A type rating is a qualification to fly a specific aircraft type — typically larger, turbine or complex aircraft such as an A320 or B737. Training combines ground school, simulator sessions and a skill test, and the rating is revalidated through recurrent proficiency checks.
A type rating qualifies a pilot to operate a specific aircraft type — required for all multi-pilot aircraft and complex high-performance single-pilot types. The course combines type technical ground school, extensive full-flight simulator training, and a skill test; airline-sponsored variants often finish with zero-flight-time training (ZFTT) and line training on the operator's aircraft.
Ratings are maintained through recurrent checks: an annual licence proficiency check (LPC) in EASA terms, plus the operator's own recurrent cycle for airline pilots. An unrevalidated type rating lapses and needs renewal training.
Why it matters for flight schools
For training organisations with type-rating scope, the product is high-ticket and simulator-bound — capacity planning is FFS slot planning. For ab-initio schools the type rating matters as the handoff point: cadet contracts often specify who pays for and delivers it, which shapes the whole programme's economics.
How FlightLogger handles it
FlightLogger tracks type-rating courses like any approved syllabus — ground school, sim sessions and checks in sequence — and carries rating validity dates into the pilot's ongoing compliance picture.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a type rating take?
Typically four to eight weeks of intensive ground school and simulator training, plus base/line training in the airline context. The simulator schedule, not the theory, sets the pace.
What does a type rating cost?
Commonly in the €20,000–35,000 range for narrowbody types when self-funded — which is why who pays (airline, cadet or shared bond arrangements) is a central term in every cadet contract.