Keeping your PPL SEP Rating valid (2 years)

Keeping you PPL (Private Pilots Licence) current is important, not only to keep your licence valid but it also helps keeping current on the aircraft and the safety aspects (avoid he cobwebs!!). The 2 ways this can be done can be by taking a flight test with an examiner or an hour with an instructor and you will have to do this. The normal PPL holder will hold a SEP land rating which will let you to fly any aircraft with one piston (Single Engine Pilot). This licence is valid for 2 years and must be revalidated. If you miss out on getting this revalidated then don’t worry, this is easy enough to do as long as this is within the 5 years. If this does happen then all you will have to take a PPL skills test again which would include the normal Stalls, PFL’s and Emergencies etc and there would be pass or fail mark given. But to avoid this I would recommend reading the below.
These 2 ways can be broken down for easy read, these are:

1) SEP Test

This is like a PPL skills test and with a valid examiner but not as intense and just to see that you are a safe flyer. They recommend that in the last 3/4 months of the 2 years from the licence being valid is to take this test. It is a great idea to keep with the school you had training with as you will know the aircraft and hopefully the examiner. This is also the cheapest way too. Once you have done this and you have been granted that all is ok with your flying then the examiner will extend the date on your licence by another 2 years and this won’t be 2 years from that date but the date you PPL was issued, so it’s a win win!! Don’t forget that this will be like a test so it’s a good idea to read up from your training days about topics like Stalling, Emergencies and all the different types of take offs and landings etc.. Once this flight is over and the flight was conducted in a safe manor then examiner should hopefully sign your licence for another 2 years.


2) Time Building + 1 hour with an Instructor

During the final year only (first year doesn’t go towards this) of your licence validity then you must have flown at least 12 hours of which six of these must have been flown as PIC (Pilot in command) and or a P1.

These 12 hours must consist of the following:

• 12 landings & takeoffs – If you don’t fly to different aerodromes then your may want to do circuits as touch & go’s do count but can add extra due to landing fees.

• 1 Hour flight training with an instructor – This is what I would do as it would help any parts of your flying that you may want to brush up on.

Unlike the first way to validate your licence, this one hour with an instructor is not going to be like a flight test so don’t worry. This can be any part from of training syllabus. You should use this great opportunity to do something you haven’t done in ages, like the stalls or PFL’s (Practice force landings) etc. This second way is for pilots who fly loads more and don’t wish to take a test but it will cost more on average. And unfortunately this hour with an instructor does not count towards the 12 hours or as a PIC or P1. After this you would need your licence validated by an examiner. Any flight examiners can do this and once you have this signature it will extend the date on licence by another 2 years.

This signature is the most important part of the keeping your licence valid and must be done within the final 3 months before the licence expires. If you forget to get this signature you must then need to take a PPL skills test again with an examiner and those 12 hours flying time is not counted …. SO DON’T FORGET THE SIGNITURE!!


I hope this helps but this information was found by different sources and it can change at anytime so please keep checking at correct sources like the CAA for updates.