The CAA said there was one known fatality of a pilot while exercising the privileges of the IMC Rating.
10540
How can that be when the IMC fatalities for that period contained 7 IMCR pilots in IMC. Being in IMC with IMCR ratings must mean that they were exercising their privalages to be there?
I can remember flying a C150 with very basic instrumentation and no NAV. I started VFR following a river line to avoid high ground at 700 agl in poor vis and rain. When I was down at 200 feet with wisps of cloud below I elected to climb IMC and get a PAR to a landing at a military base back then I had an IMCR. Luckely for me I flew out of the front into good VFR 20 miles from the base. I was exercising the privileges of the IMC Rating having been forced up.
My big concern with saving the IMCR is that we will loose the bigger picture of an achievable PPL IR. We will hand EASA a way out of ever making a European PPL IR a la FAA. I can see it now.
The new European IMCR has been approved in the name of safety. The new IMCR will allow VFR pilots to fly in lower VFR limits. Should such a pilot EIMCR rated be unable to continue his/her trip because of weather they may climb to the SSA into IMC. They must then squawk an emergency special code and state their situation. They will then be guided to a nearby airport by radar with an instrument approach and with weather in certain limits and will land.
Is that what we want? becuase my fear is something like that is what we will get.
Pace