Question for people about 401.05(2)(a) / 421.05 (2)

Do the currency requirements have to be met by category...

For instance if I have a helicopter licence and aeroplane licence, and I were to do a flight review on an aeroplane with a flight instructor for an aeroplane and covered all items normally covered on a flight test, have I therefore met the requirements of 421.05(2)(a) and I am ok to exercise to the privileges of my licences (in this case both helicopter and aeroplane)?

For instance (b) safety seminar, (c) recurrent training program, (d) self-paced study - aren't category specific...

(e) PPC, and (f) complete permit, licence, etc also don't appear to be category specific...

(a) doesn't say it is category specific, just that you have to do the flight review with the flight instructor for that category...

but 421.05(2)(a) says you need to do one of them, and it doesn't say anything about category specific.

421.05(1)(a) - specifically says an aircraft, so any aircraft would do....

421.04(2)(b) - specifically mentions same class and category... so no question there...

So it doesn't seem like they just missed it, they knew what to mention in the other two. So I would interpret it as being good enough.

So in summary, does meeting 421.05(2)(a) for one licence or permit mean you meet 401.05(2)(a) for all licences and permits you have?

There is a difference between recency and currency. The list of "pick one nice to do's" only covers a part of the requirement. You can be "current" or "recent" but not the other. In some cases you need to be both (carrying passengers), in other cases, you can be only one, so you can go solo flying to make yourself the other. That solo flying has to be category specific to the class of aircraft to count.

Without having scrutinized the CARs before replying, I can say that I also have licences in different categories and have always understood that doing a flight review in one category satisifes the recency requirement broadly, and you're not obligated to do so for each category. (Then as mentioned above, you ensure you have your category specific requirements for pax carrying, etc etc)

I usually end up doing more than the minimums for each of my licences, so I'm personally covered off, but I think you're fine in the situation you've described.