Originally Posted by
krismiler
It’s probably easier and cheaper to obtain an I/R in the states. Maintaining currency would be a lot easier as well. I remember try to maintain ILS. recency in Australia was very difficult if you had a bush job. Going back for maintenance after a few weeks in the outback and the weather had to be good as you were unlikely to be current.
All of the above.
The weather and availability of nav aids in the USA means an instrument rated pilot has both incentive and opportunity to remain current. Those fortunate enough to own light aircraft seem to fly them more, too, often at night in winter.
Here in dear old Oz it’s less likely that pilots at PPL or even CPL level (unless they are doing night freight or medevacs or similar) are ever REALLY current between renewal IPCs. Some ‘pretend’ instrument time may go in the logbook, but in my examiner days I got the impression that the average GA pilot really struggled with any ‘hard’ IFR or high workload. The best some of them ever got was the day they passed their initial IPC.
It’s not always a lack of diligence but simply the environment we live in here = benign weather, high nav and fuel costs etc.
The only thing keeping some pilots at least partly competent is the annual IPC, so it needs to stay. Less emphasis in the test on pissant rules and more time spent on handling would be nice, but I guess that would only add costs that would cause some to bleat and others to give up on the IR altogether.