IMC -> IR. Advice sought.

[Bandit650]

Hi All

Some advice sought!

On the ATPL ground school road at present and flying every weekend to keep my hand in...usual story everyone familar with.

Anyway, I did an IMC just over 5 years ago and let it lapse. I understand I would need 7.5 hrs to revalidate. My question is, would this 7.5 hrs be a useful "warm-up" to the CPL/IR I'll be doing next year?....I assume instrument hours on the IMC hold no credit for the IR anyway?

I suppose this question also touches on the old chestnut as to how useful the IMC really is at PPL stage. It never felt wise deliberately flying IMC just because I could when I had the rating, so hence my deliberation. The only reason for gettign it back would be to give myself a headstart on the IR - is this a valid consideration?

Views welcome!
Bandit650

[wbryce]

Save the money for the IR IMO...

[finals24]

Definitely save the money for the IR. You can always take a safety pilot and practice IF in VMC just to get you back in the swing.

[kala87]

Save your money for the IR. The MEIR is a very different kettle of fish to the IMC rating. Far more demanding, and your'e very very busy. I did the IMC rating 8 years before doing the MEIR, and although of course I had quite a few ILS and NDB approaches under my belt, I found that operating a twin in IMC to professional standards onthe IR course far more demanding than I anticipated. Good luck!

[Cloud 99]

I have to disagree, while it may not be worthwhile to fully regain your IMC it would certainly be useful to do a few hours with an instructor to remind you of these skills. If money is tight why not take an IMC/IR rated friend with you and do some practice in VMC as suggested, or even just on a sim (even rant or fs)

Anything that can speed up your scan slightly before tackling the rest of the workload can only make it easier to deal with.

Just my 2p worth-I found my 14 IMC hours (no never had licence) very useful.

C99

[Bandit650]

Assuming finance isn't a factor, any IMC hours will help with the IR when I get to it?. Unless the techniques at IR level are so different it really would be a waste of time and even a disadvantage? Surely not, how many different techniques are there to instrument scanning?

[Vortex Thing]

Save it for the IR if one of my students had asked to redo the lasped IMC when they were going to do an IR anyway then I'd think it an expensive waste of time if you want to get back in the saddle save it for some extra sim time.

The main reason is whilst the IMC helps you get your scan back and all hat good stuff and YES any time in IR is better than not the IR is attempting to take you to the next level ie. procedural instr for a lving not to get you out of jail and as such though you do some of the same procedures to some extent you are not going to shoot asymetric ILS on your IMC catch up or fly airways if the purpose of your route is to get an airline job save the cash.

If you are going career instructor route or other then that would be differnet but if you are going airline then save it for sim prep when you have the licence and have an interview coming up. That is when you will really need it. The fact that you have already passed it X years ago puts you streets ahead of some on your course who will have done Ex 19a and that is it!!

VT with FI hat on


Oh and good luck

[Bandit650]

Thanks for that! not sure if I've got the time to do it anyway looking at the sheer size of my ATPL study pack!:uhoh: very interesting to hear having even an ex IMC will help tho! Cheers & happy xmas!