Type rating, currency, recency, revalidation/renewal

Distinction between aircraft class and type

Aircraft are all identified by manufacturer and model, or type: Robinson R22, Airbus A320, Cessna C172, etc. For some aircraft models, the qualification is specific (if I am qualified on the Boeing 737, I cannot fly the Boeing 747), and to switch from one to another it is necessary to attend an ab initio course (the type rating) which provides a different type of training for each type of aircraft depending on what is required by EASA regulations and by the manufacturer.

Aircraft subdivision

Aircraft are grouped into classes:

• SEP(A): single engine piston airplane
• MEP(A): multi engine piston airplane

Of these groups of aircraft you can obtain the Class Rating, that is a qualification that groups together all the aircraft with these characteristics (and to pass from one to another it will be necessary to pass a familiarization course on the specific model).

When you get to the larger aircraft:

• SET(A): single engine turbine airplane
• MET(A): multi engine turbine airplane

even the airplanes follow the type logic (the airliners are all MET but each one has its own specific type rating: Airbus 320, Boeing 737, etc.). PS: Below a certain weight, even some SET and MET models are defined the same by class (the instructor will be a CRI and the examiner a CRE, but on the license it will be transcribed in the same way as a type rating).

Helicopters Division

Helicopters are all distinguished by “type”, that is, to pass from one to another it is necessary to pass a course to obtain the “type rating”. Within the same class (the classes are distinguished by number and type of engine as for aircraft) it is possible to obtain credits for the training to be carried out, which however cannot go below the minimum required by the manufacturer (the OSD).

Revalidation by class

Class ratings last two years and there are two ways to renew them: having flown at least 12 hours in the last 12 months of validity, one of which must be with an instructor, or, if this minimum required activity has not been carried out, you can request an in-flight proficiency check, which however must be carried out by an examiner (a CRE, Class Rating Examiner) who can stamp the license for another two years.

Revalidation for type

Type ratings, on the other hand, last only one year and there is only one way to renew them: having flown at least 2 hours in the 12 months of validity. One of these two hours must be a proficiency check with an examiner, in this case TRE (Type Rating Examiner).

Helicopters under 3,175 kg to MTOW

The Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2076 has finally established that for single-engine helicopters under 3,175 kg maximum take-off weight there is an alternative method to renew the rating, which is to fly 6 hours per year, one hour of which with an instructor. Especially for those with little experience, in our opinion it is a very intelligent method that should also be applied to fixed-wing class ratings.

Another peculiarity of the latest improvement in the regulation on renewals for helicopter pilots is the recognition of flight experience during the validity period on other models of the same class. Therefore, given that to obtain the qualification it is always necessary to follow a specific course and that the qualification on the type will be transcribed on the license, during the annual renewal phase, if you choose the first method you can only do the proficiency check on one type, if I have done at least 2 hours on the others and if I choose the second method you can ask to do the flight with an instructor only on a type placed that has flown the 6 hours on the others. In this way the deadlines will align with that of the check or flight with an instructor.

The deadlines

Renewals via proficiency check, carried out within 90 days before the expiry, are called “revalidation” (if I renew within 90 days before I keep the expiry date, if I anticipate beyond 90 days the new expiry date will be brought forward), obviously assuming that the minimum annual activity requirement has been met.

For revalidations it is not necessary to go through a flight school, but you can make a private agreement with an examiner, a Type Rating Examiner or Class Rating Examiner.

Recency

To carry passengers on board (both as a private pilot and in commercial operations) you must have done at least one flight with 3 take-offs and 3 landings in the last 90 days.

Some schools or clubs rightly require at least one flight per month, after which it is necessary to book a “restart” with an instructor.

PS: do not complain if they ask you to fly with the instructor every now and then, they do it for your safety and not to speculate on a few dozen euros of extra cost.

Renewal

If the qualification has expired, we said that there are some evaluation parameters to bring it up to date (what type of aircraft it is, how long has the qualification expired and how much experience the pilot has on that type of aircraft) that the school will take into consideration to build a “renewal” program, which will include a certain number of hours of theory in the classroom, flight hours and a final check. The date of the check will be my new expiration date.

In general:

• within 30 days of the deadline, training is not required;
• after 30 days, but within 3 years, the school evaluates how much training to offer based on other parameters (type difficulty and experience);
• after 3 years, an entire initial achievement course must be attended again.

For renewals it is always necessary to rely on a school (ATO or DTO) even when training is not required, because a Head of Training will still present the candidate to an examiner and it cannot be a direct procedure like for revalidation.

Familiarization or difference training

Within the types or classes there are families and variants between one model and another, for which a minimum of additional training will be necessary: ​​for the SEP class you will have to pass a “familiarization” to move from the Cessna 172 to the Piper PA28, for the more complex models instead you will have to do a “difference” training to move for example from the Boeing 737-400 to the Boeing 737-800 or for helicopters from the AW109 “E” to the AW109 “SP”. We will not go further into this very specific topic, because you do not need it at the moment. You will learn the details of these particularities during your training course.

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