SEP revalidation under EASA: exactly what you need every two years

Every two years, your EASA PPL SEP(land) class rating expires unless you take action to revalidate it. It is one of the most routine events in a private pilot's calendar, and yet it catches people out every year — either because they miss the deadline or because they choose the wrong revalidation route and end up doing more work than necessary.

Here is exactly what FCL.740A requires, and how to satisfy it as efficiently as possible.

Two routes to revalidation

FCL.740A gives you a choice:

Route 1: Hour-building + club declaration

In the 12 months before expiry, you must have flown at least 12 hours on SEP aeroplanes as PIC, including at least 1 hour dual with a flight instructor and 6 take-offs and 6 landings. You then need a sign-off from an authorised examiner or club instructor (depending on your national authority's implementation).

In the UK, this typically means a declaration from a registered flying club confirming the hours and the check flight. The CAA does not require a formal test — just evidence of the hours and the dual session.

Route 2: Proficiency check

Complete a proficiency check with an authorised examiner in the 3 months before expiry. This is the right option if you have not flown enough hours to qualify for Route 1, or if you prefer to have the more formal confirmation of competence.

Which route is right for you?

If you fly regularly — say, 20+ hours a year — Route 1 is almost always cheaper. The hour requirements are ones you will have met naturally, and the dual check flight can be done in an hour. If you fly infrequently (fewer than 12 hours a year is common for occasional pilots), Route 2 avoids the problem of counting hours.

The 3-month rule

For Route 2 (proficiency check), the check must be completed in the 3 calendar months immediately before expiry. If you take it earlier than that, the renewal period starts from the date of the check — not from the expiry — and you effectively lose time. If you take it within those final 3 months, the new expiry is calculated from the old expiry date, so you do not lose any time.

For Route 1, the 12-hour period is in the 12 months before expiry. There is no equivalent "lose no time" calculation — the new rating expires 24 months after the old one, regardless of when in the 12-month window you completed the flying.

What happens if your rating lapses?

If you let your SEP rating expire, you need a renewal, not a revalidation. Renewal requires:

Additional training with a flight instructor (the amount is at the examiner's discretion, based on an assessment of your currency).
A full proficiency check.

Renewal is more expensive and time-consuming than revalidation, which is why keeping a logbook that reminds you of upcoming expiry dates is not optional — it is the difference between a one-hour flight and a potential half-day of training.

Does the SEP TMG rating work differently?

The SEP(land) TMG (touring motor glider) class rating follows the same revalidation structure as SEP(land), but flying hours in TMG aeroplanes only count toward TMG revalidation, not toward SEP(land) revalidation, and vice versa. If you hold both, you need to meet the requirements for each separately.

Logging it properly

For Route 1 revalidation, you need to be able to demonstrate:

12 hours on SEP aircraft in the preceding 12 months
At least 1 hour dual with an instructor
6 take-offs and 6 landings

A logbook that filters your recent history by aircraft class and date range, and shows your take-off and landing counts, makes producing this evidence trivial. Searching through paper pages or a spreadsheet does not.

The bottom line

Revalidate via Route 1 if you fly regularly — it is cheaper and faster. Use Route 2 if you have been inactive. Set a reminder in your calendar 3 months before expiry, and make sure your logbook can produce the evidence quickly when your instructor asks for it.