Originally Posted by
ScouseFlyer
... but rather climbing through cloud to vmc on top a situation allowed in many parts of the world on a basic PPL
Just for accuracy, there are many areas in the world that allow VFR in VMC without having the CAA resriciton of in sight of surface (i.e. VFR above a cloud deck).
HOWEVER,
nowhere allows a PPL to climb through a cloud layer (i.e. operate in less than full VMC) without an IR, except the UK - which allows an IMCr to do this as well as an IR.
Additionally, unlike everywhere else, the UK allows a basic PPL to operate IFR in sub-VMC met conditions, in some airspaces - but not in 'proper' IMC.