Licensing - staying current

You will see on your licence that your Microlight rating appears in grid boxes and has an expiry date 24 months from the date of your GST. You must have your rating revalidated by the expiry date at the latest, otherwise it will lapse and you will need to pass another GST to get it back


An example of what your rating will look like on your NPPL


How many hours and when?

You are required to fly a minimum of 12 hours within the 24 month period, and complete a minimum of 12 take-offs and landings.

Of these 12, 6 hours must be flown in the second 12 months/12 months leading up to expiry date.

Of the 12, at least 1 hour must be flown under instruction. This is also referred to as a refresher hour. It can be completed at any stage within the 24 months of your rating's currency, and can be done over two flights if needed. The instructor must be a Microlight instructor, SEP instructor with the privileges to instruct on Microlights, or a SEP CRI who has the privileges to instruct on Microlights. You should use this flight to train on anything you feel could use improvement.

Once all of these conditions are met, your rating can be revalidated (even as early as a week into the second 12 months) without losing currency. This means that the above example could be revalidated as early as April 2027, and the new rating would run until 31st March 2030.


WHO REVALIDATES MY RATING?

Your rating can be revalidated by anyone who holds a Microlight examiner authority, SEP examiner who has Microlight privileges, or a SEP CRI with Microlight privileges who has undertaken your instructional hour.

You will need to show your logbook and licence to them. They will check your logged hours meet all aforementioned criteria before revalidating your rating on your licence with their signature.


An example of a what a revalidated Microlight rating will look like


WHO DO I NOTIFY AFTER THIS?

No other body or association needs to be notified after this. Just be sure the rating has been entered with the correct expiry date (24 months from GST or last rating to end of month) and you are good to go.


WHAT IF MY RATING GOES BEYOND THE EXPIRY DATE WITHOUT REVALIDATION?

You will need to pass a GST in order to get a new rating completed on your licence by a Flight examiner. 

If your rating has lapsed by more than 5 years, you will need discretionary training before the GST, and a ground oral exam will also need to be passed.

It should go without saying that it is illegal to fly under a lapsed rating.