Bookworm, I thought it was the
met vis (not the pilot's own assessment) that mattered for the 1800m IMCR min. I am pretty sure you wrote that somewhere previously
Funfly, I don't get that. The holder of a UK CAA issued PPL (which includes a JAA PPL issued by the CAA) has to be within sight of the surface. It doesn't matter whether he is flying a microlight, a permit, a certified IFR spacewagon, or a 747 certified for single crew operation
If that PPL gets himself an IMCR or an IR, that requirement goes out of the window and he can now fly within the ICAO definition of VMC which is 1500m, clear of cloud, etc, and he does not have to see the surface.
AFAIK that is true in any type of aeroplane.
The owner of a Permit plane has no use for the IMCR (or the IR) other than the above reason. He cannot officially fly IFR (in VMC or IMC). Of course he can fly IFR (in VMC or IMC) unofficially, it's unenforceable en route - what he cannot do is overt stuff like an IFR departure or an IFR arrival
