The FAA IR is every bit as good as a JAA IR But if you offered the IMCR as a sub FAA IR to the Americans no body would bother with it.
Yes. All that's needed is to make the existing European IR suited to its purpose, private or commercial. Obviously at the moment its too complicated and has a great deal of content that's irrelevant for both. Then air transport pilots get (oddly enough
) an ATP. There is no logical linkage for licensing between meteorological conditions during the flight and whether the pilot is being paid or not.
Some guys in the hangar next to mine share a 182 and are all getting their FAA instrument ratings. Their instructor is an AA check pilot and its great for me too - I get a smattering of free ground instruction from being in the hangar next door!