Using the IMC abroad..

[nick ritter]

Hi all,

I know that the IMCr is only a UK rating – however.. I would be interested to hear how people with this rating deal with certain situations when travelling outside the UK

You check the weather for your destination – say some airport just outside of Paris (any good recommendations would be appreciated as well for my June 11th trip) and the forecast is for scattered cloud at 2500 or something. You decide to go – yet approaching Paris it is clear that the cloud has got thicker and that in order to land you will need to descend through cloud (no holes immediately visible)

As I am new to it – perhaps my assumptions are wrong?

Am I right in thinking that you can only fly above cloud outside of the UK only as long as you are in the sight of the surface (i.e some hole somewhere that lets you see the ground)? Or can you fly above cloud irrespective of being insight of the ground?

Either way you are not allowed to climb through or descend through cloud or to fly an approach as you don’t hold an IR? And that you are not allowed a traffic service as you are not IR and you have not filled an IFR plan?

If these are correct – how do people deal with the above situation?

Are you just meant to look for a hole? Turn around and go home? Or do people just let down through the cloud regardless while tracking a certain route/VOR knowing that you will come out at a safe height to land visually? Would it ever be acceptable to fly the published approach? Or only under an emergency?

I don’t ask to see where I can bend the rules – I am not looking to do more than I am allowed – I am just trying to think ahead to the inevitable day when this situation presents itself

Any advice, experiences, would be much appreciated

Thanks in advance – Nick