FCL.740 Validity and renewal of class and type ratings

(a)     Validity

The validity period of class and type ratings shall be 1 year, except for single-pilot single-engine class ratings for which the validity period shall be 2 years, unless otherwise determined in the OSD. If pilots choose to fulfil the revalidation requirements earlier than prescribed in points FCL.740.A, FCL.740.H, FCL.740.PL and FCL.740.As, the new validity period shall commence from the date of the proficiency check.

Applicants for the revalidation of a class or type rating shall receive full credits for the proficiency check as required in this Subpart when they complete EBT practical assessment in accordance with Appendix 10 at an operator that has implemented EBT for the relevant class or type rating.

(b)     Renewal

For the renewal of a class or type rating, applicants shall comply with all of the following:

(1)     in order to determine whether refresher training is necessary for the applicant to reach the level of proficiency to safely operate the aircraft, they shall undergo an assessment at one of the following:

(i)      at an ATO;

(ii)     at a DTO or at an ATO, if the expired rating concerned a non-high-performance single-engine piston class rating, a TMG class rating or a single-engine type rating for helicopters referred to in point DTO.GEN.110(a)(2)(c) of Annex VIII;

(iii)     at a DTO, at an ATO or with an instructor, if the rating expired no more than 3 years ago and the rating concerned a non-high-performance single-engine piston class rating or a TMG class rating;

(iv)     at an EBT operator that is specifically approved for such refresher training;

(2)              if deemed necessary by the organisation or the instructor providing the assessment as per point (1), they shall complete refresher training at that organisation or with that instructor;

(3)     after complying with point (1) and, as applicable, point (2), they shall pass a proficiency check in accordance with Appendix 9 or complete EBT practical assessment in accordance with Appendix 10. That EBT practical assessment may be combined with the refresher training specified in point (2).

By way of derogation from points (b)(1), (b)(2) and (b)(3), pilots holding a flight test rating issued in accordance with point FCL.820 who were involved in the development, certification or production flight tests for an aircraft type and have completed either 50 hours of total flight time or 10 hours of flight time as PIC in test flights in that type during the year prior to the date of their application, shall be entitled to apply for the revalidation or renewal of the relevant type rating.

Applicants shall be exempted from the requirement in points (b)(1) and (b)(2) if they hold a valid rating for the same class or type of aircraft on a pilot licence issued by a third country in accordance with Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention and if they are entitled to exercise the privileges of that rating.

(c)      Pilots who leave an operator’s EBT programme after having failed to demonstrate an acceptable level of competence in accordance with that EBT programme shall not exercise the privileges of that type rating until they have complied with one of the following:

(1)     they have completed EBT practical assessment in accordance with Appendix 10;

(2)     they have passed a proficiency check in accordance with point FCL.625(c)(3) or point FCL.740(b)(3), as applicable. In such a case, point FCL.625(b)(4) and point FCL.740(a)(2) shall not apply.