UK IMC - valid in Ireland??

[onehunga]

My understanding (from reading the caa website) is that the UK IMC priviledges are only available in UK, Channel Islands and IOM airspace. However, I got to thinking as to whether the IAA had some sort of reciprocal arrangements for recognising the UK IMC.

After checking out the IAA website I couldn't see anything of use apart from the fact that they seem to follow the same training standards as the UK (in fact at ATPL level as an irish person it looks like you need to go to the UK to complete the ground school). So this starting me thinking that perhaps they recognise the UK IMC.........?

Anybody have any experience of this? Failing that I suppose a friendly email to an Irish flying club should illicit a response.

Thanks in advance.

[Chilli Monster]

The UK IMC is a 'National' rating and as such is not officially recognised by any other authority for the purposes of IFR/IMC flight. Once you cross the UK FIR boundary you are a bare PPL and as such you must have an Instrument Rating to fly IFR/IMC.

[onehunga]

Thanks for the quick reply CM. The thing that puzzles me still though is that when I go into several Irish flying club websites they offer IMC ratings.

That got me thinking that perhaps there was some sort of reciprocal arrangements. Albeit from the Irish to the UK rather than vice versa?

[2Donkeys]

Onehunga

You can do an IMC rating in the USA too, but it doesn't in any way mean that the US recognises the IMC rating.

Typically, schools outside the UK that train people for the UK IMC rating either use goggles to simulate IMC (whilst flying VFR), or use instructors who have a local valid Instrument Rating.


What CM says is correct. The IMC has no validity for any IFR flight purposes outside the UK.