner
Once you have chosen your examiner, you will need to submit Form No. 28-6 along with the required supporting documents. You can find the form . You will be able to download a PDF by clicking the link that says 審査申請書(第28号の6様式).
Note that you will also need to submit the following documents:
Pilot Competency Certificate:
Your currently owned Pilot Competency Certificate.
Aviation Medical Certificate:
Your currently owned Aviation Medical Certificate.
Pilot Competency Assessment Confirmation:
Your currently owned Pilot Competency Assessment Confirmation.
Documentation of your flight time:
Any document (such as a logbook) that shows your flight time.
Safety Training Completion Certificate (if applicable):
JCAB holds safety training courses. If you have completed one of these courses, you will need to submit a certificate of completion.
You can submit the documents to your examiner in person or through other acceptable methods. The safest approach is to contact your examiner directly and confirm the submission process they prefer.
Now that all the required documents are ready, the next step is preparing for the exam. As mentioned earlier, the assessment consists of two parts: the oral examination and the flight skills test. The following steps break down how to prepare for each one.
3. Prepare for the oral exam
The oral exam is conducted by your examiner and is generally not very difficult. This is because JCAB publishes the full list of questions and answers, referred to as the "guidance," that the examiner will use. You can access it here. The guidance is organized into four aircraft categories: aircraft (飛行機), rotorcraft (回転翼), glider (滑空機), and airship (飛行船). Each section of the PDF is divided according to these categories. At the start of each section, you will see a header such as 飛行機編, 回転翼編, and so on.
To find your section quickly, look at the bottom of the pages. You will notice labels such as【飛】-5 and【滑】-5. The character in the brackets corresponds to the first kanji of the aircraft type, along with the page number.
Within each section, every page lists the questions and their official answers. Study these thoroughly and memorize the answers as closely as possible. They form the basis of the oral exam, so the more precisely you can recall them, the smoother the exam will go.
4. Prepare for the flight skills test
On page 52 of the PDF, you will find the checklist your examiner will use during the flight skills test. Not every item will apply to your specific aircraft or situation, but this checklist gives you a clear picture of what the examiner will be evaluating.
Before scheduling your exam, make sure to fly a few practice sessions focused specifically on these skill areas. The goal is to walk into the test already comfortable with each maneuver and checklist item, so you are not seeing anything for the first time on exam day.
5. Pass the exam
Once you have completed your preparation, all that is left is to take and pass the exam. Best of luck. When you succeed, you will be able to renew your Tokusei Soujyu Gino without any issues.
Safe skies and happy flying! ✈️