Okay, so you have not kept up your Maintenance of Competency, this means you didn't do your flight test, or submit your annual renewal fee and information to the SACAA, and your PPL has expired. Now what?

​

If you look on the CAA website, Google it, or look in the CARs, you will find the conditions for Maintenance of Competency a bit more complex than below, but as of 30 July 2013, the Government Gazette, No. 36712 page 41 and 42 simplified it all for us as described below.

​

If your PPL has expired for less than 36 months, then:

• you must undergo a minimum of one period of dual flight instruction, and

• must meet the Recency Requirements, and

• pass a revalidation check in the same category of aircraft.

 

Then submit your Medical, Skills Test Form, a Certified copy of your Logbook showing the last twelve months summary, and the last three pages of your Logbook, as well as any endorsements you have received in these 12 months; and the relevant fee, to the CAA for processing. Click here for how and where to submit your license.  You will receive an SMS when it is ready for collection, and have to book a time to collect your license, or ask Aviation Assist to handle that for you for a very worthwhile small fee.

​

And you will be Back in the Game!

​

If your PPL has expired for more than 36 months, then:

​

• you need a SPL (this is necessary if your license has expired more than 5 years. It will set you back a Passport photo, (which you can take with your cellphone against a blank wall) and the fee - this will be done through your flight training school).

• you must write, (and pass) the online Airlaw exam at an approved exam centre.

• you will have to do sufficient ground training and dual flight training at an approved ATO (Aviation Training Organization)  to reach the standard required for the revalidation check, and

• must meet the Recency Requirements,

• pass an  Initial PPL Flight Test  (which means you must also do a cross country), and

• You will need a current Medical.

​

Then submit your Medical, Skills Test Form, a Certified copy of your Logbook showing the last twelve months summary, and the last three pages of your Logbook, as well as any endorsements you have received in these 12 months; and the relevant fee, to the CAA for processing. Click here for how and where to submit your license.  You will receive an SMS when it is ready for collection, and have to book a time to collect your license, or ask Aviation Assist to handle that for you for a very worthwhile small fee.

​

And you will be Back in the Game!

​

So basically if you held a PPL once upon a time, no matter how long ago, you only have to rewrite Airlaw, brush off the rust, obtain Recency, and do an Initial Flight Test, (which includes GF test and a cross country flight).

​

oOo