Class or Type?
 

Reading through my airlaw manual last night in bed I came across the section dealing with aircraft being in one of the two categories of either class or type.

I read it several times and cannot determine whether the entry on my PPL(H) of R22 refers to a class or type.

Would appreciate an explanation of these two terms. Thanks in advance.

In practical terms, what it means is that you can have your annual LPC on a Beta, Beta II or even HP and you'll be covered for all these R22 variants - but you'll need a separate type rating and LPC for an R44 and so on.

In other words, all variants of R22 are considered to be a single type. I think the term class refers to the situation where a number of less common types (Brantly 2B etc.) are grouped together, or for fixed wing (single engine etc.).

Its a bit odd that several odd rare machines might be grouped together (probably very different to fly) but that the LPC for an R44 doesn't revalidate your an R22 rating. I wonder if this will change as Europe gradually takes over from the CAA?

2Sticks

For the FAA, the breakdown is Catagory, Class and Type

Catagory is Airplane, Rotorcraft-Helicopter, multi-engine glider ( ;) ), etc

Class is Single engine land, etc. All helicopters below 12,500 lbs MGW are of the same class.

Type is the broad model designation, generally, like SK-76 or SK-61. A model designation Type Board meets for all newly certified helicopters, chaired by the Flight Standards guys to decide if the unique aspects of that machine require that it be controlled by having a separate type rating. This board also decides how broad the model type designation is - in other words, they decide if the D model is so different that it must be typed differently than the A model.

Note that Pt 135 operations require type ratings for everything, so a new type is designated for 135 pilots, even if the base model helo does not specifically need a type rating. I know of no helo below 12,500 that deserves its own type, except for 135 pilots.

The distinction is generally that currency is met in the same catagory and class machine.

I´m pretty sure that an JAA-LPC in R22 covers all small piston helicopters incl, S-300, Enstrom etc.. Still have to fly at least 2 hrs in each type to stay current.

Multi-engine glider
 

Hey Nick,
I have a single engine glider. The FAA calls it a self-launching glider or motorglider.
But even with the engine, it remains in the glider category. So the pilot only needs a glider certificate and no medical is required. Just another odd FAA factoid.

There is no reason why a multi-engine glider could not be certified in the U.S.:uhoh:

Nope. It's all there in LASORS F8.4.

Section F Appendix C lists the Helicopter types. R22 / R22A / R22B are listed together but R44 is a separate type.

So R22 covers you only for R22.

The only exceptions are the following types which are grouped together:

Bell 47, Brantly B2, Hughes 269, Enstrom ENF 28, Hiller UH12 . An LPC on any of these covers you for all, but you still have to have the 2 hours experience on each individual type. R22 is not included.

So the variations on R22 are collectively a type and say an R22 Beta is a class, The Brantly and its mates are a class?

Thanks for the help chaps - becoming clearer..

Cron: Now that I've looked it up, the term Class is used only for fixed wing - SEP, MEP that sort of thing. All helicopters are listed as individual types and the Brantly 2B thing is handled as an exception - they are still individual types.

Your best bet is to get yourself a copy of LASORS:

Lasors 2005

Grainger.. darn you made me look it up :O and sure enough its there in appendix 1 to FCL 2.245.

Like you said a H300 LPC will cover you in several piston helicopters except R22/44 for instance.

So back to the original question. These helicopters are treated as a class for the purpose of prifiency checks: Bell 47, Brantly B2, Hughes 269, Enstrom ENF 28, Hiller UH12.

Othervise a "class" does not really exist at all in the JAR. All helicopter are "types".

I believe that in the F/W world all turbine and jet powered airplanes are "type" and all piston singles are one "class" as well as piston twins.