Seaplane rating question

[rotateandfly]

Hi everyone, my search through the CARs + TC website was unsuccessful.

I'm aware of recency requirements in order to fly floats but,
If I got a seaplane class rating, would the rating itself ever expire if I didnt fly floats for a while?

[ahramin]

No.

[Siddley Hawker]

My license still says Single and Multi Engine Land and Sea and I've been retired for 13 years.

[Panama Jack]

Category, class and type ratings never disappear from Canadian (and US) pilot licenses. Besides, when would TC even know when you last flew a seaplane unless they audited you.

[rotateandfly]

good to know, thank you!

[Redneck_pilot86]

I wonder if you would lose it if you ever went more than 5 years without touching an airplane...I'm too lazy to look up the CAR but there is something requiring essentially redoing your paperwork and flight test.

[ahramin]

If you haven't flown in 5 years you have to write the PSTAR and do a flight review. Once you have flown in the same category of aircraft that you did your flight review in you are good for all categories again.

[Colonel Sanders]

Seaplane is actually class, not category:

http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/r ... htm#421_38

Category actually refers to aeroplane, glider, helicopter, ultralight, etc.

I doubt that a flight review in one category is good
for another, but I am horrible pessimist

[EPR]

Endorsement's don't expire.

[ahramin]

Whoops. Thanks Colonel. As you say a flight review in one category is no good for any other category. Once you've done the flight review and flown the aircraft in that category though, you are good to go for all categories. In other words a glider flight review meets the 5 year requirement for gliders only, but a glider flight as PIC meets the 5 year requirement for all categories.

401.05(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Subpart, no holder of a flight crew permit, licence or rating, other than the holder of a flight engineer licence, shall exercise the privileges of the permit, licence or rating unless

(a) the holder has acted as pilot-in-command or co-pilot of an aircraft within the five years preceding the flight, or

[rotateandfly]

I guess what I'm trying to find out is if I do my float rating, then I dont fly floats anymore for 20 years but I've maintained my currency on land, will my licence still incorporate the float rating?

[photofly]

Yes. Even if you haven't flown any aircraft for 20 years, your licence will include floats (and land airplanes). But you won't be legal to exercise the privileges of your licence without some work.

[Colonel Sanders]

But you won't be legal

Not sure about that. Let's say you got a seaplane
endorsement 20 yrs ago, and haven't flown float
since then. But, you've stayed current on wheels.

Then, you buy a floatplane. What CAR would be
contravened by you jumping in it and doing 5 takeoffs
and landings, then loading your pax in, and off you go?

Assuming you could find an insurance company looney
enough to go along with this hare-brained idea.

Same thing applies to multi-engine. You haven't flown
one for 20 years, but it's on your licence. Buy one,
jump in it solo, and off you go.

Same thing applies to night on SEL wheels and MEL
wheels. Get current again solo. Lots of us have been
doing that for a very long time!

[rotateandfly]

Excellent! Thanks very much for everyone's input!

[photofly]

But, you've stayed current on wheels.

Ah... my comment was predicated on "Even if you haven't flown any aircraft for 20 years". Even in that case, what's on your licence doesn't expire or change. So, less so would it, if you stay current on wheels for the duration.

[Colonel Sanders]

If you haven't flown any aircraft in 20 years, you
could write the PSTAR and do a flight review on
a buck fifty SEL then jump into your new SES or
MES floatplane and check yourself out.

As Ahramin pointed out, the flight review is not
class (or day/night) specific.

And the bottom line is that "blanket" class ratings
(SEL, MEL, SES, MES) never go away, like instrument
or instructor ratings which disappear from your licence
in a few years (which is retarded, but another subject).

[ahramin]

Sorry rotateandfly, thought I answered that in my first reply.

Think of it this way, if you don't fly for 20 years, or only fly on floats for 20 years, would you expect your wheel rating to disappear?

[rotateandfly]

Excellent! You guys are a big help, seriously

[PilotDAR]

class ratings
(SEL, MEL, SES, MES) never go away

It's interesting, as I somehow have an MES rating, and I have never flown one! But, if one comes along, and I can get some refresher training, I'm ready!

Yes, the ratings don't disappear, but exercising them without recent practice/training would be a bad idea...