Hi all, I was just wondering if anybody knows of any low cost places to do the IMC rating (preferably oop norf), and also can these hours count towards hourbuilding ie: P1 or would they be classed as dual hours?

Thanks.

I don't know much about flying clubs in the north, but as far as hours are concerned they are P/UT, so no they don't count towards P1 time. I'm doing my IMC at Thruxton in Hampshire...but I doubt that's much help to you. Anyway its a good rating so good luck which ever school you chose.

Westair (http://www.westair.uk.com/Feedback.htm) at Blackpool have an IMC instructor and a suitably equipped C172. Don't know if they will be low cost enough for you!

Highland Flying School at Inverness. Their website (http://www.highlandflyingschool.co.uk) quotes £1720 for the IMC rating. Last time I was there the company was trying get a house for the use of students. Would certainly help with accommodation costs! Perhaps a little too far north for you though!!:}

Why not go to the States and get an FAA IR?

It will cost almost the same as a UK IMC rating, will allow you full IR privilliges in an 'N' reg aeroplane and the CAA will give you an IMC rating on the basis of your FAA IR for about £70!

FAA IR

This is a nice idea but the question was about hour building and I may be wrong but I doubt Chris P will have any of the experience required to start the IR, like 50 hours cross country etc. if just starting hour building.

Chris P, there are other schools at Blackpool which do IMC training take a look.

Cheers.

The FAA/IR contrary to the opinions of many is bleedin' hard work:
Even getting full allowance for IMC hours from my IMCR which I already had and doing the written in UK before I went to USA it took a full two weeks to get the FAA/IR.
The pre-test flight oral can last up to 2 hours, concentrates on the stuff you did badly on in the written (there are codes on your 'pass' certificate) and the examiner has the power to fail you on the oral and scrub the flight test.
On top of that the flight test includes one of every type of instrument procedure not just a selected procedure as in IMCR.
Make no bones, if you haven't done any IMC training the FAA/IR is not easy and I doubt very much if it is as cheap/cheaper than doing the IMC in the UK..
And unless you're going to fly an N-Reg in UK or spend half your life renting in USA it's a pretty expensive way to get a 70squid IMCR from CAA/JAA(whatever).
Cusco.:rolleyes:

1) With the weak US dollar (about $2 to the £ at the moment!), an FAA instrument rating probably isn't any more expensive than an IMC rating here. By way of example http://www.shebleaviation.com/ifr.html

2) Of course an FAA IR is harder than an IMC rating. It's an instrument rating! However it's perfectly possible to achieve in two weeks if you put your mind to it (not possible if you were hoping for two weeks holiday in the sunshine - it's hard going!) and you will end up trained to a higher level than if you were to just get an IMC here.


If you hire an 'N' registered aeroplane (there is a nice 'N' reg Lance at North Weald for example) you can do lots of stuff with your FAA IR that you can't do with an IMC rating in a 'G' reg. (Not being trapped in the Channel Islands when the weather drops below IMC holder special VFR limits springs most immediately to mind here, but also flying to Europe at night where your UK night qualification isn't valid plus a myriad of other handy things).

Finally, as mentioned previously - if you present yourself to the good people down at the CAA with your FAA IR and about £70, they will give you an IMC rating; so essentially you are still getting your IMC rating, for about the same money but for a little extra effort you are also getting an instrument rating which whatever rubbish anyone on here posts to the contrary will make you a safer and more competent pilot.

Thanks for the replies, I'm currently at Westair in Blackpool but just wanted to have a look around to compare prices... the FAA IR is definitely an idea once I've got the 50 XC hours, I will probably be wanting to do a JAA IR in a couple of years though, so will wait to do both at the same time.

Be aware though that the FAA definition of cross country is 50nm between airfields, whereas the CAA's is 3nm!

I did the IMC rating 18months ago, and it cosy me about 1200 quid, as has been said before its ok to do, but I would go for the FAA/IR, its going to give you the quality hour building, dont forget the IMC is only 15 hours, big Sh!tty wow!!

The IMC is very limited, for starters your not allowed in airways which is a good reason to do the FAA/IR, specially if you want to go touring anywhere, the IMC is only valid in UK airspace also.

That's all very well, but the amount of N reg planes for hire in the UK is tiny. If you own one, or have a share in an N reg, then the FAA IR makes 100% sense. However, by the time you take return USA flights, accomodation, and the hassle of a visa into account, it can end up being a lot more hassle than it would at first appear. I seriously looked into it when I became frustrated as a PPL student and it wasn't nearly as cheap in the long run as was commonly made out.

A lot of people put the IMC rating down very easily, but personally I've found it's transformed my flying skills. I utterly concede it's no IR, and I would love very much to have airways access (plan on JAA IR in the near future), but for me it's far more than a "get out of jail free card", a great stepping stone, and I would certainly recommend it.

There are a lot more aircraft around on the 'N' reg for hire in the UK than you might expect / realise - they just take a bit of hunting down.

Whilst the exchange rate remains as it is, I still maintain that an FAA IR even with all of the other costs (flights, cheap accomodation etc) works out not much more expensive than an IMC rating in the UK although obviously there is a little bit more hassle involved in getting one.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with an IMC rating. It's a jolly handy thing to have but for just a little more effort you can also get access to airways, and fly in night & IMC in Europe when / should you need to.

There are a lot more aircraft around on the 'N' reg for hire in the UK than you might expect / realise - they just take a bit of hunting down.



Where are these N-reg planes then? I live in Hampshire and as far as I know none of my local airfields have N-reg planes for hire.

As a general rule the flying schools / clubs don't.

The best way is to loiter around at an airfield and talk to people. You will always find someone who knows someone who can give you a telephone number.

By way of example, there is a very nice 'N' reg Piper Lance for hire at North Weald. It's well equipped and with an FAA IR, the possibilities are endless.

A couple of questions . . .

1) How many times have you been stuck in the Channel Islands because the weather isn't good enough to get a special VFR clearance - even with your IMC rating?

2) How many times have you been to France with your UK night qualification (only valid in the UK) and wished that you could have stayed just a little longer and come back in the dark?

3) How many times have you flown abroad in weather within the limits of your IMC rating and been technically flying illegally once you reach foreign airspace?


An FAA IR and an 'N' reg aeroplane solves all of the above 'issues' plus a whole load more!

How many times have you been to France with your UK night qualification (only valid in the UK)

That's news to me! Otherwise, I agree.

You can rent an N-reg in the UK - no law against it.

What you can't do is do training in it - well you can receive training in one if you get the DfT permission and for that you have to be an owner or part owner.

These restrictions - designed to protect UK jobs etc - effectively ensure that flying clubs cannot do anything much in an N-reg. But many private owners do hire theirs out. I used to do this, but I found there weren't many takers because most people who have an FAA IR and are current already own a plane.

Is the night qualification only valid in the UK? How do I get the ability in fly at night outside the UK without an IR then?

(I have a night qualification but have never used it outside the UK but wasn't aware that I couldn't)

The FAA IR is I agree ultimately superior, but for now at least I'm quite happy with the IMC.

My understanding (and I am prepared to stand corrected!) is that the night qualification is UK specific like the IMC rating.

Prior to having my FAA IR, I always used to make sure that I was back in UK airspace by official night.

Night qual. is valid everywhere that a JAR-FCL PPL is valid, which is just about everywhere in a G reg.
IMCR is different - UK only.

Night qual. is valid everywhere that a JAR-FCL PPL is valid, which is just about everywhere in a G reg.


I thought so.