When I said about the FAA I/R course being about the same as a UK IMC (done in the UK, with a UK instructor [who understands the rating you are training for]) - I meant in terms of (flying) workload and skills required - and I still stick by that.
Per your statement, the freshly minted IMC pilot has the same flying skills as the freshly minted FAA IR pilot. How do you reconcile the fact that the IMC requires 15 hours and the FAA IR 40 hours?
Do you think you could ship the new 15 hood hour IMC guy over to the US and he would be able to pass the FAA IR PTS?
I simply just don't believe a guy with 15 hours under the hood could pass the practical englishal described.
My personal opinion is that you can teach the procedures in 15-20 hours, but not to FAA PTS standards. That takes a bit longer, and of course you spend 10 hours (lets say) on the x-countries.
I also think that single engine IFR in the weather found in England is quite reasonable. Plenty of places in the US have worse flying weather than the UK, and if you are not an idiot or very unlucky you will do fine.
Heathrow is, I believe, the only airfield within the London and Scottish FIR's (which is the only place your IMC is valid), that you cannot legally fly into under IMC conditions without a full blown Instrument Rating
I don't have a CAA IMC rating, and probably never will, but from what I read on the Net, the privileges it grants within these areas don't appear to be "true IMC". From what I find, visibility has to be above 3km. That means you have to be clear of clouds, can probably also see the ground, and so you are not totally on instruments. Take off and landing visibility with an IMC below cloud is 1800m. If that is correct you certainly cannot fly in clouds, unlike an FAA IR can in controlled airspace, including that around an airfield field. I can even fly with just a FAA private pilots licence in an airfield environment with less visibility!! (Special VFR, 1.6km visibility, clear of clouds).
If I misread anything you said or misunderstand IMC privileges then I will be delighted to stand corrected.[
Last edited by slim_slag; 25th Jun 2002 at 06:53.