Hello @Lee
I have been to a similar process so will try to answer your questions based on my own experience (EASA PPL in 2020, CB-IR rating the year after and HPA TK course)
a) In my opinion, the exams for the IR are much more difficult than the ones for the PPL. Can’t compare with IR(R) as I never did this rating
b) From talks with ATPL students or frozen ATPL pilots, the level of involment to do the whole ATPL theory is huge, much more than the IR part
c) About time, I started to study the theory in December ’20 and and passed the last TK exams in June ’21. A huge part of my spare time was dedicated to IR training and regarding the theory, I was trying to study for an hour per day and five days a week. The 80hours that you can read there and there are ATO minimums, but the estimation of UdoR of between 120 and 150 hours is closer to reality
Now, a few notes / personal advices on CB-IR:
- the CB-IR has been designed as a way for pilots with previous experience / foreign IR rating, to get a EASA IR but also as a way for private pilot to add an IR rating to their PPL with less investment (both in time and money) than the ATPL IR route. At the end privileges are the same!
- I would recommend you to set up what are your goals in aviation. If you intend to become a pro pilot (not necessarily a commercial pilot, but I put FI in this category), then go for the ATPL theory exams as you’ll have to do the CPL sooner or later. If not, stick to the CB-IR exams because there is no needs to spend time learning mostly useless things
- you need a Night Rating on your licence, otherswise your IR is day only
- we are talking about an EASA rating which means that you can legally train for theory in country A, do the flight training in country B, go to the exams in country C. Maybe not easy to set up but doable. In order to save a lot of $$$ I did all my training and exams in France and get the rating on my Swiss licence. (I have to say it has been a bit of hassle with paperwork but was worthwhile).
- the ATO I used for the online theorical training (Institut Mermoz) had a 3 days of mandatory training in a classroom (for ATPL students it is 7 or 8 days). I guess others can have the same requirements, think to check that.
- I recommend you to get the books from Erlend Vaage for the CB-IR training, I found them easy to read and useful (maybe Erlend will read this post;))
- I recommend also to register to Aviation Exams to get the latest question bank in order to train for the exams (heard first time about them here on Euroga)
To finish a note about HPA. Basically you need it only for turbine powered aircraft (see list shared by boscomantico). If you have passed all the ATPL exams you are fine with the theory part, otherswise you have to take an extra course and get certificate of completion after an exam. It is not a CAA exam but an ATO exam. From memory my course was three or four Zoom sessions lasting around three hours each and some review of the powerpoint used during the course before the exam.
Hope this will help
Peter wrote:
Country dependent. In FAA-land it is (PIC on the Student Pilot Certificate). In the UK you are flying on the FI’s papers while he is sitting on the ground.
arj1 wrote:
I think the official stance was the this time is P1, but logged as PU/T, so it does not count (as well as successful skills tests that are logged P1/S in the UK for some weird reason).
AMC to FCL.050, (b)(1)(ii): the applicant for or the holder of a pilot licence may log as PIC time all solo flight time, flight time as SPIC and flight time under supervision provided that such SPIC time and flight time under supervision are countersigned by the instructor;
So solo flight time during training counts as PIC time in all EASA countries. After Brexit, of course, the UK may do it differently.
(Note: Part-FCL does not have the concepts of “P1” or “PU/T” time.)
Airborne_Again wrote:
Solo flight during basic training is PIC time as in that case you are the PIC.
I think the official stance was the this time is P1, but logged as PU/T, so it does not count (as well as successful skills tests that are logged P1/S in the UK for some weird reason).
Country dependent. In FAA-land it is (PIC on the Student Pilot Certificate). In the UK you are flying on the FI’s papers while he is sitting on the ground.
arj1 wrote:
You must also have completed at least 50 hours of cross country flight time as Pilot in Command (PIC) in aeroplanes, TMGs, helicopters or airships of which at least 10 hours shall be in aeroplanes.”
Solo flight during basic training is PIC time as in that case you are the PIC.
Qalupalik wrote:
arj1 wrote: 50hrs PIC XC after the PPL to be able to apply for CBIRThe Aircrew Regulation does not impose the condition that the cross-country hours must be acquired after the grant of a PPL.
@Qalupalik, I’ve quotes it from here:
https://www.caa.co.uk/commercial-industry/pilot-licences/aeroplanes/competency-based-instrument-rating/
“Flying experience
You must also have completed at least 50 hours of cross country flight time as Pilot in Command (PIC) in aeroplanes, TMGs, helicopters or airships of which at least 10 hours shall be in aeroplanes.”
arj1 wrote:
50hrs PIC XC after the PPL to be able to apply for CBIR
The Aircrew Regulation does not impose the condition that the cross-country hours must be acquired after the grant of a PPL.
This is basically the same as when doing the King Air type rating. And much of it is the same when doing the MEP class rating (or was) A guy I used to own a twin with was both a TRI and TRE for King Airs.
I always struggled with the electrical bits but back then you learnt in the classroom at the ATO (although it wasn’t called that back then) and then the instructor/examiner put a couple of pages of questions in front of you. Once you had answered them he checked them and if you had answered enough correctly;that was it. Theory done.
Right, but the HPA endorsement needs a bit more TK if you took the CBIR route as compared to the traditional modular IR.
There are online ATO courses where you can do this in a day of self study and a multiple choice test.
