CASA IPC rules: validity, early renewal and who conducts it
Checked against the sources below on 29 October 2026. How these guides are written
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A CASA instrument proficiency check is valid from the day you pass it to the end of the 12th month after the month of the check (CASR 61.880(3)(e)). Pass a new IPC in the 3 months before expiry and the new 12 months run from the old expiry date (61.880(3)(f)). CASA or a flight examiner with an instrument rating flight test endorsement conducts it, in the aircraft or an approved FSTD. An operator proficiency check covering IFR, conducted by such an examiner, gives the same 12 months.
- Validity
- Pass an IPC for the category
- To the end of the 12th month after the month of the check
- 61.880(3)(e)
- Early renewal
- New IPC within 3 months before expiry
- 12 months from the old expiry
- 61.880(3)(f)
- Category and engines
- IPC for the aircraft category; a multi-engine IPC to fly a multi-engine aeroplane or helicopter
- Per category
- 61.880(1), (2), (9)
- Who conducts it
- CASA, or a flight examiner with an instrument rating flight test endorsement
- Endorsed in your licence document
- 61.880(5), 61.1265(3)
- Checks that count instead
- IR flight test; endorsement test more than 6 months after the IR test; OPC covering IFR by an examiner with an IR flight test endorsement; approved training and checking system
- 12 months, or while you take part in the system
- 61.880(3)(a) to (d)
- Type-rated aircraft
- Valid IPC for the type
- To the end of the 24th month after the month of the check
- 61.805
- Failed IPC
- Validity for that category ends
- Immediately
- 61.880(4)
How long a CASA IPC lasts
61.880(3)(e) makes an IPC valid "from when the holder successfully completes the check to the end of the 12th month after the month in which the holder successfully completes the check". Pass on 10 March 2026 and the IPC is valid to 31 March 2027.
If, "within 3 months before the validity of the existing check expires", you pass a new IPC, the new validity runs "from when the validity of the existing check expires to the end of the 12th month after the validity of the existing check expires" (61.880(3)(f)). With that 31 March 2027 expiry, an IPC on 15 January 2027 runs to 31 March 2028. An IPC done earlier than the 3-month window starts a fresh 12 months from its own month.
The examiner endorses your licence document with the date of the check and the aircraft it relates to (61.880(5), (8)). A failed IPC ends your IPC validity for that category, or for multi-engine aircraft of that category, at once (61.880(4)).
Who conducts an IPC and what it covers
A flight examiner "is authorised to conduct an instrument proficiency check only if the examiner also holds an instrument rating flight test endorsement" (61.1265(3)), which is category specific (table 61.1310). CASA can also conduct it, or a person with a 61.040 approval can assess you while CASA or an examiner does the oral and endorses the licence (61.880(5)(b)). The check must be in the relevant aircraft or an approved FSTD (61.880(6)).
The standard is Part 61 MOS Schedule 6, Appendix 1. It covers an IFR departure, en route sectors, an arrival, "instrument approach operations using at least 2 different procedures, and at least 1 missed approach procedure", flown from the DA or MDA. The check must include at least one 2D approach, a 3D approach where the test requires it, at least one approach flown by hand, and a visual circling approach with a heading change of at least 90 degrees.
In a multi-engine aircraft you also fly an instrument departure and an instrument approach with one engine inoperative, then a missed approach or a circling procedure with one engine inoperative.
Category, multi-engine, single-pilot and circling scope
The IPC is per category: aeroplane and helicopter each need their own. A multi-engine aeroplane needs "a valid instrument proficiency check for multi-engine aeroplanes" (61.880(2)). Because the relevant aircraft for a category IPC is "a single-engine or multi-engine aircraft of that category" (61.880(9)), a multi-engine IPC also covers single-engine IFR in that category.
Single-pilot IFR needs a pass in the instrument rating flight test or "an instrument proficiency check in a single-pilot aircraft" (61.860(2)), so an IPC flown only in a multi-crew simulator does not open single-pilot IFR. Circling under the IFR needs your most recent IPC (or an IR test within 12 months) to have included a circling approach (61.860(3)).
