IR renewal under EASA
Under JAA, as long as the IR had not expired for 5 years or more, I just had to turn up for a proficiency check to get it renewed - which should be easy to pass if I am late for, say, a couple of days or if I have been using my FAA IR for a few years and now want to renew my JAR IR.
With the new EASA regs, "refresher training at an ATO to reach the level of proficiency needed to pass the instrument element of the skill test in accordance with Appendix 9 to this Part" is now mandatory, to be completed before the proficiency check.
Is it clear yet what this means in practice? This could mean anything from turning up at the ATO, getting the once-over by an IRI [1 extra hour flying] to a "170A mock skill test with sign off" gold-plating... [2-3 extra hours, more if the school thinks you need more training before that]
If it is anything gold plated, it might be easier and cheaper to just renew before EASA kicks in and then do the extra revalidation each year instead.