You would either have to really enjoy learning, or be a masochist to do the ATPLs now there is a viable alternative.

If you go down the CB IR route, you have a lot more flexibility.

So, do the IR(R) and your Night Rating (you need both).

You must have completed 25hrs post PPL flying before you take your IR(R) test anyway, so add in some other flying.

So, now you're 30 hours post PPL at this point and have an IR(R) and a Night Rating.

Do some IR flying with a mentor now - 10 or 20 hours perhaps. There are several really good IR mentors in the UK, and do some stuff on your own.

Finally, do your 10 hours at an ATO for the CB IR issue.

You need to have 50hrs PIC cross country time logged as well, but you should easily have hit that by now.

It's definitely completely achievable in 6-9 months but will be bloody hard work.

Doing ATPL exams for an IR is a sledge hammer to crack a nut......

The difference in time and learning retirement is vast and pointless for the OPs mission profile.

:ok:Try competition aerobatics. That will improve you understanding of flight more than anything else. A full IR requires an expensive a/c and a lot of revalidation for probably very little use. Basic IF training is of great value though.

Forget the IR. Enjoy yourself instead, go gliding.
 

Djwam, you have not a lot of flying hours. Even with 9 months to gain qualification, it is NECESSARY to keep in practice to be safe. I got my IR in Texas, in those days a lot cheaper even including getting there. Even though this qualified me - with limitations - to fly a G reg equipped plane in Europe IR, I was far from safe and found it impossible to stay current.

Best way to get your family to Europe is to fly on a well equipped commercial airliner with experienced pilots. Otherwise you are gambling with their lives.

Even with the IR there are plenty of occasions when weather will ruin your plans, and you must have the moral fortitude to disappoint your family/friends.

If you want to try something different that could possibly involve your family actively in flying, check the British Gliding Association website for local clubs. I went for only one trial lesson, back in 1983, and have been flying both gliders and power ever since. And made a lot of very good friends as well.

O yes. Everyone tells you DON'T PAY UP FRONT for flying lessons. Does this tell you something about the motivation or business reliability of this industry?

Gliding isn't the answer to every single question that gets posted on here you know ;)

You're far more likely to come a cropper in an inadvertent VMC into IMC incident than you are making proper use of a hard earned IR.

Just to join the choir...do the CB-IR!
This is the one rating that will improve your flying skills dramatically.
CPL is a waste of time and money if you have no intention of going pro.
I did an IR with just a PPL and flew with that for 4 years. Then did FI/ME/CPL/FI-IR later (in that rather weird order)
No question about it, the IR part was the one that gave me most as a pilot. After that CPL was a walk in the park.

But it is another way of flying. Some hate it and others (like me) just love it. So get an IR lesson before you start using time and money.
Also note you don't need a night rating to get a CBIR. but you will be limited to ifr day only.

Lol! I loaf around this forum when I have a boring hour at work and often think when reading some commercial pilot posts about combating jet lag on long haul flights or whatever that Mary will pop up and say 'You ought to try gliding...'

a lot of them do, you know! (fly gliders, that is...)

always struck me that a commercial pilot has a stressful but boring job. If you are working for some wealthy bloke there is a lot of waiting involved. If you are working for BA, there is a lot of sitting down observing the technology doing the flying/nav/etc. Where has the glamour gone?

It just worries me that the usual objective of a newcomer to flying is to involve and impress his family. You and I know there is no substitute for experience....