FAA ME IR to SEP IR

@AnthonyQ

To the best of my knowledge there are no N-registered airplanes based in Canberra. There is an USAF King Air stationed here that is used by people from the US Embassy. There are, however, several light N-registered craft based at Bankstown, Sydney's "secondary" airfield.

@bhyatt

just received similar confirmation from the US flight school I used for the IR.....and that anytime in the future could reactivate ME privileges by reactivating ME rating....

Provided the ME rating on your "foreign licence" (= your UK CAA licence or Its EASA replacement) remains current or is regained after being allowed to lapse.

Just as a matter of interest Antek, since I see you are based in Canberra, does anybody there operate Nreg aircraft with FAA IR to circumvent the also fairly onerous Australian currency and revalidation requirements?

Peter is correct about the FAA IR being non-expiring but if I let my MEP lapse I could keep IR current on the SE but not sure if this would be legal as far as the FAA is concerned (a couple of "typos" corrected :)

You are currently allowed to fly N-registered multi-engine land airplanes only if your UK CAA PPL presently allows you to do so.
If you fail to revalidate "your multi-engine privileges" in the UK, you will also cease to be able to exercise "these multi-engine privileges" under your 61.75 FAA pilot certificate. However, as long as your UK "single-engine privileges" remain valid (current UK BFR....) and you keep satisfying FAA currency requirements (current FAA flight review, "6-in-6" instrument approach currency....) you will continue to be allowed to fly N-registered single-engine airplanes under IFR.

In the past I had to face a very similar "dilemma" to yours.

Out of interest...

I don't think the FAA ME ever lapses. You can always renew the PPL/CPL with an appropriate BFR.

Presumably the FAA ME IR is similarly renewed, either by flying 6 approaches under the hood with a safety pilot, or with an IPC with a CFII.

But the JAA/EASA ME can lapse totally, and if you leave it for more than X years you have to re-do the whole ME conversion (PPL or CPL) which is 5 hrs minimum, and also have to re-do the ME IR test (via an FTO - like any JAA/EASA IR which is more than 1 year + 1 day old.

Is that correct?

A lot of European private pilots who, many years ago, would have naturally progressed to twins, are totally avoiding the whole ME business because of this stuff.

A very good point about not dropping the ME entitlement until after the CBM IR conversion - if/when that comes. An FAA ME IR holder should be able to get an EASA ME IR with just an oral exam and the initial IR test (assuming the 50hrs IFR time already in the logbook, etc).

the 61.75 can be very funny. I once saw one of a 777 FO... That qualified as ME as well :-)

This type of mutual validation is common in the ATPL business... in general, if you get a job with a commercial operator (probably an AOC holder) then that operator's national CAA will validate your ICAO papers for aircraft on its own registry.

Obviously this is a dead handy route to convert an FAA CPL/IR or FAA ATP into a JAR-FCL equivalent

It has been the holy grail of many people, and many achieved it. Most of them don't talk about it.

Going from ICAO to JAR-FCL was easy many years ago. Ireland used to hand out JAR-FCL ATPLs to anybody with an FAA one, until they got found out and were told to stop it. Hungary was another popular route, especially since Hungarian registered planes have been popular for certain types of ops in southern Europe.

I was offered this route (to convert my FAA CPL/IR into a JAR CPL/IR) in a certain country near the Adriatic. The catch was that I would have had to work there as an instructor, for a few months at least...

But I did the FAA to JAA IR conversion the normal way, in the end.

I think the only validation route into the JAR-FCL/EASA system that is officially allowed today is the one which requires you to have 2000hrs in a Part 25 aircraft.

@Cobalt

A few yhings intrigue me..

"I know that if my ME IR is current then I can fly SEP IR".. I do not know if this is correct as a ME is a different Class?

Your IR has to be US test passed as the FAA would not give this, based on your IMC.

So there are a couple of things to consider...

1. you still need to get your Easa IR... (before april 8, 2014).

2. You probably do not have an EASA license yet?

3. Your 61.75 actually may become invalid/may need some work (i know they are working on a solution) because once you get an EASA license your number will change and thus the 61.75 becomes invalid.

4. Once you have an EASA license you will never loose your validity anymore.( you can only be NOT current).

5. You may want to consider doing a full FAA test .. maybe CPL so that you have a normal license. it is not that hard and good training.

So what I would advise you is:

1. keep everything valid .. at least untill you get an EASA license (which probably comes straight after point 2).

2. get your EASA IR via the new CBM conversion route which hopefully will be available around feb 2014. Once you pass this I presume you will be automatically given an EASA license. Then you can let your ME lapse if you wish.

3. I would go for an FAA CPL ME license. That way you do not have any hassle with the 61.75 and number issues anymore. Besides the FAA CPL training and test are good fun and usefull.

This way you are fully covered and set.. and if you would decided to reinstate your ME .. it will be a lot easier.

P.S. the 61.75 can be very funny. I once saw one of a 777 FO... That qualified as ME as well :-)

Would you be proposing to drop the ME rating altogether, by doing both the UK PPL revalidation and the FAA PPL BFR in a single?

That would certainly save you a lot of money and hassle, if you are not a twin owner.