Instrument rating
 

My Instrument Rating is due to expire for the first time at the end of March. I have not kept it current (ie every 90 days 3 hours etc).
Firstly, what do I need to do for a renewal (full flight test)? Also, what happens if i don't renew before it expires? Do i lose the instrument rating entirely?Can someone please give me a reference...just I have had conflicting information on this issue so would like it settled. Cheers:)

IR
 

Firstly you don't have to do a full flight test when your IR expires, you have up to 12 months from the date of experation to do a renewal.

You don't loose it when it expires. You still hold an instrument rating, it is just expired and you arn't allowed to fly IFR. Will still show up on your licence.

I am due to renew my MECIR and the cheapest way to do it is to find a flight school that allowes you to fly an ILS approach in a simulator and then fly a ndb in actual flight. Will only cost around a $1000 to do and it will cover you for NDB, VOR, ILS, LLZ, GPS.

Hope this helps.

Read the Regs!
 

The only way to avoid conflicting information in this game is to read the regulations for yourself! In most cases, a quick check of the regs will take far less time and energy than starting a thread on pprune to find the correct answer.:ok:

From CAO 40.2.1 Section 12:

12.2 Where an instrument rating has expired for a period of less than 12 months, an applicant may qualify for issue of a rating by passing the instrument rating test applicable to the renewal of a rating.

12.3 Where an instrument rating has expired for a period in excess of 12 months, an applicant may qualify for issue of a rating by passing the instrument ratingtest applicable to the initial issue of an instrument rating.

Mav is spot on. You need to be aware of where these rules are written. This stuff should have been covered in your initial issue, in fact you shouldn't have passed section 2 of the Pre-Flight part of the flight test form (privileges and limitations) without this knowledge.

Cheers will have a look:ok: I thought that was right but have just been having a debate with a few others so thought I better check.

Yep I did my rating overseas so just checking if there are many differences etc.

I thought it was 16 months before an applicant had to pass the full initial or have casa changed the regulation?

My point exactly!
 

That extract was straight from the CURRENT CAO 40.2.1. It's amazing what you learn when you actually read the regs!

he is from overseas....