As usual, this forum has thrown up some insightful and diverse arguments, and I thank everyone for sharing their experience and opinions.
I am under no illusions as to the value of an instrument rating as a potential life-saver, employment prospect and pillar of flying skills.
My real question was how best to go about it, and a couple of posters have already given me food for thought . . .
I'm not a young bloke, and I'm not a fresh 150-hourly CPL. I've been flying privately for seven years and have about 300 hours in mostly faster (160kt) complex singles and tail draggers. I'm realistic about my future flying prospects, but I'm established and can afford to take a cut in salary and change of lifestyle to work my way up.
I like the idea of doing a CIR and ME endorsement separately, instead of bundling them together with the attendant time and cost.
Is there any real disadvantage to doing a SECIR first and then upgrading to a MECIR down the track, once I have more experience on twins? Is there any real difference in the cost of a renewal for each (apart from the difference in aircraft costs), and once you have a SECIR, is it relatively easy to convert to a MECIR?
I'm trying to be practical, as from what I've seen and read, a lot of fresh CPLs get a MECIR and don't use it for some time, but still have to soak up the initial cost and then renew it each year.
It just seems to make more sense to me to get a bit of experience flying twins first before learning how to fly them in the middle of undertaking an instrument rating!
Would it really be any more expensive/disadvantageous to get a twin endorsement and SECIR separately, then combine the two down the track?
Thanks again!