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5 Answers

Recency – Category, Class, and Type if required

Asked by: 1296 views Commercial Pilot, FAA Regulations, Private Pilot

Consider a pilot who gains their (initial airplane) certificate by completing a Checkride on a multi-engine Type. They are granted both the Type Rating and AMEL.

For recency, they complete 3 take-offs and landings in the specific type: are they also current for the generic multi-engine land class?

Under EASA, the type is considered separate from the class, whereas under the FAA (at least for certificate issue) the type is a sub-set.

Many thanks.

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5 Answers

  1. Best Answer


    Russ Roslewski on Mar 31, 2023

    For the FAA, yes. If you complete 3 takeoffs and landings in your 747, you are current for your Seminole.

    The reverse is not true. 3 takeoffs and landings in your Seminole doesn’t make you current in your 747.

    However, it does get more complicated, as you can be considered current in a 2-crew airplane even without the 3 takeoffs and landings in the last 90 days if you meet the exceptions of 61.57e. So it’s possible to be considered current in your 747 but NOT in your Seminole.

    Warning – reading 61.57e is almost guaranteed to result in a headache.

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  2. awair on Mar 31, 2023

    Thank you Russ.

    It was actually a 777, but close enough! I have a headache from just thinking about the consequences…

    I know it makes sense at some level, but not at others. The number of times I’ve been told that “if you can fly a ‘XXX’ you’ll be fine in this” – only to find myself bewildered before startup with an array of avionics more advanced that the bigger type.

    I guess it boils down to professional judgment, and knowing that while we might be legal, we may not be proficient.

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  3. Mark Kolber on Mar 31, 2023

    I think one the issues – which I don’t understand enough to comment on – is that US and EASA rules differ greatly on what a “type rating” is. Things which are a simple “checkout” or, at most, require a 61.31 endorsement in the US, are considered “type ratings” under EASA.

    But, as for the US rules, Russ is absolutely correct.

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  4. awair on Mar 31, 2023

    Thank you Mark for the reinforcement.

    One of the significant differences between FAA & EASA on this is that SEL (Single Engine Land) is restricted in EASA to (SEP) Single Engine Piston (land). The Turboprop versions are covered under a generic Single Engine Turbine (SET) class rating – unless they are listed separately in the table, and then effectively require a Type Rating.

    The PA46 is a separate ‘PA46 SET’ rating, as is the TBM series ‘TBM SET’.

    Also differences training (not Complex, High Performance etc) requires a formal endorsement.

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  5. Mark Kolber on Apr 01, 2023

    Thank you for that explanation, awair.

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