I agree with BEagle about the (unnamed) bEurocrat's sticking his silly, uninformed nose in.
From conversations I have had with various people "in the know" and others actively involved in EASA negotiations, it appears to me (and others) that the likelihood is that not only will the IMC rating continue, but will be recognised in Europe, with other states introducing their own equivalents.
The format of the IMC rating may well change, however, and in other, similar situations those with grandfather rights on any change of legislation have never to my knowledge been let down. That is reason (1) why people should IMHO continue their training.
Reason (2) is that the requirements may be stricter in the future, although I believe the privileges that go with it will remain unchanged. You would therefore have to work harder for your rating in the future.
Reason (3) is that, even if the IMC should vanish below the surface without trace and nobody with one be approved to do anything beyond standard VFR flying, the IMC training is good discipline. The abilities that come with the training will stand anyone in good stead should they find themselves having inadvertantly departed VMC. Let's face it - SEN APP is not going to refuse an ILS to a PPL (deceased IMCr) if they have, from no or little fault of themselves, suddenly found themselves VMC "on top" and the only way down is an instrument approach through a thinnish layer if the alternative is that they spend the rest of their lives looking for a hole to descend through. Should someone need an ILS in such circumstances, it would be very much preferable that the pilot has been trained to carry it out rather than "busking" it untrained.
There is no point whatsoever to an "enroute" IMC rating with no approach privileges or training. If you get into IMC enroute (or even if it's only VMC "on top") you need to get clear of that weather somehow. So not having approach privileges and training is lunatic. What is also lunatic is the "almost certain" stipulation - one can only assume that the idiot who recommended this is not a pilot.
Last edited by Captain Stable; 5th Sep 2009 at 14:25.