Great start Fuji,
We need to be aware that the CAA are on the side of the Angels and will not let the IMCR go down in flames. Also EASA are not as bad as they might be painted, there is support for a form of PPL instrument qualification that is not the full (perhaps sightly over-blown IR) that we know in Europe.
The main anti's are not in the main the Eurocrats the principal opposition is coming from the Commercial operators and professional pilot associations that coupled with a complete lack of understanding of GA operations in Northern European non-regulated airspace by some of the EASA people means we have an uphill battle. The professional pilots civil & military along with the airlines were those who predicted mayhem when the IMCR was mooted and introduced - they were wrong then and are wrong again.
The IMCR had served us well but does need a little updating and putting on a bit of a pedistal if we are to convince the anti brigade. The JAA CPL/IR training has been set out in a modular form; we should think of promoting a new advanced PPL training scheme for restricted IFR operations (not valid for use in Class A airspace) giving privileges similar to the present IMC, Night and Multi Ratings. Modules could be taken direct from the CPL/IR syllabus with say the Departure and en-rote modules being mandatory and any 2 or possibly 3 others from the following 5 non precision approaches, precision approaches, GPS approaches, night operations & complex type/multi engine operations. I believe that such an approach would be politically acceptable to the majority with no loss of face by any party and we would have a better structured training course which would benefit the GA training industry.
I know that the CAA are thinking along these lines, hopefully IAOPA are going down a similar path. With such an approach we could demonstrate that European PPL's can be just as professional as some ATPL's from elsewhere and the pilot of say a G reg Arrow will be treated with as much, if not more, respect as his/her P(C)PL/IR counterparts in the "Land of the Free".
