20,000 PPL(A) with current medical
I don't doubt this, but where did you get this, Mike? It's not on the CAA website,
AFAIK.
I agree the IMCR has been a super success. However, a lot of "traditionally minded" gold plated IR holders don't like the fact that the IMCR gives you essentially the same privileges as the full IR, except Class A.
I even heard the other day from someone 'high up' that there is pressure within EASA to abandon the PPL/IR altogether, and make everyone get a CPL/IR to fly in airways.
This is a standard comment, among many similar ones, coming out of the elitist aviation regulatory establishment which (all around Europe) is stuffed with superior ex air force and superior ex national flag carrier airline types. Most of these people have never flown "IFR GA" and haven't got a clue about it.
A requirement for a CPL for airways flight is utter stupidity. You sit there, FL100-150 or whatever, in a great void with no traffic, and you'd be lucky to spot another plane over a 700nm flight.
Last year I went to an event at the West Drayton ATC centre. Interesting it was, but the usual bundle of prejudices came out. According to them, the CAA will ban all single pilot jets. Clearly they thought that there will be 10,000 VLJs flying out of Luton. The good news is that these are just ATCOs who went to some CAA or NATS presentation, and none of the people involved are the real policymakers. Recently, Germany proposed to require an ATPL for any jet - they would have fun squaring that with ICAO. If however one took all this stuff at face value, one would just push one's plane off Beachy Head and take up knitting.
The Americans call this "FUD" - fear, uncertainty, doubt. It takes only one old ex ATP codger somewhere "high up" to start off a rumour like this.
I wouldn't worry about it