The IPC does not replace approach recency. You still need 3 instrument approach operations in 90 days, plus a 2D and a 3D in 90 days for each kind you fly (61.870), unless an OPC covering IFR in the previous 3 months or an approved training and checking system applies (61.870(1A)). ATPL and MPL holders work under 61.695 and 61.650, which use the same 12-month scheme.
Operator proficiency checks and type ratings
An OPC "that covers IFR operations in the relevant aircraft, and that is conducted by a flight examiner who holds an instrument rating flight test endorsement" gives the same 12 months as an IPC (61.880(3)(c)). Taking part in an operator's training and checking system with a 61.040 approval keeps you valid while you take part, but then the check "is taken to be valid only for operations conducted by the operator" (61.880(4B)). CASA's IPC page says you can't fly an IFR operation outside your work on that basis.
Type-rated aircraft add 61.805: you need a valid IPC for the aircraft type, which runs to the end of the 24th month after the month of the check. A multi-crew type IPC covers other multi-crew types of the same category, a single-pilot turbojet IPC covers other single-pilot turbojet types, and any other type IPC covers other types of that category (61.805(3)).
Mistakes pilots make
- Renewing more than 3 months early. You lose the months left on the old IPC because the new one counts from its own month.
- Taking the IPC in a single-engine aeroplane and then flying a twin under the IFR. 61.880(2) needs a multi-engine IPC.
- Assuming an IPC in a multi-crew simulator covers single-pilot IFR. 61.860(2) needs the check in a single-pilot aircraft.
- Flying IFR privately on the strength of an airline training and checking system. That validity is limited to the operator's operations (61.880(4B)); a stand-alone OPC by an examiner with an instrument rating flight test endorsement is treated differently under 61.880(3)(c).
- Treating a failed IPC as a non-event while the old date is still in the future. A failed check ends validity for the category straight away.
What Off Chocks tracks
- You enter your IPC with its expiry date in Credentials (or on the IPC card on the Currency page), and the CASA IFR badge stays unconfirmed until you do. It shows you out of currency from the day after that expiry.
- The badge also counts 3 instrument approaches in 90 days from your logbook, flown in an aircraft or in an FFS or FTD, and flags when you lack a recent 2D or 3D approach (61.870). It warns 60 days before the IPC expiry.
- It does not work out the end-of-month expiry or the 3-month early window for you, and it does not track a type IPC under 61.805 or the single-pilot 6-month rule in 61.875.
Common questions
- How long is a CASA IPC valid?
- From the day you pass it to the end of the 12th month after the month of the check (61.880(3)(e)). An IPC passed on 10 March 2026 is valid to 31 March 2027.
- How early can I renew my IPC without losing time?
- Up to 3 months before it expires. The new 12 months then run from the old expiry (61.880(3)(f)).
- Can I do a CASA IPC in a simulator?
- Yes, in an approved flight simulation training device for the proficiency check (61.880(6)). For single-pilot IFR the IPC must be in a single-pilot aircraft (61.860(2)).
- Does an operator proficiency check count as an IPC?
- Yes, if it covers IFR operations in the relevant aircraft and a flight examiner with an instrument rating flight test endorsement conducts it (61.880(3)(c)).
- Who can conduct a CASA IPC?
- CASA, or a flight examiner holding an instrument rating flight test endorsement for the category (61.1265(3)).
- What happens if I fail an IPC?
- Your IPC for that category, or for multi-engine aircraft of that category, stops being valid at once (61.880(4)). You can't fly IFR in that category until you pass.
Sources
- Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, Compilation No. 103 (in force from 29 Sep 2026), Parts 61 and 67
- Part 61 Manual of Standards Instrument 2014, latest compilation (in force from 19 Nov 2024)
- CASA: Getting an instrument proficiency check
This is a plain-words summary to help you keep your own records, not legal advice. The regulation and your operator's procedures always take precedence.