The New CBIR-Same rating, cheaper price!
I have just completed the Competency based EASA IR in the UK with a highly reputable school. I think I am correct in saying that PAT (Bournemouth) is one of the first schools to have embraced this new and exciting (because it's potentially less hours, and therefore cheaper) method of gaining the IR. I did mine this winter in two months in 36.8 hours of training at the school. 20 in the sim and 15MEIR in the BE76. This training is then added to my existing 10 hours brought forward from my CPL two years earlier, means that I have achieved an IR in a total on 46.8 hours. As the new minimum hours for issue is 45 and not 55. That's rite a 10 hour saving! And with the ink still fresh on the rating I landed a dream job straight after training. PAT (Professional Air Training), yes I am plugging them because I have been so impressed, were great taskmasters. They included fantastic additional content to the course in GNSS RNAV approaches. Something that's highly relevant today. And got me ready for a first time pass, that I gained, with compliments from the examiner, as did the other student there at the time. Who after arriving, and hearing about the CBIR, switched to this course immediately. He also completed the IR in 45 hours or so and gained a 1st time pass. You will need to pin your ears back and be an above average candidate to take full advantage of the potential saving, but who would turn down this opportunity to save money. The CBIR route has a number of avenues leading to the same outcome and I shall not go into them here. Information notice-2014/129 has more information, as does PAT, and any other subscribing school. If I had my training time again I would now do the IR(R), EN-IR, and then convert to the full IR. You will need to ideally do the Full ATPL exams, but again there are upgrade opportunities for those who have not done so, and wish to fly high performance. I sincerely hope this thread is pushed around as it will save students money, and that's a much needed thing in today's money driven training system. Apologies for not posting the exact details to the CBIR, I only wish to state my example in the hope that you look into this further. Best of luck chaps, happy landings and all that!