Log 25 hours of supervised operating experience as PIC in the type (14 CFR 61.64(g)), get each flight attested in writing by the supervising PIC, and the limitation is removed administratively by an examiner — no checkride. Daytona DPE does it in a 20-minute video appointment, unrestricted temporary certificate issued on the call.
Why your type rating says "subject to pilot in command limitations"
Under 14 CFR 61.64(g), when a type rating practical test is completed in a flight simulator that doesn't meet the requirements for unrestricted issuance, the FAA issues the rating with a Supervised Operating Experience (SOE) limitation. On the certificate it reads like: "THE CE-525S IS SUBJECT TO PILOT-IN-COMMAND LIMITATION(S)." Until it's removed, you act as PIC in the type only under the supervision of a qualified, current PIC.
This is standard issue for sim-based type courses — Citations, Phenoms, King Airs, CL-65s, you name it. It is not a knock on your flying; it's an artifact of how the checkride was delivered.
What removal requires
- 25 hours of supervised operating experience as PIC in the type, per §61.64(g)
- Written attestation for every SOE flight — the supervising PIC certifies each logbook entry
- Your certificate and government photo ID
- IACRA application for the limitation removal (we walk you through it)
That's the whole list. No additional training, no oral exam, no flight test. The examiner's job is verification: hours, attestations, identity, paperwork — then the IACRA sign-off and your unrestricted temporary certificate.
Why pilots do this virtually
The in-person route means finding a local examiner qualified to process it or waiting on a FSDO appointment — routinely weeks to months. The removal itself takes 20 minutes. Daytona DPE handles it over a secure video call from wherever you are: crashpad, FBO, layover hotel. Most pilots are scheduled within a few business days, with a 24-hour minimum notice for FAA DMS oversight entry.
You don't have to wait for your upgrade to clear it
At a lot of carriers, SOE removal is something the training department gets around to at captain upgrade. That works fine — if you stay, and if you upgrade on their schedule. But the limitation sits on your certificate, not the company's. The moment you have 25 hours of supervised PIC time in the type with written attestations — OE with a check airman, mentor time, supervised contract flying — any authorized examiner can remove it under §61.64(g). No training-department paperwork cycle, no waiting for a class date, no permission required.
Why clear it now instead of "eventually":
- Applications read certificates, not intentions. Fractional, charter, and corporate recruiters see "SUBJECT TO PIC LIMITATIONS" and read "not PIC-qualified in type." An unrestricted rating answers the question before it gets asked.
- Insurance and contract work. Owners, operators, and brokers routinely want an unrestricted type before they'll put you on as PIC — and the underwriter asks even when the chief pilot doesn't.
- Life happens between now and upgrade. Furloughs, base closures, better offers. Plenty of pilots who left a seat before upgrade are still carrying the limitation years later because the "company will handle it" moment never came.
If the supervised time is logged and attested, this is a 20-minute video call. Not sure whether your OE or mentor time qualifies? Send the form anyway — eligibility review is part of the process, and there's no charge if it turns out you're not eligible yet.
How the appointment runs
- Identity verification (valid, unexpired photo ID)
- Certificate + logbook review — 25 SOE hours and attestations verified against §61.64(g)
- IACRA application signed live
- Temporary certificate without the limitation issued on the call
Permanent plastic follows from the FAA by mail. Total turnaround from inquiry to unrestricted temporary: typically 3–5 business days.
Pricing — $200 flat
Same as every Daytona DPE service. No travel fees, no rescheduling fees, and no charge if you turn out not to be eligible during the appointment. Details → Pricing
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Have the 25 hours? You're one video call from unrestricted.
Submit the contact form and you'll get a document checklist within 24 hours. $200 flat.
Schedule your SOE removal →