Originally Posted by darkroomsource
So, for the safety pilot to be PIC (so both can log) that person must be IR and current (in order to fly IFR - to do practice approaches etc.)
The letter you reference is from 1992. The regulations were changed in 2009 or 2010.
*If* we were talking about an operation performed under instrument flight rules, you would be right. We're not. The operation being discussed is under VFR, read Ejector's second post where he clarifies this is the case. Certainly there were changes in the regulations in both 2009 and 2010, the regulations are constantly amended. None of those amendments changed the answer to the question asked. Read the Chief counsel interpretation linked by Markerinbound. It was written in 2012 and gives the same answer as the 1992 interpretation I posted. You still don't have to have an instrument rating to fly VFR; not in the US and I bet not in the UK or Kenya either.