1. Jersey is in class A - correct? But if I am an IMCr holder, I can go IFR down to 3km vis?
I think you mean VFR. With a UK issued PPL you need 3000m for VFR but if you have an IMCR you can fly VFR down to 1500m vis.
The IMCR has no
IFR privileges outside the UK, but the above ones apply worldwide. The other one which applies worldwide is that with an IMCR you no longer need to be in sight of surface when VFR.
2. That being the case, do I call Jersey up asap and ask for IFR clearance to the ILS when I'm crossing the UK coast (assuming I've filed a FP)?
3. Or, do I ask for VFR clearance and vectors to the ILS?
Funnily enough, the C.I. have their own ANO and their own IMCR... I haven't got a clue whether their IMCR is mutually recognised with the UK IMCR. There are some Jersey pilots posting on the Flyer forum who might know - one called derekf comes to mind.
However I don't think this helps you with IFR in the C.I. zone because I recall their IMCR is a carbon copy of the UK one.
So, no
IFR for you unless you have the full IR. You have to go SVFR.
4. Separately, the IMCr allows me to fly IFR down to 1500m and yet, I can fly in (or through, I should say) clouds which are zero vis?
Again I think you mean VFR not IFR. The min vis for VFR goes down from 3000m to 1500m as I stated above (and there are some concessions for SVFR which I can't remember).
IFR, when you can do it legally, has no min vis requirements (obviously).
There is that other total redherring that a UK PPL holder can fly IFR without any instrument qualification - provided the actual conditions are good enough for him to be legal VFR i.e. 3000m vis and in sight of surface
But I don't think you are referring that, and it is a pretty useless privilege because it works only in UK Class G where nobody cares what you do anyway....
Whether Jersey is French airspace, or just during the night, I don't think is relevant. The basic issue is that it is Class A which the IMCR doesn't support for IFR. I vaguely recall somebody coming up with a contrived argument along the lines of being able to fly SVFR through the Class A and then go IFR (using the IMCR) in the Class D which is in there somewhere....