Instrument Rating - JAA requirements?

[Hobgoblin]

I know that to get a JAA Instrument Rating one has to do 50 hrs training or alternatively if one has a FAA Instrument one only has to do 15 hrs or so to convert.

My question is whether all 50 hours have to be done with a JAA aproved Flight Training Organisation? Can I not do a number of hours elsewhere (where it might be cheaper due to the currency exchange rate ;) ) and then fly a number of hours with an approved FTO, fly the test and be issued with a rating?

I've looked into a South African Instrument rating ( cost is approximately £2000 to £3000 for a multi depending on where you go) but the SA CAA do not accept the 14 ATPL subjects, and before they issue an IR you would have to sit their exams too:( . I'm sure training will be to the same high standard as anywhere else and besides I would have to convince an examiner that I am proficient before getting a JAA rating. I just don't see the sense in paying 50 hours at an extortionate rate when I can pay for 15.

Any thoughts?

[Charlie Zulu]

Please bear in mind that not many people will convert their ICAO IR into a JAR IR in the minimum 15 hours of training. Some will, some won't...

I believe that the 15 hours training is designed to get someone who isn't straight from flight school and one who has lots of post-IR training experience up to standard.

Most FTO's will give you something like 35 hours simulator and 15 hours aircraft time or variants thereof for the 50 Hours JAA IR course... so you're not paying extortianate amounts of money for a twin in the UK for the whole 50 hours...

I'm budgeting for a 25 hours JAA IR conversion including test (10 on the sim), so am hoping that will be enough for me, although of course I'm hoping to do it in less... fingers crossed!

As for South Africa: £2-3,000 Multi IR? That sounds way too good! Do you need a Single IR before you can take the Multi IR course (a little like the way I got my FAA Multi IR)? I must admit I'm not really up to speed with the South African way of flight training... although from what I can gather the training is pretty good.