As PIC or Co-pilot — Page 79, Lesson 124

Right, let's pick this up. We're looking at the rules that govern when you can actually exercise the privileges of your licence — specifically, the recent experience requirements and how long your ratings stay valid. First, let's talk about recent experience. This is the rule that keeps you current. For day operations, whether you're acting as Pilot in Command or as Co-pilot, you need to have carried out, in the preceding 90 days, at least 3 take-offs, approaches and landings. And those must be in an aircraft of the same type, or in a Full Flight Simulator — an FFS — that represents that type or class. So the key numbers here are 90 days and 3 of each manoeuvre. If you haven't done that, you can't exercise the privileges of your licence for day flying. Now, night operations are stricter. To act as Pilot in Command at night, you need to have carried out, in the preceding 90 days, at least 1 take-off, approach and landing at night — and crucially, you must have done that as the pilot flying. That's a specific requirement: you have to be the one actually handling the controls, in an aircraft of the same type or an FFS representing that type or class. But there's an alternative — you can also satisfy this night requirement if you hold an Instrument Rating. So either you have that recent night experience as pilot flying, or you hold an IR. Now let's move to the validity of ratings. The core principle is in paragraph 5.26: a licence that includes a rating is only valid as long as the rating remains valid. So the rating is what keeps your licence alive for that privilege. Let's look at the Instrument Rating first. An IR is valid for a period of 12 months. You may renew it during the last three months of that validity period. And here's an important consequence: if you fail the instrument rating test for renewal, your current IR is cancelled. Not just not renewed — cancelled. So a failed renewal attempt takes away what you currently hold. Next, normal residency. The JAA — the Joint Aviation Authorities — consider that you need 185 days per year in a JAA country in order to claim residency. That's the threshold for establishing where you're resident for licensing purposes. Now class and type ratings. Multi-engine class ratings and type ratings are valid for 12 months. Single-pilot single-engine class ratings — and this includes the touring motor glider rating — are valid for 2 years. The validity runs from the date of issue, or from the date of expiry if you revalidate within the validity period. And the method of renewal is by passing a pilot proficiency test — that's the skills test. Finally, medical report periods. These are the intervals at which you must submit reports of medical fitness. For a CPL(A) or ATPL(A) with a Class 1 medical, under both ICAO and JAA rules: 12 months up to age 60 — but note, it's age 40 if you're engaged in single-pilot operations — and then 6-monthly thereafter. For an MPL with Class 1, under ICAO: 12 months to age 60, then 6 months thereafter. And for a PPL(A) with Class 2, under ICAO: 60 months up to age 40, then 24 months thereafter, with a recommendation of 12 months after age 50. So the pattern here is: your recent experience keeps you current day-to-day, your ratings have fixed validity periods with specific renewal methods, and your medical certification has its own reporting intervals that depend on your licence type, your age, and the class of medical you hold.