Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

5 Answers

Recency – Category, Class, and Type if required

Asked by: 1256 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.

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

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.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  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.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  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.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  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.

    +1 Votes Thumb up 1 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  5. Mark Kolber on Apr 01, 2023

    Thank you for that explanation, awair.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.