SEP renewal during covid
 

Would renewing an instructors SEP be acceptable during this lockdown?, or anybodys SEP rating. Thanks.

A full time instructor cannot work without valid SEP, therefore travel to renew is essential. Whether you can find an Examiner to fly with or an airfield to fly from is another matter. Renewing a purely leisure PPL's SEP is, in my opinion, definitely not essential. Of course, if said instructor is very much part time and can afford to survive without what would be relatively little extra income, or only flew with aforementioned PPLs, I would see that as being outside the spirit of the law if not illegal.

That is nonsense. A Flight Instructor is a professional. Even the smallest amount of flying and earnings could be important to an individual. Who are we to judge? We must comply with some very silly, out of date and some very unfair regulations at times without various people making up new ones. If any professional needs to renew to work then they should do so but, of course, safely and according to current regulations as they are written.

I did hear a rumour that the CAA rejected an application because the test was during a lockdown, hopefully just a rumour

Load of bolleaux. Get it renewed, it's for professional use. Unbelievable, the hit that this covid nonsense has had on all corners of aviation.

Amen! Get it renewed. Don't let COVID take your life like it has to the rest of the workers in aviation, tourism, hospitality, live events, creative arts, self-employed and the list goes on and on.

Renewal implies that the rating has already expired. There was opportunity during the last 9 months or so to revalidate if not by experience, then by test. It is possible that opportunity didn't exist in this case, but renewal involves not only the examiner, but the Head of Training at an ATO or DTO issuing a Course Completion Certificate and completing the renewal paperwork. 'No training required' might be the case, but what if some refresher is called for?
If the rating has already expired, unless the instructor is working at an ATO teaching Commercial students, they won't be able to work until the current restrictions are lifted anyway, so why not wait until they are?

TOO

Thanks everyone for your advice, the club aeroplane will probably benefit from a maintenance flight soon, so will probably combine the two events.