TEMPORARY AIRMAN CERTIFICATE INVALID ACCOUNT OUT OF DATE.

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CHECKED OUT AS CAPT AND RECEIVED TEMPORARY AIRMAN CERTIFICATE WITH NEW TYPE RATING DATED 2/88. EXPIRATION DATE 120 DAYS HENCE (6/88). FLEW REGULARLY DURING THAT 120 DAY PERIOD AND UNFORTUNATELY 3 DAYS BEYOND. I REALIZED I WAS NOT LEGAL PRIOR TO A TRIP AT 4 DAYS BEYOND AND CALLED THE COMPANY TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE FLYING SCHEDULE IF THE FAA COULD NOT EXTEND THE DATE. BEING IT WAS A WEEKEND; NO ONE IN OKC WAS ON DUTY TO HANDLE SUCH THINGS; SO I DID NOT FLY THAT DAY; I PERSONALLY FOUND A POI IN DALLAS AND WENT TO HIS HOUSE TO GET THE CERTIFICATE REISSUED FOR ANOTHER 120 DAYS. HE INDICATED THE FAA IN OKC WAS RUNNING 50 DAYS BEHIND. THERE ARE MANY OF US FLYING WITH THESE TEMPORARY CERTIFICATES WAITING TO TURN INTO 'PUMPKINS' WITH NO SYS IN PLACE TO REMIND US THE CLOCK IS RUNNING OUT ON A PIECE OF PAPER THAT NORMALLY (HARD COPY LICENSE) HAS NO EXPIRATION DATE AND NO ONE WILLING (OR POSSIBLE ABLE) TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS TO GET THEM TO US WITHIN THE 120 DAYS. IF THE FAA KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROCESSING PROB; WHY NOT JUST ISSUE THE TEMPORARY CERTIFICATES FOR 6 MONTHS; OR BETTER YET; MAKE THEM VALID UNTIL THE PERMANENT CERTIFICATE ARRIVES. THE CURRENT SYS IS A SET UP FOR BEING TECHNICALLY VIOLATED. AN HONEST MISTAKE THAT PROBABLY CAN AND WILL HAPPEN TO OTHERS.