Fuji - very good point (but it does get frustrating - and I blame the flight schools as they are not training their students to be pilots, they're training them to get through a flight test).
Circuit Basher - let's have a word.
Single Pilot Aeroplane. Single Engine Piston (Land). It's called a CLASS rating - not a type rating. You can fly ANY type, make, model of aeroplane that has only one piston powered engine, only requires one pilot, and lands on land - not water. That is with the exception of the PA46 - the Piper Malibu (that DOES require a type rating).
Whilst on the subject, should you progress to get a "multi engine" rating - you will be entitled to fly ANY single pilot, multi engine, piston powered aircraft on the Multi Engine Piston CLASS rating.
ANY aircraft that has more than one pilot - and/or any aircraft that has turbine engines (either pure jet or turboprop) requires a specific type rating that is individual to that aircraft.
The LICENCE is irrelevant to this conversation - different subject. You must keep your licence valid by simply getting another one when the existing one runs out - just like a TV licence, a driving licence, a hunting licence, whatever.
Now - back to the class rating. Your situation, the SPA SEP(Land). You must have a current class rating (or type rating for the PA46) in your licence to fly any SEP.
The SEP class rating is valid from original issue for a period of 24 calendar months (to the date, not the month end). Your licence should have a page within it known as a JARFCL150, "Ratings - Certificate of Revalidation". It should have a "valid until" date written in column three. Your rating - in this case SEP(Land) - expires at midnight at the end of that date (28 August 2005). When you wake up on the 29th of August you cannot (legally) fly an SEP aircraft unless you take action before the current rating expires.
If you take the action, and have that page signed BEFORE midnight on the 28th, you are deemed to have REVALIDATED the (still current) rating. If you take the relevant action any time after midnight on the 28th, you are RENEWING an expired rating.
So what's the action? There are two ways you could revalidate an existing rating - either "BY EXPERIENCE" or by "FLIGHT TEST" (known as an LPC - Licensing Proficiency Check). I assume your rating was effectively signed on either August 29th for an initial issue, or August 28th for a previous revalidation of a current rating.
By Experience: Completely ignore any flying you did, in any aircraft type or class, before August 29th 2004 - I say again, August 28th Two Thousand and FOUR (last year). Too Tousand and Fower. Not a misprint. 2004.
SINCE August 28th 2004, you need to have 12 (twelve) hours TOTAL time as the pilot of SEP aircraft. At least 6 (six) of those hours must be in command - that gives you the other six to do anything you want with - dual, solo, captain, student, whatever.
6 command, 6 whatever. At least ONE flight of not less than 60 minutes of that 12 hours total must be with a fully qualified, fully rated, JAA flight instructor. That does NOT include an FAA instructor, at one of the Florida/California schools that has been teaching JAA. The instructor must have a current, full blown JAA instructor qualification (which should be entered on his/her own JARFCL150 form).
There is one opt out here - instead of the minimum 60 minutes flight with an instructor you can take ANY FIXED WING FLIGHT TEST. I said ANY. IMC rating, Multi Engine rating, Instrument rating, Boeing 747 type rating - anything - provided it is in a fixed wing aircraft. You still need 12 hours on SEP though - you can't have 11 hours on SEP and a Boeing 747 type rating.
During the total 12 hours of SEP flight you must carry out 12 take offs and, not surprisingly, 12 landings as the "handling pilot:.
There IS a suggested profile to that minimum 60 minute flight with the fully qualified JAA instructor - and BEagle (or similar) will tell you the AIC reference number. Don't just wander off on a cross sountry for the $100 Hamburger.
Get all that done before licence expiry date (midnight, date on JARFCL150 form) you must turn up to a JAA EXAMINER,
NOT an instructor and have your JARFCL150 page signed. There are numerous types of EXAMINER that are approved to sign your revalidation - just ask the individual. NOTE!!!! You MUST have that revalidation signature BEFORE midnight on expiration date. Even if you can prove the 12 hours flown, all hurdles jumped, all i's dotted, all t's crossed it is ILLEGAL to sign the form and "backdate" it by even one day (or hour). Phew.
It's an odd situation but if you get those 12 hours AT ANY TIME during the 12 months from 28 August 2004, you can have your licence revalidated for 24 months from date of current expiry - so if you do the 12 hours on August 30th 2004 (for example) you can revalidate until August 28th 2007. SEVEN. 2007. 24 months from current expiry date. It does not say this in LASORS - it's in the "source document", JAR FCL 1.
The second option - instead of the 12 hours total is to opt for a
Licensing Proficiency Check (LPC)
This is a flight test and, as such, must be flown with a current (check their JARFCL 150 form) flight examiner authorised to carry out LPC on SEP aircraft.
The flight has a minimum requirement - and can be found on Page 1 and 2 of
this form Note that this form is used for a huge variety of flight and simulator tests - so some of the items may seem a bit strange. For example, landings are mandatory - but take-offs are optional. In an aircraft this is ridiculous - in a simulator it's no problem (just press the reset button).
On an LPC you are required, for SEP class ratings, to complete sections 1, 2, 3A, 4, and 5. The amount of "3A" that you require is at the discretion of the individual examiner.
Revalidation by LPC may be done at any time within the THREE MONTHS PRIOR to expiry in order to be extended to 24 months from current expiry date. Go figure. I don't make the rules - I'm just telling you them. BY experience, any time in the 12 months prior. By LPC any time within the 3 months before expiry.
Phew - again.
In the event that you do not get your JARFCL150 signed, by either method, before expiry then the only option available to you is to take the LPC with an examiner. Exactly the same flight as the revalidation option - but now known as a renewal. Same flight profile. Same.
The UK CAA will allow an examiner "in the field" to sign a Renewal at any time up to five years from rating expiry - so, for you, August 28th 2010. All you need (in law) is the LPC - but your chances of passing it, if you haven't flown for too long, is "reduced". Take some training - at the the recommendation of your (hours hungry?) instructor.
That all help? Maybe somebody else will post about renewal/revalidation of MEP (or I'll do it another day).
Enjoy the flying.