
What Are Type Ratings and How Can I Get One?
If you're interested in becoming a pilot, it's important that you know what type ratings are, how they work, and whether or not you need them for your career.
Type ratings are a measure of how much experience you have in flying specific types of aircraft. They are usually required by airline employers, who want to ensure that their pilots are experienced in the aircraft they’ll be flying.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at what type ratings are and explain how they can help you get hired as a pilot.
What is a Type Rating?
To fly specific planes, pilots need to have a "type rating," the minimum qualification set by regulatory bodies like the CASA in Australia. If a pilot has this certification, they are qualified to fly that specific aircraft. The candidate for a Type Rating must show that they have the requisite expertise, covering not just standard flying operations but also emergency procedures, instrument procedures (where relevant), and turbulence control and recovery.
Type Ratings are required exclusively for multi-pilot aircraft, and often a student pilot won't get one until after being hired by an airline and receiving training on the job.
Pilots need to finish a certified course of study and training provided by the airline and then take and pass a written and flight exam to earn a type rating. While a pilot's type rating will remain in effect for as long as they remain certified, recertification requires ongoing training and testing at six-month or yearly intervals.
Various Types of Type Ratings and Endorsements
Type ratings are endorsements added to your pilot licence in Australia that allow you to fly a specific aircraft type. A type rating is a must for flying big, "complex," or commercial aircraft. However, the operation of standard or light aircraft is covered by either your Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) or your Private Pilot Licence (PPL), depending on your licence.
Here's a look at some of the most common types of type ratings:
Multi-Engine Class Rating
Gaining your Multi-Engine Class Rating will allow you to fly twin-engine aircraft and is a prerequisite for any aviation professional.
Night Visual Flight Rules (NVFR) Rating
Your ability to fly an aircraft in reduced visibility is greatly expanded by earning a Night Visual Flight Rules (NVFR) Rating.
Piloting an aircraft at night is an extraordinary experience, made all the more memorable over a beautiful metropolis like Melbourne. However, if you also have your Night Visual Flight Rules (NVFR) Rating, you'll have more options when planning your flight, especially if you're doing a long flight that will have to wrap up after dark. A Private Pilot Certificate is required for participation in this training.
Multi-Engine Command Instrument Rating
Pilots that want to advance in their careers should aim for the MECIR (Multi-Engine Command Instrument Rating). It enables you to fly multi-engine aircraft and, more crucially, gives you the confidence and proficiency to leave and return to air bases in poor conditions or at night.
Training for the Multi-Engine Command Instrument Rating (MECIR) requires either a Private Pilot's licence (PPL) or a Commercial Pilot's licence (CPL) as a prerequisite.
The MECIR is an invaluable resource for pilots who wish to advance their aviation careers, particularly those who hope to break into the airline sector. This certification is required for entry into several professional fields. The expanded range of abilities is essential to your pilot training, and the ability to log more flight time in various types of aircraft and weather circumstances is a huge boon to your career advancement.
Private Instrument Rating (PIFR)
If you're a private pilot who wants to expand your horizons beyond what the Visual Flight Rules (VFR) allow, you should get your Private Instrument Rating (PIFR). It allows the holder to take the controls of a single-pilot aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 5700 kilograms while flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), provided that the necessary endorsements have been completed.
Formation Flying Endorsement
To participate in and even take the helm in close formation flights with other aircraft requires a Formation Flying Endorsement, and it's a challenging and rewarding flight activity for pilots of all skill levels.
Aerobatics & Spinning Endorsement
Any pilot may benefit greatly from the experience and knowledge gained via aerobatics and spinning maneuvers. Your flying training will take on a whole new dynamic with the addition of the Aerobatics Endorsement and the Spinning Endorsement.
Tailwheel Undercarriage Endorsement (TWU)
A Tailwheel Undercarriage Endorsement is required to fly planes that use a conventional undercarriage, often known as a setup with a tailwheel instead of a nose wheel. Many types of sport and aerobatic aircraft, antique aircraft including warbirds, bush planes, and utility aircraft use a tailwheel undercarriage. If you wish to expand your employment options to include agriculture, you'll need this endorsement because most aircraft in this field fly on tailwheels.
Takeaway
To sum it up, type ratings are issued by the CASA to pilots who want to operate aircraft in a particular category. Each type of rating is associated with a set of endorsements that the pilot's course may require. The type rating and endorsements are valid only when they are associated with the same class of pilot licence in Australia.
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