Flying NVFR using CIR
 

According to the regs you can fly NVFR using your CIR as long as you have the normal NVFR experience and recency requirements.

My question is do you also need the CIR recency:

• Renewel in last 15 months and/or
• 3 hours IF time in the last 90 days (or the various equivelants)

There must be some reason why most people get their NVFR instead of going straight to CIR so I am assuming the reason is you need the IFR recency as well, making it a bit impractical when working in a VFR job.

I haven't flown NVFR for over 20 years but seem to recall that the rating was permanent subject to currency, whereas a CIR has always been subject to renewal on an annual basis PLUS currency/recency.

Alot of PPLs tend to get their NVFR so they can come back a bit later and not get caught out by last light issues.

I also think basic CPL holders get a NVFR so they can do freight only jobs in 210s and the like and get some experience and money in before they spend it all again in gaining a ME-CIR.

I did it as it was a requirement to do an instructor rating and I was also able to get the elusive night hours initially by teaching NVFR myself.

The way I understood it was to operate NVFR using a CIR, then the CIR must be current (operating NVFR is a privilege of the CIR unless you also have NVFR rating stamped in your logbook). I don't think you need to meet the IF recency requirements, just the night recency requirements as per the CAO's.

Using a CIR to operate under N.VMC depends on holding a CIR + the required N.VFR experience. Trouble is that a CIR lapses after a year. No renewal --> No CIR --> No N.VFR privileges. Unlike a CIR, a N.VFR rating is permanently valid. A limitation of a N.VFR rating is that it cannot be used for charter operations. It's a PVT & AWK rating only. Using N.VFR procedures for CHTR requires a CIR with N.VFR privileges.

No matter which rating you use to operate under N.VFR you must meet N.VFR recency requirements.

Thanks guys! :ok: