Instrument rating upgrade

[wingnut_nz]

I want to get my (New Zealand) instrument rating, however my finances are a bit stretched at the moment so I am looking at getting a single engine IR and then upgrading to multi engine later in the year when I have more money.

My IR exam credits expire in June so if I get the single engine rating before then, and then upgrade to multi engine after that would I have to re-sit the exams? Or would I just have to do the flight test? Thanks

[mar1234]

Hi mate, if you do your single IFR rating, this will validate your exams, so anything you do with IFR after that be in multi or gps etc is just an upgrade. a point to think about is if you do your single you have 12 months before your renewal. If you do your multi upgrade within that time you then get 12 months from that date, as you still require a flight test.

[wingnut_nz]

Great, thanks for your reply mar1234 :)

[Water Wings]

A renewal can also be used to upgrade to M/E IFR. Beware that there seem to be relatively few G/A examiners that can do this upgrade. I had Wayne Harrison do my upgrade from New Plymouth Aero Club. I only know one other examiner that can do the upgrade and I won't name him here. This sort of upgrade usually occurs in an airline environment I am led to believe.


Unlikely to be done in an airline environment as they will already want you to hold a MEIR and I do not know of a single Airline Flight Examiner who is authorised to do the upgrade from SE to ME. The reason they stopped issuing this privilege to GA Examiners is that (over time) as examiners drop away, the only one's left with such a privilege will be at.....ASL! Yep, a way to lock you into spending some more money with them.