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IMC RATING
Latest news from CAA on the IMC rating is now on CAA website under the EASA news section:
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/620/Interi...02012%20V1.pdf |
There are still some items remaining to be resolved though.....:\
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It is paragraph 7 that's the killer.
The fact is that most of who fly in IMC conditions, most of the time, fly EASA aeroplanes (which includes all CofA Pipers, Cessnas and Grummans for example). So, unless that CAA proposal is resolved in the way they hope, then the de-facto shelf life of the IMC rating is until 2014, after which it is nearly but not quite useless, for the vast majority of pilots. G |
So, unless that CAA proposal is resolved in the way they hope, then the de-facto shelf life of the IMC rating is until 2014, after which it is nearly but not quite useless, for the vast majority of pilots. |
but every indication is that they will resolve it in the way they hope.
If I were considering an IMCr I certainly wouldnt be put off for this reason alone. |
A basic PPL is almost useless, and is pretty unsafe in reality, without a capability to (a) navigate using radio nav (GPS/VOR/DME) and (b) control an aircraft in IMC.
(a) is useful anyway and is fully compatible with VFR flight. The ability to do (b) legally is a bonus, but safety is vastly improved even if you just have the capability. I would thus recommend everybody to do the IMCR. Just make sure you get an instructor who flies for real. |
need to rush?
I am doing an IMC course at the moment. Is there any reason to rush to finish by the end of March 2012 rather than 30th June 2012. I am just concious that paragraph 7 talks about an [arbitary] date and I am not clear whether that could in principle be earlier than 30 Jun 2012?
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A basic PPL is almost useless, and is pretty unsafe in reality, without a capability to (a) navigate using radio nav (GPS/VOR/DME) and (b) control an aircraft in IMC. In fairnes, there is a little bit of radio nav in the ppl training, but the magic box that says Garmin 430 on it, is best kept off :) The really astonishing part is that you can do a night rating without an IMC. The likelyhood of getting lost as pretty high trying to navigate by map and stop watch is pretty high. |
Yeah, this whole business needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century, and getting the IMCR is the most achievable legit way of getting the capability.
I have the JAA IR also, and have had the FAA IR since 2006, and there is almost nothing of practical relevance that you learn doing those two, over a competently taught and absorbed IMCR. But it's a lot more work. The IMCR is technically easy - what makes it nontrivial is the fact that most people are going into it with zero instrument experience and are doing it in aircraft in which barely anything works. |
without a capability to (a) navigate using radio nav (GPS/VOR/DME) and |
The IMCR is technically easy - what makes it nontrivial is the fact that most people are going into it with zero instrument experience and are doing it in aircraft in which barely anything works.
You want to try teaching it then, 152 ADF approach can be interesting, with a good wind. I would agree with Peter, some people find the rating quite tough, however Ive put them in fairly capable faster aircraft with HSI RMI GPS etc and then find it much easier, however most cannot afford such training, unfortunately. I was clearing out some old files yesterday, and my old school in 2003 was doing IMCs for £1500.00. Now nearer 4.5K I would think. |
I'm just wondering how, in spite of Peter's authoritative statement, I managed to do so much flying as a microlight pilot for 9 years, then another 10 years as a VFR PPL, and briefly VFR CPL before I finally got around to my (admittedly very useful) IMC rating.
