Change to min IFR hours for IRI course

[Straighten Up]

It's been mentioned to me that the requirements for IFR hours to get an IRI have/will be changing to 50hrs post IRT possibly for a IRI-lite ie only teaching certain hours (possible spic as part of integrated course) . I don't want to get into a discussion about whether this should be happening but would love if anyone has any further info. I've trawled PART-FCL and can't find a reference.

[Whopity]

Highly unlikely! I don't recall any NPA covering that and as its taking around 4 years from NPA to Regulation, its hardly iminent. SPIC doesn't involve any instruction at all, the Student is in Command! The Instructor just keeps it legal. Could be a proposal to teach BIR perhaps.

[portsharbourflyer]

Possibly getting confused with a UK CAA concession that allows Instrument instructor privileges to be added to a FI(A) but limited to teaching for the IRR (imc) only, gets stamped on the UK license as (h)IRR, which doesnt require 200 IFR, the restriction to teach IRR only can be lifted to IR once the 200 IFR is achieved and assuming the FI holds an IR.

[Stan Evil]

The rules for an IRI have changed in the March amendment to Part-FCL:

Applicants for an IRI certificate shall:
(a) in case of an IRI(A):
(1) to provide training in FSTDs during an approved training course at an ATO, have completed at least 200 hours of flight time under IFR after the issuance of the BIR or the IR, of which at least 50 hours shall be in aeroplanes;
(2) to provide training in an aeroplane, have completed at least 800 hours of flight time under IFR, of which at least 400 hours shall be in aeroplanes;
(3) to apply for an IRI(A) for multi-engine aeroplanes, meet the requirements of points FCL.915.CRI(a), FCL.930.CRI and FCL.935;

SPIC only applies to integrated courses which, by definition, are ab-initio. IRIs cannot teach on ab-initio integrated courses, only FIs can do that.

There is a similar FCL amendment covering FI instrument privileges (which does include SPIC). However, it's been derogated until Sept 2021.

[Whopity]

When you see amendments like that you can but wonder how much those who make such amendments actually understand about the process!

[AdLib]

Just for completeness.

FCL.905.FI FI — Privileges and conditions
The privileges of an FI are to conduct flight instruction for the issue, revalidation or renewal of:
...
(h) an EIR or an IR in the appropriate aircraft category, provided that the FI has:
(1) at least 200 hours of flight time under IFR, of which up to 50 hours may be instrument ground time in an FFS, an FTD 2/3 or FNPT II;
(2) completed as a student pilot the IRI training course and has passed an assessment of competence for the IRI certificate; ...

[Whopity]

of which up to 50 hours may be instrument ground time in an FFS, an FTD 2/3 or FNPT II;
As you can only acrue such time on an approved course and no course has this amount of instrument ground time, how this is acrued is a mystery.

[rudestuff]

As you can only acrue such time on an approved course and no course has this amount of instrument ground time, how this is acrued is a mystery.
Why can you only accrue instrument ground time on an approved course? What about LPCs etc?

[Whopity]

The only reference to logging instrument ground time that I can find relates to training courses, which will be approved:
AMC1-FCL050

(b) Logging of time:
(4) instruction time: a summary of all time logged by an applicant for a licence or rating as flight instruction, instrument flight instruction, instrument ground time, etc., may be logged if certified by the appropriately rated or authorised instructor from whom it was received;
I have certainly never logged Sim time other than in the back of a log book with the exception of an approved course where it is certified.

[LastStandards]

JAR days: approved IR with 30+ hours sim time, then MCC with 20+ hours - both approved courses. Still plausible nowadays where a marginal CB-IR course candidate may exceed minimum course hours in the sim phase where necessary, as well as up to 5 hours sim time on a modular CPL. Etc. Of variable benefit to an IRI candidate of course, as we saw in 2012 with a rush for FIs to add the Applied IF course with minimum requirements, and those requirements often gained more spuriously. Not all were successful on the course or AoC!

[rudestuff]

Isn't the object of a CBIR to avoid the SIM?!