Future of the IMCR / IR(R)

[BEagle]

The CAA has just released IN 2015/009, which refers to various minor changes to current administrative practices, including by licence holders and examiners. These are as were agreed at the 9th January 2014 meeting between AOPA, CAA, LAA and PPL/IR.

The IN also summarises the requirements for those wishing to instruct / examine for the IR(R) / IMCR.

More here: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/InformationNotice2015009.pdf .

[BigEndBob]

Personally I shall knock IMC trg and testing on the head. No longer cost effective for the one or two I do a year.

[nick14]

Well I have to ask what is the safety case behind all this?

I used to be a UK CPL and IMCr holder. I now hold an Irish licence therefore I am no longer permitted to teach for the IMCR even after written confirmation from the CAA that as long as I hold the class, IR and IRI i could. I have many friends that are also now in the same position.

How ridiculous!

[Captain Jock]

I am with BigEndBob on this. At first sight it does not seem worth the bother. Form SRG1133 looks like overkill to permit many of us to do what we have been doing for years. And yet another fee!

[nick14]

I have also noticed that the UK national licences are only permitted on EASA aeroplanes upto LAPL privileges so I couldn't even go down that route!

[BEagle]

1.3 Nothing in this Notice affects the conversion of IMC ratings obtained prior to 8 April 2014 or those who held instructor or examiner privileges for the IMC rating before that date.
.....
RTFM?

[Shaft109]

I did an IMC rating as it was a few years ago with a very good instructor and it absolutely helped me on the CPL and IR but more importantly gave me a get out of jail card in certain circumstances when I made the odd error in hour building due to low experience.

Much knocked but well worth it when done properly.

[Captain Jock]

OOPS! Note not to act on first sight.

[Level Attitude]

In March 2013 I posted that I thought the CAA should require that they were informed of all IMC/IR(R) revalidations or renewals so I think this IN is very good news - you never know they may take up my other suggestions ???

I used to be a UK CPL and IMCr holder. I now hold an Irish licence therefore I am no longer permitted to teach for the IMCR even after written confirmation from the CAA that as long as I hold the class, IR and IRI i could. I have many friends that are also now in the same position.

How ridiculous! The UK CAA has stipulated that a UK rating, that can only be added to a UK issued Licence and that can only be administered by the UK CAA, can only be taught (or examined) by a UK Instructor (or Examiner) - What is ridiculous about that ?

It was your choice to change your Competent Authority to Ireland. If you wish to Instruct for the IMC/IR(R) then change back to the UK CAA being your Competent Authority.

Since all Part-FCL Licences give the same EASA privileges across all EASA member states what could you possibly lose?

Surely there are no advantages to holding an Irish Part-FCL Licence as opposed to any other country's !!! :rolleyes:

[Mach Jump]

Thanks for posting that, BEagle. I try to keep up with the INs, but I missed that one.

Surely there are no advantages to holding an Irish Part-FCL Licence as opposed to any other country's!!! :rolleyes:

Depends.

I understand that if you work for a well known Irish low-cost carrier, you have to change your Licence to an Irish issued one, so that their TREs don't have to be approved by all the EASA National Authorities.

...what could you possibly loose?

Your job.


MJ:ok:

[nick14]

It was not my choice at all to transfer, the people who pay my mortgage told me to and whilst they continue to do so I cannot convert back.

I don't hold the IRI yet and my main reason for asking was to ensure that should I invest the £2000 in getting it I would be able to make good use of it which it seems I am not.

I just find it odd that someone who is perfectly capable of reaching for the rating should be denied the possibility of doing so.

[SpannerInTheWerks]

One 'baby step' at a time to put flying training in the hands of the Flight Academies and larger 'approved' schools (ATOs).

The days of flying clubs taking on the task of advanced flying training is diminishing with the cost of instructors and examiners working and maintaining their licences and ratings becoming ever more prohibitive.

The reason?

To keep private pilots away from the larger airports and in situations where there is a chance they'll 'mix' with commercial traffic and the complications which might occur in marginal conditions.

Private flying will become 'local airfield VFR ops only' - particularly as the GA fleet ages and the use of microlights continues to grow.

[Level Attitude]

It was not my choice at all to transfer, the people who pay my mortgage told me to and whilst they continue to do so I cannot convert back.Choices have consequences.
The fact that one choice, as compared to another, has such a dramatic effect that it is deemed impractical does not mean that there was no choice to make.

I just find it odd that someone who is perfectly capable of reaching for the rating should be denied the possibility of doing so.Given that EASA, as a whole, did not and does not want an IMC Rating and initially looked to killing it off completely even for those who did want it:
Why should non-UK Part-FCL Instructors be treated any differently to other non-UK ICAO Instructors?

[BEagle]

Given that EASA, as a whole, did not and does not want an IMC Rating....

Times have changed!

......

[Holryn]

Are the requirements to begin instructing for the IRI(R)/IMCr now:

10 hours IR in aeroplane or sim plus the course or;

200 hours IR or;

800 hours IR.

I hold an EASA licence and a PPL(A) unrestricted PPL Instructor rating.

There seems to be confusing information on the net and CAP804 doesn't help.

Thanks in advance.

H

[BEagle]

As stated in the Information Notice:

4.3 In addition, the CAA will authorise instructors to instruct for the IMC Rating/IR(R) if they comply with the following:

a) the instructor must hold a Part-FCL aeroplane licence issued by the UK CAA;

b) the instructor must be an Flight Instructor (Aeroplane) (FI(A)) without supervisory restriction applied, who is qualified to instruct for the single pilot class rating for the class or type of aeroplane which the IR(R) instruction is to be conducted in;

c) the instructor must hold a valid IR(R) rating or IR(A) (not En-route Instrument Rating (EIR)) on the Part-FCL licence;

d) the instructor must have completed at least 10 hours flight time by sole reference to instruments in an aeroplane, Full Flight Simulator (FFS), Flight Training Device (FTD) 2/3 or Flight Navigation Procedure Trainer (FNPT) II;

e) the instructor must have completed the course as specified in FCL.905.FI(g) as detailed in FCL.930.IRI; and

f) the instructor must pass an Assessment of Competence to instruct for the IR(R) with a Flight Instructor Examiner (FIE) as specified in FCL.905.FI(g).

Note: The course specified in FCL.905.FI(g) may be completed for the purpose of qualifying to instruct for the IR(R) without having the prerequisite IFR experience for the issue of the FCL.905.FI(g) privileges.

CAP 804 will be amended in its next release.