IR Currency with lapsed type rating (For interview)
 

Good evening,

I have an interview coming up in the next few weeks with an airline I've long harboured ambitions to fly for. For me this is the big one, and hopefully if I'm successful it will be the last career move I make.

I am currently flying for an airline on my FAA licence. My JAA licence is still valid until next year, but my last JAA type rating (and thus IR) lapsed earlier this year. Would I be able to start a new type rating based on the fact that I do not currently have an IR or type rating that is current? I have two lapsed type ratings on my UK licence.

Thanks in advance.

When you say the type rating and IR lapsed earlier this year what do you mean. If it's just a year and a bit since your last JAA OPC i would say no problem. If however it's more than five years since the OPC renewal was due you have a problem.
If you are out of the five years you will have to pass the initial IR flight test again with a board examiner. Let it get to seven years and you have to do the written exams again too. To keep your JAA licence current, you could do this by passing a flight test in a group A aircraft like a piper or cesna. Any training would be to the requirement laid out by the training organisation. You also face the situation that JAA is gone and it's now EASA. They don't even know themselves yet what problems this may cause you.

My type rating lapsed just over a year ago, so going by that I think I should be fine. Thanks for your help.

Council Van - you obviously haven't asked FCL4 for advice in a long time. Speaking from experience, If you ask the CAA to clarify anything these days you will only be told to look at LASORS. Half the staff in there either don't have a clue or don't give a dam! Recently i did exactly what you suggest to EMB and they just kept refering me to LASORS. After several months (each reply from them takes weeks) They eventually confirmed the requirements. I had in fact over the prolonged period discovered that what they said was completely wrong.
I e-mailed back telling them this and got a reply within 30 minutes from someone that knew what they were talking about and gave the correct information. As far as info on EASA, god help us!

But no guarantee that what they say is in fact correct. It's up to you to sort out what you can do. They don't want to commit themselves in case their wrong. It's not like the old days, but hey, ask them by all means but if i were you i would read LASORS and make up your own mind.