Cost of an IMC rating

[Rupert S]

Does anyone know what an IMC rating costs realisticaly, assuming low hours PPL (say 10-20 hours since licence obtained, PPL training took 50-60 hours)?

Thanks in advance.

Rupert S.

[Chilli Monster]

I won't say a cost, as everywhere charges different. I would say budget on 20 hours at your normal instructional rate plus test (course length is 15) and that way you won't get hit with any surprises.

When you are booking lessons however it's the sort of thing you want to do in a relatively short length of time, to concentrate the learning. If you drag it out over a period of time you could find it takes you longer, as you'll be constantly going back to recap things.

You'll find it improves your general standard of flying - as well as giving you a better background from which to make informed comments about IMC flying ;)

[Rupert S]

Chilli, how subtle you are! Although I'm not making any plans for the immediate future, I was wondering what the cost is. Ultimately I'd like to get an IR, I'm just trying to make the decision whether to go for JAA or FAA. I think that if I decide hard and fast that I won't go onto ATPL, then I'll go for the FAA otherwise, if I was to get a JAA IR, it would be in my best interest go go that bit further and get a JAA ATPL.
That said, I'd still be interested to know what I might expect to pay for an IMC rating in the UK.

[tomcs]

I did the IMC last year and paid around much less cos i used a private a/c....but its around £2000. However i'm not sure how different an IMC is to the FAA IR (they just do a bit of enroute stuff!)

tomcs

[englishal]

FAA IR is akin to a JAA IR pretty much....Much more partial panel stuff from what I believe though. Slightly easier tolerances on certain things under the FAA as opposed to JAA, but also vice versa (By tolerances I mean JAA expect a max half scale deflection of the needles on an ILS, FAA goes up to 3/4 scale - swings and roundabouts really).

Don't forget if doing the IMC in the UK you might get stung for "instrument training instruction" rates as opposed to PPL rates. My local flying club charges something like £130 / hr dual for PPL stuff, £155 / hr dual for IMC training, and about £180 / hr for IR training...

So 20 hrs, which seems reasonable at £155/hr = £3100 pluss tests.

One point to help you make a decision, if you get the FAA IR, you get an IMC rating for £64. Cost of an FAA IR, say 40 hrs as a ball park figure, at around $130 bucks an hour if you have expensive taste like me and do it in say a Millenium edition C172 = $5200 or at todays rates £3023 plus about $300 for the test.....Not forgetting of course 3 weeks off work, flights and accomodation in the USA....

You can convert to JAA later on if you wanted for around 15 hrs....

Cheers
EA

[Pianorak]

Rupert - Slightly off topic as it doesn't answer your question. But have you read Nigel Webb's article "IR for the cost of an IMC" in the January 04 edition of Flyer? An interesting read.

[Rupert S]

Pianorak, I have, found it very interesting if not lacking in a little more of the detail that I would have liked but yes, was a good article.

[IO540]

Nigel Webb's article was a very good summary I think; unfortunately he didn't go into the other half of the job: putting the plane on the N register...

There is little point in doing an FAA IR unless you can get into an N-reg plane.

[Keef]

I've read articles in the mags on how to put a plane on the N register (planning to do it soon).

The other great "plus" of the FAA IR is that you can file IFR and enjoy yourself when flying in the USA - which I do as often as I can. All that fabulous scenery, and not restricted by the weather!

[trevs99uk]

Whats happening with the propossed PPL/IR for europe.

[2Donkeys]

Nigel Webb's article was a very good summary I think; unfortunately he didn't go into the other half of the job: putting the plane on the N register...

Coming up in an aviation mag soon...

[Rupert S]

My sentiments exactly IO540, although from what I've been hearing it's not as complicated as most think.
Keep us updated 2Ds!