'Downgrade' ME IR to SE IR??
 

Good morning

I'm looking for a bit of advice regarding my ME IR that is due for revalidation soon. I hold a UK CPL with ME IR and have completed all the ATPL ground school subjects. All my ratings (SEP, MEP, ME IR, and IR(R)) are current, but I'm considering revalidating my IR on a SEP aircraft this year instead. My intention when completing all my training around 10 years ago was to seek part time work somewhere with a view to enjoying the flying while retaining my 'day job' of Air Traffic Controller. For numerous reasons, this has yet to happen and in the current climate I really can't see any opportunities in the near future. In addition, I feel that as I already have an established career, I don't want to be blocking any opportunities for those who wish to become full time professional aviators. My flying has always been mainly SEP and I enjoy touring, hence the interest in retaining the IR rather than allowing it to lapse.

The question I have is if I were to 'downgrade' (for want of a better way of putting it) my ME IR to a SE IR, would it be possible to regain it at some point in the future? I'm assuming this would involve training and a test, but is that with a CAA flight examiner or a local one?

Any information and advice would be very welcome indeed.

Cheers

Do you actually need an IR? Or can you get by with an IMC or none at all? If the name of the game is saving money, why not just let everything lapse? You'll need a bit of training from an ATO to get anything renewed, so that may as well be on a multi in a few years when you're ready...

If you're qualified and want to take the leap into a flying job, you've got just as might right to be there as anyone else.

Thanks Rudestuff for the reply.

I’d say that I do need an IR as it allows me to plan trips with more certainty that without one. What I don’t need is a ME IR - at present. That’s what’s driving the question, if my circumstances change how difficult would it be to get it back?

I find the lack of currency in the ME IR environment is making the revalidations far more onerous than they need to be be. Giving up anything that you’ve worked hard for is always a difficult decision, but I’m fortunate that finance plays only a small role in this and saving money is not the name of the game at all. It’s about my current and potential future needs. Ok, I could spend money getting more recency on MEP / IR scenarios which would solve the issue, but I go back to the point of not needing the rating at the moment.

No great issue, if you revalidate on SE then your privileges are limited to SE, but as you hold a valid IR then all you need to do to reactivate the ME privileges is to pass an IR Prof Check on a ME aeroplane.

That sounds straightforward, thanks Whopity. When you mention an IR Prof Check, is this with 'any' IR examiner or am I back to the CAA initial flight check?

Just revalidate with a standard IRE. The old days of having to do an initial test with the CAA again went out with the European regulation and only applied after 6 years of a fully lapsed IR. The obstacle now is that if you lapse by more than 7 years, you have to sit the theoretical exams again.

That sounds very straightforward and not as many hoops to jump through as before. Thanks for the advice, I think that makes the decision easy. Much appreciated. :-)

I would just add - whatever your reason is, try to keep your IR-ME current. It will be much cheaper than renew it at some point in the future. All IR renewals have to go thru ATO. So besides renewing your IR you would also need to renew your class rating - perhaps MEP(land). That will require additional training in ATO before they sign you off for a checkride.

None of this is mandatory for a Part-FCL rating when the applicant holds a valid equivalent rating on a third-country licence.

That's exactly what's caused this problem. Every other year I used to renew in the sim, but I now need to have a valid MEP to do this. Due to changes in the rules, I had to renew my MEP last year to be able to use the sim which required the extra training by the ATO. The expiry dates of my IR-ME and MEP don't tie in together and it's all getting unnecessarily complicated for no actual gain! On this basis, it seems sensible to allow my MEP to lapse and revalidate the IR on the SEP. If I ever need the ME side of things again (unlikely at present), I'll find an ATO to help. That's until the next rule change.... :rolleyes:

Thanks everyone for their input and advice.

Have you got the reference handy?

If the pilot holds a valid ICAO rating why should a course for the very same rating be required. Of course the ATO will need to assess the pilots currency and may then decide an appropriate amount of revision training if necessary or will not.

Just wondering whether an independent TRE could renew a type rating (expired for 18 months) on the basis of holding a valid ICAO equivalent. Normally such a thing would require an ATO sign-off...

FCL.625 (e)

ifitaint…

yes, it is. but the question was directed towards "downgrading" the rating.

yes, he can.

to be more specific it is FCL.625(e) for IR and FCL.625(f) for ratings

The relief for applicants holding equivalent third-country aircraft ratings is made in the last subpara of FCL.740(b) in the EU version and FCL.740(b)(2) in the UK version.

The relevant implementing regulation has not yet been incorporated into the EEA agreement so holders of EASA licences issued by one of the EFTA states will need to refer to the appropriate annexes in 2014/69/EU: Commission Decision of 6 February 2014 (C(2014) 559), and 2014/425/EU: Commission Decision of 1 July 2014 (C(2014) 4344).