Over the years, much has been written about the value of the Instrument Meteorological Conditions – IMC / Instrument Rating (Restricted) – IR(R) qualification. Suffice it to say that a well-taught IMC/IR(R) provides a fantastic opportunity to enjoy similar privileges to that afforded by a full ICAO-compliant Instrument Rating (IR), apart from 3 restrictions:
1. Visibility minima for take-off and landing is 1500m;
2. Flight in Class A airspace (i.e. airways) is not permitted;
3. Flight is restricted to UK airspace (including the Channel Islands)
Of course, a fully compliant IR permits flight under IFR in Class A, is valid in all ICAO contracting states, and, when operating as a single crew, permits flight down to 800m and 550m with a suitable autopilot.
Everything else is the same. You may descend to system minima (e.g., 200ft for an ILS), although there is a recommendation in the UK AIP that states that when determining Decision Height (DH)/Minimum Descent Height (MDH), IMC/IR(R) holders are recommended to add 200 FT to the DH/MDH, with absolute minima of 500 FT for a precision approach and 600 FT for a non-precision approach.
The IMC/IR(R) course offered by Andrews’ Aviation broadly follows the AOPA UK training syllabus (4th Edition) and, where the original syllabus is lacking, encompasses best practices from PPL/IR Europe.
The AOPA syllabus consists of a Basic Stage which covers the basics of controlling the aircraft using all available instruments, the so-called full panel, and then with only certain instruments available, the partial panel, and, most importantly, recovering control of the aircraft from unusual attitudes on both full panel and partial panel. Having mastered the Basic Stage, the Applied Stage covers Radio Navigation & Instrument Approaches and brings together all aspects of planning and executing a flight in IMC under IFR.
The minimum requirement for the issue of the IMC/IR(R) rating is 15 hours of flight instruction, with 10 of those hours ‘by sole reference to instruments’. This really should be considered a minimum, but in practice, reaching the test standard can take significantly longer, depending on the pilot’s aptitude and application during the training.
Performance Based Navigation (PBN) and RNP Approaches
The original AOPA syllabus is light on some of the more recent advances including Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approaches using GNSS, (aka GPS approaches). Whilst not mandated RNP approaches are used more and more in day-to-day operational instrument flying.
Scenario Based Training
The other area that needs further exploration is scenario-based training. Traditional flight instruction consists of a number of exercises that, when practised together, result in a pilot competent to fly the aircraft. However, scenario-based training, which isn’t taught well or at all during sub-commercial flight training, means teaching strategies that provide the pilot with the skills and ability to manage different abnormal and emergency scenarios to a safe resolution.
Andrews’ Aviation are great advocates for PPL/IR Europe, we follow the Flight Operations & Competence Working Group Advisories for instrument training and IFR operations and instructors hold ICAO-Compliant UK Part-FCL Instrument Ratings as well as Instrument Rating Instructor (IRI) certificates.
If you want to fly across UK territorial airspace under IFR in IMC but don‘t accept the often-quoted advice that “The IMC rating is just a get-out-of-jail-free card,” then come and train with Andrews Aviation.
Already hold an IMC/IR(R) and want to train towards an ICAO-Compliant Instrument Rating (IR)?
The best approach may be the UK Part-FCL Competency-Based Modular flight training route. The training requirements for the IR following the CB-IR training route are listed in Appendix 6 to Part-FCL and consist of 40 hrs with up to 30 hrs prior IFR experience as Pilot-In-Command being credited and up to 15 hrs of previous instrument flight instruction. This means that the IMC holder can credit experience gained training for and use their IMC/IR(R) rating towards their IR when following the competency-based training route.
There is also a requirement to undertake a minimum of 10 hours of training at an ATO, and here’s the rub: Recent industry experience from ATOs has shown that bringing a traditionally trained IMC/IR(R) holder up to the standard to pass the Initial IR test is more often than not a significant effort in time and money.
Andrews’ Aviation offers more cost-effective preparatory instrument training so that the instrument pilot is fully prepared for their minimum 10 hours of instrument training at an ATO. Thus, the IRT standard is reached directly at the end of the ATO instrument training phase.