Instructing For the IMC/IR(R)
 

CAP 804 is out. See link: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP804.pdf

In relation to an IRI, the document states the following requirements:

"The privileges of an FI are to conduct flight instruction for the issue, revalidation or renewal of:

(g) 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 the skill
test for the IRI certificate, ......."

Does this mean that from July 2012 :

1. You will able to instruct for the IMC/IR(R) if you are an existing IRI with an IMC rating and under 200hrs actual IFR flight time? (ie will existing privileges be lost?)

2. You will be able to complete the IRI course if you are an FI with an IMC/IR(R) and under 200 hrs actual IFR flight time if you only wish to instruct for the IMC/IR(R)? (ie is the requirement for a full IR and 200hrs IF only for those wishing to instruct for the full IR?)

Thanks to anyone who know the answer as I am considering doing the IRI course and qualify under the existing rules. (I have over 50 hrs actual IF) but don't seem to under these new ones. I only wish to instruct to IMC/IR(R) level.

(g)(1) above is a prerequisite to obtain the qualification, not to exercising the privileges of it if already obtained. New book poor wording!

You should be aware of AIC 13/2012 which announces a change to the requirements to add the IF Instructional privilege to an FI rating. You have until 1st July to complete your training and get the application in!

The AIC also contains an error:
Part FCL only requires that it be flight conducted in accordance with the IFR and makes no stipulation that the IFR experience has to be be gained in flight "in
circumstances requiring compliance with IFR" i.e. mandatory rather than optional IFR!

The CAA recognised in 1997 that this requirement would just about stop dead instrument instruction and introduced the 4:1 ratio. It appears there is now nobody left that understands the issue, and the supply of instrument instructors will cease forthwith.

Since the IMCr is not an EASA qualification, the UK CAA is under no obligation to require that instruction is given only by FIs qualified in accordance with Part-FCL. There is nothing to prevent the Authority from maintaining the current criteria for instructors.

The CAA have agreed to take another look at the creation of an IRI(R) and an IRE(R) so that qualifications to instruct and examine at IMCR / IR(R) level will be continued.

Yet another aspect of the nonsense of €urocracy about which they were warned some while ago.....:rolleyes:

I see they have already withdrawn the downloadable pdf!

Thank you for the replies. BEagle's post looks most encouraging as I don't have time to do the course before 1st July 2012. Any chance we will have an answer before the deadline?

Quick question on this;

Under current rules, if you have an IR and have the 'no applied instrument' restriction removed from your FI(A), can you instruct for the actual IR or is it just the IMCr?

Ta,

EK

I believe in order to teach for the IR you must hold an IRI. When I did mine I got an IRI as a standalone rating as well as an unrestricted FI(A).

As I understand the JAR system, if you were an FI with the applied instrument restriction removed , you could teach to the rating held. If you have an IR you can teach to that if you have an IMC but not an IR you can teach to only the IMC. I dont have an IR so can teach only to the IMC stage, and have taught to CPL as you do not need an IR to do this, but 500 hours as a FI and be approved by the school under their approvals with the blessing from the CAA.

But looking at the new EASA rules I cant see where the future IR instructors will come from with 200 actual IF requirement.

But at least I think can I continue to get my students through IMC courses until 2014.

Thanks guys,

It's amusing how many instructors don't actually know what the current rules are and what they will be in the future. Myself included.

I recently had my IR renewed and the examiner wasn't too sure either!

I'm thinking of doing the course in the next month or so but only if I get the ability to become a permanent IRI. From what I can tell this will be the case but I'm not too sure....

Do you have 200 hours actual IFR ? If you do not as I understand the rules presently, you can't teach for the IR.

The problem is the UK has some oddities. Everywhere else in EASA land to teach IR you must be an IRI. It's only when you start throwing the IMCr into pot that the waters become muddied.

If my reading of Part FCL is correct an IRI is still going to be needed for IR.

The privileges and IR training for FIs remains pretty much the same as under JAR-FCL, with the caveat of the qualifying flight time under IFR for FI/IRI.

So an FI will not need to hold a standalone IRI.

As I understand it, if you have an IR you get to multiply your IF hours by 4 at the minute. I do qualify via this 'back door' route.

However nobody seems sure if this is going to be carried over to EASA land. Of course, it makes a huge difference as I'm never going to get another 150 hours of IF any time soon.....

EK

It is abundantly clear that the 4:1 ratio will not apply after 1 July 2012. The CAA have even issued an AIC to inform everyone.

An FI does not need to be an IRI however; the training is the same, but the pre-entry requirements are different. All further confused by the fact the UK CAA never got around to removing the old National Applied Instrument limitation and the same course was used to remove it.

Thanks Whopity. I hadn't realised that AIC had been issued.

So where do they expect the next generation of IR instructors to come from?

I am advised by the CAA that:

I have suggested the IRI(R) and IRE(R) to meet this objective as this would follow the normal EASA methodolgy.

And what would then happen when an IRI(R) adds an IR or EIR to his licence?

You can't expect those making all these wild promises to actually understand such things!