G |
Radio nav is standard as part of the PPL. I use it all the time. You want to try teaching it then, 152 ADF approach can be interesting, with a good wind. I'm just wondering how, in spite of Peter's authoritative statement, I managed to do so much flying as a microlight pilot for 9 years, then another 10 years as a VFR PPL, and briefly VFR CPL before I finally got around to my (admittedly very useful) IMC rating. Nowadays, a VFR CPL is as useful as a chocolate teapot. It is just a passport to getting paid for flying or instructing. Microlighters won't be interested in an IMCR. You cannot legally fly in IMC in anything like that and, looking at the build quality of 99% of the stuff which fills out 4 of the 5 hangars at Friedrichshafen, I would not want to :) |
Not here in the UK. AMC-FCL 1.125 Exercise 18C Radio navigation Use of VHF Omni Range – availability, AIP, frequencies – selection and identification – omni bearing selector (OBS) - to/from indications, orientation – course deviation indicator (CDI) – determination of radial – intercepting and maintaining a radial – VOR passage – obtaining a fix from two VORs Use of automatic direction finding equipment (ADF) – non-directional beacons (NDBs) – availability, AIP, frequencies – selection and identification – orientation relative to the beacon – homing Use of VHF direction finding (VHF/DF) – availability, AIP, frequencies – R/T procedures and ATC liaison – obtaining a QDM and homing Use of en-route/terminal radar – availability, AIP – procedures and ATC liaison – pilot’s responsibilities – secondary surveillance radar – transponders – code selection – interrogation and reply Use of distance measuring equipment (DME) – station selection and identification – modes of operation – distance, groundspeed, time to run |
Interesting.... never saw ADF or DME in the PPL; in fact I was specifically told they are not to be taught.
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That's not to say that its taught very well. When, as CFI, I redesigned the PPL course for the Club at which I flew, we integrated all aspects of Ex 18C into the navigation phase - including VDF, radar, VOR, DME and ADF. I also included the requirement for students to have passed the Navigation, Meteorology and Flight Performance and Planning exams before their first 'real' navigation exercise. All our aircraft had panel-mounted GPS, so I also included a note stating: NOTE: Before Ex 18 is flown solo, students should be able to read their present position from the GPS. |
at least they could then report their lat/long to an ATS unit or London Centre. You have a GPS but can't use it. You get lost. You start up the GPS and read off the lat/long numbers (you pretend the moving map doesn't exist). You pass them to D&D to help you. What century is this? |
You're assuming it had a moving map, I used to fly a knackered old club aircraft that had a GPS that only gave LAT/LONG and a bearing to another LAT/LONG
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The GPS switch-on sequence was included in the after start procedures; in 2 aircraft it was a GNC250 and was part of COM2 and on the other 2 it was a standalone GPS150. None of the aircraft had moving map GPS, so the basic information was position plus bearing/range from home aerodrome.
Students have to learn to walk before they can run, peter. The GPS systems were not 'moving map' and it was mandatory for students to learn the basics first - which they were also required to demonstrate during the PPL Skill Test. If a student knew how to use the GPS correctly to navigate to a diversion, I would allow them to do so on the PPL Skill Test after first estimating heading and distance conventonally. It boosted their confidence considerably when they found how accurate their estimates were. Remember that we train and test for a generic class rating and that not all rental wreckage has GPS. But they all have windows out of which to look and methods of assessing heading and time! |
AMC-FCL 1.125 Exercise 18C Radio navigation
Use of VHF Omni Range – availability, AIP, frequencies – selection and identification – omni bearing selector (OBS) - to/from indications, orientation – course deviation indicator (CDI) – determination of radial – intercepting and maintaining a radial – VOR passage – obtaining a fix from two VORs Use of automatic direction finding equipment (ADF) – non-directional beacons (NDBs) – availability, AIP, frequencies – selection and identification – orientation relative to the beacon – homing Use of VHF direction finding (VHF/DF) – availability, AIP, frequencies – R/T procedures and ATC liaison – obtaining a QDM and homing Use of en-route/terminal radar – availability, AIP – procedures and ATC liaison – pilot’s responsibilities – secondary surveillance radar – transponders – code selection – interrogation and reply Use of distance measuring equipment (DME) – station selection and identification – modes of operation – distance, groundspeed, time to run and that is just one excercise - not surprising it is not taught very well - good luck! It is surprising how many pilots still fly without a GPS for one reason or another, so its not a bad idea to be able navigate by some other means, moreover it is also surprising how many pilots use slightly suspect GPSs and are surprised when the batteries run out at the most inconvenient moments or the bluetooth receiver dies on them. |
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