Io540 - Just About Right
Thanks IO540, accurate post. I am one of the stats - IMC/NIGHT/Multi, I fly a fully equiped IFR aircraft - transit to Spain /South of France, and will always go VFR. In fact the one time we took an A36 Bonanza to Perpignan, with a 'full' IR pilot in charge, and full IFR flight plan, he nearly killed us in a night approach to the airfield. i.e he got lost on the procedure. I got it visual and then gently assisted.
I enquired a great deal about a full IR. I have resisited, waiting for the EASA situation to develop. What I require as a GA/PPL is a rating that will develop my own skills, keep me as safe as I can be, and let me deal with personal minima. All of this within a realistic budget and achievable within lifestyle constraints.
The one other issue we all face, is recency. To fly full IFR, and be competent, takes a lot of regular flying. I personaly could not do that much to keep current, hence the dilema over the full IR rating.