Class and type ratings (FCL.700, FCL.725)

Class and Type Ratings — FCL.700, FCL.725

A licence alone does not entitle you to fly any aircraft: for every class or type of aircraft you operate you must also hold a valid rating. For the typical PPL pilot the key rating is SEP(land), and its 24-month validity cycle — with the difference between revalidation and renewal — is one of the most frequently tested topics in Air Law.

Why ratings exist (ICAO)

ICAO Annex 1 requires that pilots hold, in addition to the basic licence, ratings appropriate to the aircraft flown:

• Class rating — for a class of aircraft of similar handling (e.g. SEP = single-engine piston).
• Type rating — for one specific aircraft type (e.g. A320, B737).

Under EASA law, the general requirement to hold the appropriate rating is laid down in FCL.700, and training/testing requirements in FCL.725 (Part-FCL, Subpart H).

Class ratings relevant to PPL flying

SEP(land): validity, revalidation and renewal (FCL.740, FCL.740.A)

The SEP(land) class rating is valid for 24 months. Before it expires you must revalidate it; after it has expired you can only renew it. Keep the two terms strictly apart:

Revalidation by experience — within the 12 months preceding the expiry date you must have completed, in the class:

• 12 hours of flight time, including 6 hours as PIC,
• 12 take-offs and 12 landings, and
• refresher training of at least 1 hour with a flight instructor.

Revalidation by proficiency check — if you do not meet the experience requirements, you must pass a proficiency check with an examiner within the 3 months before expiry.

Renewal — once the rating has expired, a proficiency check is always required (plus refresher training as determined by an ATO/DTO where necessary).

Type ratings

Complex aircraft (e.g. turbojet aircraft, MTOM above 5 700 kg, or more than 19 passenger seats) require a type rating — a separate rating per type (e.g. A320, B737), each with its own training, checking and validity regime.

Night rating (FCL.810)

To fly VFR at night, PPL/LAPL holders need the night rating. Minimum training: at least 5 hours of flight time at night, including at least 3 hours of dual instruction (of which at least 1 hour of cross-country navigation) and 5 solo take-offs and 5 solo full-stop landings.

Glider towing rating (FCL.805)

Applicants for the sailplane towing rating must have completed, after licence issue:

• at least 30 hours of flight time as PIC and
• 60 take-offs and landings in aeroplanes or TMG,

plus a training course at an ATO (Approved Training Organisation) including practical towing instruction.

Instrument qualifications

• IR (Instrument Rating) — the full instrument rating for IFR flight in IMC; theoretical and practical requirements are considerably more extensive than for the PPL.
• BIR (Basic Instrument Rating) — the simplified EASA instrument rating with restricted minima, designed for private pilots.

Germany (national)

Part-FCL ratings apply directly in Germany. National provisions in the LuftPersV are largely aligned with Part-FCL.

Exam essentials

• A licence may only be exercised together with a valid class or type rating for the aircraft flown (FCL.700).
• The SEP(land) class rating is valid for 24 months.
• Revalidation by experience requires, within the 12 months before expiry: 12 hours of flight time in the class including 6 hours as PIC, 12 take-offs and 12 landings, and 1 hour of refresher training with an instructor.
• A pilot who does not meet the experience requirements must revalidate by proficiency check with an examiner; after expiry, renewal always requires a proficiency check.
• The night rating requires at least 5 hours of night flight time, including 3 hours dual instruction with 1 hour of cross-country navigation, and 5 solo take-offs and full-stop landings.
• The sailplane towing rating requires 30 hours as PIC and 60 take-offs and landings after licence issue, plus an ATO training course.
• The BIR is the simplified EASA instrument rating with restricted minima; the full IR permits IFR flight in IMC.