I personally think everybody is getting far to excited about the CBM IR.
1. Nobody but nobody will be able to pass the very stringent UK IRT with the minimum hours and allowance for previous training due to all the NDB work, so nothing will really change apart from building experience outside an ATO with a freelance instructor.
2. Having spoken to my old ground school provider who is now one of the new e exams centres there's not much that's has come of out the theory content. Yes the mandatory hours have changed but still a lot of unnecessary content in there. And he feels not really that much different, as CAA have n't removed that much.
3. Don't know much about EIR so can't comment looks reasonable, and good for fair weather IFR pilots who like to travel high in good weather, but you can do that in some countries anyway VFR on the airways such as France.
My experience as an instructor and examiner and ATPL ground instructor and from having taught courses over a number of years nothing will really change, the test is no different and the IREs are not all of a sudden going to treat these tests like club tests it's just not going to happen I'm afraid, the test is still one large hurdle to get over.
As with all ratings its not the getting it thats the issue, its maintaining it, private IFR in UK is an expensive business, not many can participate, so we have about 20 PPL IRs a year will this change much it will be interesting to see the numbers in a year or two, one thing that crossed my mind is how are the CAA going to charge for the EIR test, cam't be the ridiculous fee they presently charge for the IRT can it ?
Last edited by Aware; 9th May 2014 at 08:38.