Any news on the ICAO IR to JAA IR 15hr conversion route?

[peterh337]

This conversion route was set to end in April 2012, and be replaced with

Applicants for Part–FCL licences already holding at least an equivalent licence, rating or certificate issued in accordance with Annex 1 to the Chicago Convention by a third country shall comply with all the requirements of Annex I to this Regulation, except that the requirements of course duration, number of lessons and specific training hours may be reduced.
The credit given to the applicant shall be determined by the Member State to which the pilot applies on the basis of a recommendation from an approved training organisation.
(from EASA FCL May 2011 Article 7 page 6 here (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/tran/dv/tran20110525_pilotlicences_/tran20110525_pilotlicences_en.pdf) )

which basically means that the 15-hr conversion route may be replaced with another 15-hr route, or something shorter, or longer, or nothing (i.e. you have to do the full 50/55hrs) and it may vary from one country to another.

Does anybody have any news on this?

My take is that few FTOs will want to deprive themselves of income by offering something shorter... even if IMHO nobody will do the IR conversion under 15hrs and pass the UK CAA IRT (the one with the NDB holds and approaches ;) ) at the end of it. Mine (http://www.peter2000.co.uk/aviation/jaa-ir/index.html) took well more than 15hrs and most of the time was spent on NDB stuff.

But if say there was a shorter conversion then one could get up to speed with a freelance IRI (who knows the IRT protocol and requirements) and then go for the IRT.

[Clearedils]

The "latest news" on this route is NPA 2011-16 as far as I know:
http://www.easa.europa.eu/rulemaking/docs/npa/2011/NPA%202011-16.pdf
Summary ICAO IR to EASA IR proposed route:
100 hrs PIC IFR experience
100 hr Theoretical Knowledge course
15 hrs dual of which 10 must be at ATO
Pre-course assessment before ATO instruction
Skills test

[peterh337]

OK; this is the "CBM IR" proposal.

That isn't due till sometime c. 2014/2015.

I was wondering what will happen to the present 15hr conversion route between the "EASA regulatory explosion" :) date of April 2012, and whenever some replacement arrives (IF it arrives; the CBM IR carries a large political vulnerability).

The "100 hrs PIC IFR experience" is a puzzling requirement. I recall this being understood as 100hrs instrument time, which puts the conversion out of range of many ICAO IR holders, because genuine instrument time is accumulated very slowly during high altitude IFR. I believe some objections were submitted on that one. The requirement appears to have been put in as a nod to the FTO industry, to prevent too many ATPL cadets doing an FAA CPL/IR and then converting over here.

[BillieBob]

The Annexes to the Regulation are not being adopted in the UK until 1 July and so the existing arrangements will continue until then. I get the impression that thereafter the UK CAA will not approve every individual course, as the Regulation suggests, but, provided that the training meets or exceeds a certain minimum number of hours, will leave it to the discretion of the ATOs. In practice, therefore, assuming that the minima set by the Authority are the same as those currently existing, nothing will change and the IR conversion requirement will remain 'training as required but not less than 15 hours'.

[peterh337]

That sounds positive, thanks.

BTW the 15hr course is probably not an approved course as such; I think the FTO takes the 50hr one and cuts bits out. It is an "abbreviated approved course".

So it sounds like it will carry on till 2014...