Just a word of caution, you need to be under IFR to get round the fact that there's a ZIT and you can't be IFR if you aren't carrying an IR holder.

Le Touquet, Lydd and Cherbourg don't have the same issue.

and if you are carrying an IR holder (who is not an instructor) then he has to log the IFR flight outside UK airspace, not you.

The common practice of carrying an IR holder in the RHS works on the idea that if there was an enquiry, he would pretend to have been the PIC. And this needs to happen before you have logged the flight, otherwise you have to very quickly rip out the relevant page out of your logbook ;)

Does anybody know how long we have to get the IMCr before EASA take away the privilege? And only give grandfather rights to pilots already holding an IMCr.

Thanks

There is, as yet, no guarantee that EASA will give grandfather rights to IMCr holders. The lawmaking process is far from complete and an Opinion is not due until Q2 of 2012, after EASA Part-FCL is due to become law.