Expat's currency for origional licence?

[Glacier1900]

What happens at Cx, once you receive your HK ATPL/IFR, to your old ATPL/IFR currency from your home country (I am interested in respect to Tranport Canada). Say, for instance, that you had been fly at Cx for five years and wanted to return to Canada, would you have to renew your IFR or write any exams?

[AtoBsafely]

I believe that after your IFR has been lapsed for two years you will need to redo the IFR written. If less than two years, you just have to do an IFR sim/flight check to renew it. Naturally you will need to do a medical as well.

Please check the TC website, I could easily be wrong.

[Flaps10]

You would be responsible to maintain your currency on your CDN license if you want to do so. I know some guys who go home every couple of years to renew their IFR on a light twin others just let it lapse.

There are doctors at Cathay City that are certified to renew your CDN medical and will do it while you are in for your yearly medical.

Hope this helps...

[Glacier1900]

Thats perfect thanks. Well actually that's not what I wanted to hear but hey! Thanks

[Dan Winterland]

Another reason to keep your original license current (this is all, not just Canadian) is that you HK licence is a validation of your original. Most Aviation Authorities will not issue their licence on a validated licence, so if you decide to go and work in a third country and you original licence has expired, you're out of luck.

Also, those who have British licences may have an addtional problem. An original CAA ATPL can be re-issued if either the licence hasn't expired , or if you still have a current LPC on it. If either have passed, then you have to be issued with a JAA licence. The UK CAA are keen to push you down this line as the cost of the JAR licence is some 400 pounds more than the UK one. Also, depending on your experience, you may have to take some exams as well as a full skills test on the aircraft you wish to include on your licence.
A UK ATPL can be renewed ad-infinitum, but they are now only valid for 5 years. And you don't have to keep the medical current so long as you hold another licence. It just has to be valid on licence re-issue.

So, keep your original licence current!

[betaboy]

Glacier, I asked Transport Canada this exact question about 2 years ago. The advice I was given from Ottawa is that there is no need to maintain anything in Canada, as long as you maintain a current IFR licence whilst in HK, and you had an ATPL before you left. You can PM and I can give you the contacts at TC, or you can just ask them yourself.

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Quoting Transport Canada:

If you choose to maintain your Category 1 Medical Certificate and complete a Canadian IFR ride (maintain a Group 1) every two years, then you are correct in that you will maintain your Canadian ATPL-Aeroplane and all the privileges attached to it ( CAR 401.34 (Privileges), CAR 401.48 (Validity of instrument rating)).

In your particular situation as an SO, if you let your IFR lapse then we apply CAR 421.49(4)(which applies to Canadian pilots flying for foreign Commercial operators outside Canada);

You can let your IFR rating lapse for up to 24 months prior to renewal, without having to re-write the INRAT Examination if: you are in possession of a foreign Commercial Pilot Licence or ATPL (Hong Kong), have a valid foreign Instrument Rating (Hong Kong), and successfully complete a foreign instrument flight test (Hong Kong) within 12 months of application for the renewal of the instrument rating, while working for hire or reward in a Commercial Operation outside of Canada (Cathay Pacific).

Your ATPL doesn't "lapse" as such. In order to exercise the privileges of the ATPL you must have a valid Category 1 Medical Certificate and a Group 1 Instrument Rating. Maintaining a Category 1 Medical Certificate maintains your ATPL ( your Medical Certificate maintains the validity of your licence). The Group 1 Instrument Rating affords you the privileges of the ATPL. Even if you did not maintain a Category 1 Medical Certificate and Group 1 Instrument Rating, you still have a Canadian ATPL document, however you cannot exercise any of the privileges attached to an ATPL. You would not ever have to re-write the ATPL examinations. As soon as you do a Category 1 Medical, your ATPL becomes valid with Commercial privileges. Then, the Group 1 Instrument Rating would reinstate the ATPL privileges.

I would recommend at this point in time that you maintain your Canadian Category 1 Medical Certificate. You could do a Canadian IFR ride every two years, or not. As long as you can produce for us proof that you are doing an annual IFR ride with Cathay Pacific at least once a year, we would accept that as you being qualified for not having to re-write the INRAT exam, whenever you decided to renew your Canadian Instrument Rating.