A class rating covers a category of similar aircraft — most commonly Single-Engine Piston (SEP) or Multi-Engine Piston (MEP) — rather than one specific type. EASA class ratings are revalidated periodically by experience or proficiency check, which schools must track per pilot.
A class rating covers a category of similar single-pilot aircraft — most commonly Single-Engine Piston (SEP) and Multi-Engine Piston (MEP) — rather than one specific type. The SEP rating is valid 24 months and may be revalidated by experience (a defined package of hours, takeoffs and landings, and a training flight with an instructor within the validity period) or by proficiency check; the MEP rating runs on 12-month validity with a proficiency check.
An expired class rating cannot be revalidated — it must be renewed, typically via refresher training assessed by an ATO plus a proficiency check, which is a materially bigger exercise than staying current.
Why it matters for flight schools
Class-rating validity is a dispatch gate the school must enforce for every renter and instructor: a lapsed SEP rating grounds the pilot legally, not just administratively. The revalidation-by-experience rules also create a service opportunity — the required instructor flight brings lapsing pilots back to the school before their deadline.
How FlightLogger handles it
FlightLogger tracks class-rating expiry per pilot and blocks dispatch when validity lapses — and the approaching-expiry list doubles as a call sheet for revalidation flights.
Frequently asked questions
How do I revalidate my SEP rating by experience?
Within the validity period: complete the defined package — 12 hours including PIC time, takeoffs and landings, and a training flight with an instructor — and have the revalidation signed off. Miss the window and the rating requires renewal instead.
What happens if my class rating expires?
Revalidation is no longer available — renewal applies: refresher training as assessed by an ATO followed by a proficiency check with an examiner. Cost and effort scale with how long the rating has been lapsed.