EASA-IR renewal

[Linda787]

Hi everyone, my last Instrument check ride on an EASA registered aircraft was more than 5 years ago, but less than 7. If I m not mistaken, the EASA IR expires 7 years after the last IR skill test completed. Would anyone here know if an IR check rides on a non-EASA registered aircraft would/could reset the “EASA IR clock” as well ? Or does the IR check would have to be completed on an EASA registered aircraft to be valid ?

Thank you !

L787

[ApolloHeli]

That would be a question for your competent authority. EASA regulation FCL.625 covers the renewal, and as far as I am aware the aircraft it is performed on is not required to be EASA-registered, but obviously the instructor, ATO, and examiner would all have to be licensed appropriately by EASA. Again, get an email from your authority approving this before committing to the training.

FCL.625 IR - Validity, revalidation and renewal
(a) Validity An IR shall be valid for 1 year.
(b) Revalidation

(1) An IR shall be revalidated within the 3 months immediately preceding its expiry date by complying with the revalidation criteria for the relevant aircraft category.
(2) If applicants choose to fulfil the revalidation requirements earlier than prescribed in point (1), the new validity period shall commence from the date of the proficiency check.

(3) Applicants who fail to pass the relevant section of an IR proficiency check before the expiry date of the IR shall exercise the IR privileges only if they have passed the IR proficiency check.

(c) Renewal If an IR has expired, in order to renew their privileges, applicants shall comply with all of the following:

(1) complete a refresher training at an ATO, if deemed necessary by the ATO to reach the level of proficiency needed to pass the instrument element of the skill test in accordance with Appendix 9 to this Annex;
(2) pass a proficiency check in accordance with Appendix 9 to this Annex in the relevant aircraft category;
(3) hold the relevant class or type rating unless otherwise specified in this Annex.

(d) If the IR has not been revalidated or renewed in the preceding 7 years, applicants for the IR shall pass again the IR theoretical knowledge examination and skill test.
(e) Holders of a valid IR on a pilot licence issued by a third country in accordance with Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention shall be exempted from complying with the requirements in points (c)(1) and (d) when renewing the IR privileges contained in licences issued in accordance with this Annex.
(f) The proficiency check mentioned in points (c)(2) and (e) may be combined with a proficiency check performed for the renewal of the relevant class or type rating.

[awair]

Paragraph (e) refers. Yes, an ICAO check resets the clock.

Typically the 'competent authority' defers to the ATO. So as long as the rating is on the front of your license, you should have no problem finding a renewal option.

Good luck.

[gipsymagpie]

Dependent on your exact situation (country of licence, location etc), if you find a third-country ATO with an EASA approval, they will probably have examiners with an FCL 1000.(c) approval who can do EASA checks (and on non-EASA aircraft). I know because we have done exactly that in our ATO.

So you can more than reset the clock. If you're canny about it you can renew both your third country and EASA IR at once.