ATPL(H) Exam Validity

[C20 Overture]

Having sat my last EASA (UK CAA) ATPL(H) exam in January 2014 (and issued a CPL later that year), I now have to rewrite 4 exams before beginning the IR(H) course.

My questions are:
1) If I complete the IR(H) course will my ATPL exams continue to be valid indefinitely or will they expire after 7 years (i.e. January 2021) leaving me with CPL + IR but needing to do all ATPL exams again to be issued with an ATPL?

2) If I don't rewrite the 4 IR(H) exams before Jan 2021, will I be required to write all 7 IR(H) exams before beginning the IR(H) course? And then will I need to rewrite the other 6 ATPL exams within 18 months to get ATPL(H) theory credits?

Any and all comments very much appreciated.

Thank you.

[paco]

1) They will expire 7 years after the expiry of the IR if you get it - this must be done within 36 months or you have to do them again.
2) Otherwise the exams last for 7 years after the expiry of the type rating on your licence so you will only need to do the 4 again. So you need to keep your type rating up.

Phil

[rudestuff]

Your ATPL exam credits are still valid. Theory exam credits never expire - they 'remain valid for' - there is a subtle difference.

Exams are downward creditable, so as written the ATPLs remain valid for:
LAPL/PPL - 2 years
CPL/IR - 3 years
ATPL - 7 years (rolling)
FIight Instructor/ 1st MP type - indefinitely.

So in your case you cannot use them for IR (because it's been more than 3 years) but they technically remain valid for the ATPL because you have a CPL/Type.

[rudestuff]

Originally Posted by hargreaves99

i think it's 7 years after the date of your last IR renewal, not 7 years after the IR expires

It's 7 years from 'last validly date' which I believe the UK CAA interpret as expiry. So effectively 8 years from a renewal.

[rudestuff]

Going off on a tangent slightly, but I'm assuming you want an IR(H). Have you seen how much those things cost lately? Have you considered getting a PPL(A)/IR? It's only a 10 hour conversion from IR(A) to IR(H) instead of 45. You might find it's cheaper and you get a couple of free ratings that might come in handy in 5-10 years when there's another chronic pilot shortage!
Plus it gives you the option to avoid taking the IR exams altogether.

[hargreaves99]

It's 7 years from 'last validly date'

are you sure? see below

from:

https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/def...-FCL-Jun20.pdf

FCL.625 IR – Validity, revalidation and renewal Regulation (EU) 2019/1747

(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.

[rudestuff]

Originally Posted by hargreaves99

are you sure? see below

(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.

Yes I am: I'm talking about ATPL exams, you're taking about an expired IR 😉

[C20 Overture]

Many thanks to all for all the information above. It really is greatly appreciated.

I initially had a R22 on my license (for the CPL flight test) but that expired in 2015. So does that mean my ATPL exams are valid until 2022?
Or... In the meantime I have put 212/412 on my license (which is currently valid, albeit restricted to C-reg aircraft). So my exams are valid for at least another 7 years? I'll just need to sit the 4 IR ones when the time comes.

In terms of the PPL(A) option... that is a very interesting suggestion. I'll be doing a conversion from ICAO IR(H) to EASA however so would I be right in thinking this would be more affordable than the PPL(A) + IR(A) + IR(H) conversion option?

Thank you.