What concerns me though is WHY the CAA won't just convert the FAA IR to a CAA/JAA IR without the fuss?
If the rating is good enough for all the 100's of USA airline pilots flying to and from the UK everyday, with 100's of pax on board, (and lets face it most of them do actually get here!, why isn't it consider good enough to fly a G reg a/c in IFR conditions?
Imagine the look on a 20,000 hrs FAA ATP who is told that his rating is on really equivalant to a 'pretend' IR rating.