Expired IR: experience hours do not replace the renewal check
First Officer B, 41, held an IR(A) on the A320 that expired on 28 February 2025. Today is 15 October 2025. Since March 2025 he has logged 15.0 hours in an approved full flight simulator, all as pilot flying in instrument conditions, plus 2.0 hours of instrument flight in the aircraft. He has not flown the A320 since the IR expired and has not contacted an examiner. He believes he can simply revalidate because he has more than 10 hours of recent instrument time, and he wants to be back on the line before Christmas. His Class 1 medical is valid. His operator says the simulator sessions were conducted by a type rating instructor but not by an examiner. He has no IR proficiency check in the last 12 months.
1. Is this a revalidation or a renewal? What difference does it make?
Read the worked answer
It is a renewal because the IR has already expired. Revalidation applies while the rating is still valid and can be achieved by the experience route or by a proficiency check. Once the rating has expired, the pilot has no IR privileges and cannot revalidate retrospectively. Renewal requires a proficiency check with an examiner. Recent instrument hours alone, even if they exceed 10 hours, do not restore the rating. The fact that the simulator sessions were with a type rating instructor and not an examiner does not satisfy the renewal requirement. He must also meet the applicable pre-entry requirements and hold a valid medical. The practical consequence is that he must book an examiner and a qualified device or aircraft; he cannot simply file the hours and resume line flying.
2. Can the 15 hours in the FFS be used in the renewal process? If so, how?
Read the worked answer
Yes, but not as a substitute for the check. The FFS hours may be used to prepare for the renewal and, if the device is qualified for the purpose and the examiner accepts, the proficiency check itself can be conducted in an FSTD. The 15 hours as pilot flying can support recency and form part of the training record, but the examiner must still conduct the required proficiency check. The pilot should confirm that the FSTD qualification covers the IR renewal check and the A320, and that the examiner is authorised for the IR and the type. The 2.0 aircraft hours and 15.0 FSTD hours do not avoid the check. If the device is not approved for the check, he may need an aircraft or another qualified FSTD.
3. What else should he verify before booking the renewal?
Read the worked answer
He should verify his medical certificate, his licence and IR entries, and whether the IR has been expired for more than three years; on these facts it has not. He should ensure the simulator is qualified and the examiner is authorised for the IR and the type. He should check with the operator about line check and training requirements, and allow enough time before Christmas for the check, any referral, and licence administration. He should also confirm that the FSTD's approved configuration covers the whole check, not just part of it. A renewal is not just a paperwork exercise; the examiner must be satisfied that the candidate meets the standard.