AOPA knew that Thorpe was proposing this ludicrous idea as long ago as February this year....
However, you may rest assured that strenuous efforts are now being made to lobby FCL.008 and others to rip up and throw away the so-called EIR and instead to promote a lightly modified form of the UK IMCR which should be acceptable to the rest of the EC.
Sadly though, the damage done by Thorpe's EIR has given the wholly wrong impression to the rest of FCL.008 that the UK had 'given up on the IMC Rating' - which, of course, it hasn't.
Thorpe's EIR was allegedly based on the Australian Private IFR Rating. However, it does not include one of the main parts of the PIFR, which is the ability to add various 'Flight Procedure Authorisation' items to the PIFR - including instrument departure, arrival and approach privileges.
Last edited by BEagle; 8th Nov 2009 at 23:33.
Reason: Incorrect abbreviation