Demise of the IMC/IR/R
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Demise of the IMC/IR/R
I have just heard a rumour that simple revalidating an expired IMC or IR/R rating becomes impossible after this April, and a whole new set of exams and training will be required for a new type of IR.
I have not heard of this new ruling before. Is anybody able to shed some light?
I have not heard of this new ruling before. Is anybody able to shed some light?
The IMC Rating is a UK national qualification that has nothing whatever to do with EASA. As a national qualification, it could not be entered into a Part-FCL licence and so, in 2013, the UK CAA unilaterally began entering it as an Instrument Rating (Restricted). EASA then retrospectively permitted national qualifications to be entered in Part-FCL licences, subject to certain restrictions, by amending Article 4 of the Aircrew Regulation but this is only effective until 8 April 2019. Meanwhile, EASA has been working to develop the 'Basic Instrument Rating', an EU version of the IMC Rating, the Opinion for which has recently been passed to the European Commission.
Clearly, there is little or no chance of the BIR coming into effect before 8 April and so there are a number of options:
1. The effective period of the Article 4 amendment is extended - unlikely as this is primary legislation, but not impossible;
2. The UK CAA continues to enter the IMC Rating in Part-FCL licences regardless;
3. The Article 4 amendment expires and the IR(R) is no longer entered into Part-FCL licences.
In the latter case, the IMC Rating may continue to be included in a UK PPL, which may be held alongside a Part-FCL licence. Whatever happens, there is no suggestion that the IMC Rating will not survive as a UK national qualification, at least until the BIR is established.
To be clear: The IR(R) does not exist, it is nothing more than an administrative fudge engineered by the UK CAA. The qualification that people hold is an IMC Rating, a national qualification detailed in Schedule 8 of the UK ANO
Clearly, there is little or no chance of the BIR coming into effect before 8 April and so there are a number of options:
1. The effective period of the Article 4 amendment is extended - unlikely as this is primary legislation, but not impossible;
2. The UK CAA continues to enter the IMC Rating in Part-FCL licences regardless;
3. The Article 4 amendment expires and the IR(R) is no longer entered into Part-FCL licences.
In the latter case, the IMC Rating may continue to be included in a UK PPL, which may be held alongside a Part-FCL licence. Whatever happens, there is no suggestion that the IMC Rating will not survive as a UK national qualification, at least until the BIR is established.
To be clear: The IR(R) does not exist, it is nothing more than an administrative fudge engineered by the UK CAA. The qualification that people hold is an IMC Rating, a national qualification detailed in Schedule 8 of the UK ANO
Article 1
Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011 is amended as follows:
…
(2) in paragraph 8, in the introductory sentence, "8 April 2019" is replaced by "8 April 2021".
Thanks, bookworm! Your reply was rather more helpful than mine - I was about to go but just wanted to advise the OP that reports of the imminent death of the IR(R) / IMCR are somewhat exaggerated!
BillieBob, the BIR will be rather more than just an 'EU version of the IMCR'!
BillieBob, the BIR will be rather more than just an 'EU version of the IMCR'!
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This would be good news having it extended to 2021 as my IMC Rating has been expired since '05 although my FAA IR was last valid in 2010 (had a long break). My IR(R) is on the back of the EASA PPL and I've tried asking CAA FCL via email a few months ago whether the deadline of 8th April applied also to also moving expired IR(R) ratings back onto an EASA licence or whether it was for new issuance only. Unfortunately not had a reply to my query (tried again last month) but in their defence they were pretty quick at answering my EASA conversion/SEP renewal questions early last year.
Would like to renew my IMC Rating and have it transferred from the back of my EASA PPL but cannot find a definite answer as to whether this would be possible after April 8th 2019 and not able to get it done before then as I'm going to need a substantial portion, if not all, of the 15 hours course again.
Would like to renew my IMC Rating and have it transferred from the back of my EASA PPL but cannot find a definite answer as to whether this would be possible after April 8th 2019 and not able to get it done before then as I'm going to need a substantial portion, if not all, of the 15 hours course again.
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Paul.
The next issue will be those training for the IMC rating who don't make it by 7th April 2021 and the training they have received will not count towards a BIR because nobody has considered a seamless transition.
Whopity , your erstwhile employers are snowed under with UK/EU exit contingency planning right now, but IR(R) credit for the BIR is certainly on the agenda...when Mother MayDay's EU exit nonsense has been done and dusted and CAA staff have more time.
Whenever the hell that will be...
Whenever the hell that will be...
The IMC Rating is a UK national qualification that has nothing whatever to do with EASA. As a national qualification, it could not be entered into a Part-FCL licence and so, in 2013, the UK CAA unilaterally began entering it as an Instrument Rating (Restricted).
BCPL's had other advantages, such as the 700 hr CPL upgrade (if I recall correctly) and no approved ground school requirements for the written exams, the elimination of the self-improver route was a tragedy.
The BCPL became redundant when the hours required for a full CPL was reduced from 700 to 200 bringing the UK pretty much into line with the rest of the world. It was introduced when it became illegal to get paid for instructing on a PPL. At its introduction anyone instructing on a PPL prior to 1988 was granted a BCPL restricted to instructing only. To convert it to a full CPL you needed to do the CPL ground exams and flight test.
After the cut off date, which if I remember rightly was in 1988, anyone wanting to instruct had to do the CPL written exams and flight test, and that qualification could be converted to a full CPL with no further exams when the 700 hour requirement was met.
After the cut off date, which if I remember rightly was in 1988, anyone wanting to instruct had to do the CPL written exams and flight test, and that qualification could be converted to a full CPL with no further exams when the 700 hour requirement was met.
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See the link below:
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/1299.pdf
This is a short term extension to allow the IR(R) to continue beyond April and allow the EU legislation to come into force in a month or 2.
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/1299.pdf
This is a short term extension to allow the IR(R) to continue beyond April and allow the EU legislation to come into force in a month or 2.
EU legislation to come into force in a month or 2.
Interesting to note the latest exemption does not cover a CPL holder who might just be teaching the IMC rating (IRR)! Presumably they will have to teach using their PPL privileges.