As a slight thread drift - I can't believe the amount of differences between pre-JAR and post-JAR licensing and how mixed up it all is! Just been trawling through LASORS, being referred on to the ANO, JAR-FCL1 and JAR-OPS1 trying to get my head around it all and can't believe there are all these people operating under different rules with essentially the same licences - such as the CPL IMC privileges explained above and things like UK PPLs issued pre-JAA can fly IFR outside controlled airspace whereas JAA PPL holders cannot, except at night.
so CPLs of days gone by could fly IFR in class D & E, operate VFR down to 1.5km outside CAS, take SVFR clearances down to 3km and take off or land down to 1800m (basically IMC rating privileges), while the modern day equivalent can't operate IFR in any airspace and has the same privileges as a PPL - VFR down to 3km outside CAS, SVFR needs 10km. And the CPL training hasn't changed as far as I know?!
Guess it's all academic though as nobody uses a CPL without an IR