AMC1 FCL.720.A(b)(2)(i) Experience requirements and prerequisites for the issue of class or type ratings – aeroplanes
ED Decision 2020/018/R
ADDITIONAL THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE FOR A CLASS OR TYPE RATING FOR HIGH-PERFORMANCE SINGLE-PILOT (SP) AEROPLANES
(a) A number of aeroplanes certificated for SP operation have similar performances, systems and navigation capabilities to those more usually associated with MP types of aeroplanes, and regularly operate within the same airspace. The level of knowledge required to operate safely in this environment is not part of, or not included to the necessary depth of knowledge in the training syllabi for the PPL, CPL or IR but these licence holders may fly as PIC of such aeroplanes. The additional theoretical knowledge required to operate such aeroplanes safely is obtained by completion of a course at an ATO.
(b) The aim of the theoretical knowledge course is to provide the applicant with sufficient knowledge of those aspects of the operation of aeroplanes capable of operating at high speeds and altitudes, and the aircraft systems necessary for such operation.
COURSE SYLLABUS
(c) The course will be divided in a VFR and an IFR part, and should cover at least the following items of the aeroplane syllabus to the ATPL(A) level:
FOR VFR OPERATIONS:
Subject ref.:
Syllabus content:
021 00 00 00
AIRCRAFT GENERAL KNOWLEGDE: AIRFRAME,
SYSTEMS, AND POWER PLANT
021 09 01 03
021 09 03 00
021 09 03 02
021 09 03 03
021 09 04 00
021 09 04 01
021 09 04 03
021 09 04 04
Alternating current
Generation
AC generation
Constant speed drive (CSD) and integrated drive generator (IDG) systems Distribution
General
AC distribution
Electrical load management and monitoring systems: automatic generators and bus switching during normal and failure operation, indications and warnings
021 06 01 01
Piston-engine air supply
021 06 01 02
Gas turbine engine: bleed-air supply
021 10 10 01
021 11 03 01
021 10 04 01
021 03 01 09
Performance
Engine fuel system
Carburettor: design, operation, degraded modes of operation, indications and warnings
Mixture
021 11 00 00 to
021 11 01 04
Turbine engines
021 13 00 00
Oxygen systems
032 03 00 00
Performance class B: ME aeroplanes
032 03 03 01
032 03 03 02
032 03 03 04
032 01 03 00
032 01 04 00
032 01 05 00
032 02 04 00
Take-off
Climb
Landing
Level flight, range and endurance
Climbing
Descending
Climb, cruise and descent
040 00 00 00
HUMAN PERFORMANCE
040 02 01 00 to
040 02 01 03
Basic human physiology and
High-altitude environment
050 00 00 00
METEOROLOGY
050 02 07 00
050 02 05 00
Jet streams
Standing waves
050 09 01 00 to
050 09 04 05
Flight hazards
Icing and turbulence
Thunderstorms
062 03 00 00
Basic radar principles
062 03 00 01 to
062 03 04 00
Basic radar principles
Airborne radar
SSR
081 00 00 00
PRINCIPLES OF FLIGHT: AEROPLANES
081 02 01 00
081 02 02 00
081 02 03 00
SpeedsShock waves
Effects of exceeding MCRIT
FOR IFR OPERATIONS
Subject ref.:
Syllabus content:
010 00 00 00
AIR LAW
010 06 07 00
Simultaneous operation on parallel or near-parallel instrument runways
010 06 08 00
Secondary surveillance radar (transponder) operating procedures
022 00 00 00
AIRCRAFT GENERAL KNOWLEDGE – INSTRUMENTATION
022 01 02 00
Temperature sensing
022 03 04 00
Flux valve
022 12 00 00
ALERTING SYSTEMS, PROXIMITY SYSTEMS
022 12 07 00
Altitude alert system
022 12 08 00
Radio-altimeter
022 12 10 00
ACAS/TCAS principles and operation
022 13 03 01
Electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) — Design, operation
050 00 00 00
METEOROLOGY
050 02 06 03
Clear-air turbulence (CAT) – Description, cause and location
050 10 02 03
Upper-air charts
062 00 00 00
RADIO NAVIGATION
062 02 05 04
ILS — Errors and accuracy
(d) Demonstration of acquisition of this knowledge is undertaken by passing an examination set by an ATO. A successful pass of this examination results in the issue of a certificate indicating that the course and examination have been completed.
(e) The certificate represents a ‘once only’ qualification and satisfies the requirement for the addition of all future high performance aeroplanes to the holder’s licence. The certificate is valid indefinitely and is to be submitted with the application for the first HPA type or class rating.
(f) A pass in any theoretical knowledge subjects as part of the HPA course will not be credited against meeting future theoretical examination requirements for issue of a CPL(A), IR or ATPL(A).
(g) The applicant who has completed a competency-based modular IR course according to Appendix 6 Aa needs to complete both VFR and IFR parts of this course.
(h) The applicant who has completed a modular IR course according to Appendix 6 A only needs to complete the VFR part of this course.
A definition carefully chosen to poke at the US made King Air while preserving Socata (TBM) and Pilatus (PC12) as “non complex”
Maybe. Then again, EASA divided the non complex turbines into separate classes all requiring a unique class rating.
Instead of a Class Rating “SET” with differences training between different models, there is an entirely separate rating for PC12, PA46, TBM etc. IMO this is a much bigger “poke”, and it hits home, too.
Further, MET <5700kg are permitted for operation according to Pt. NCO, just like SET, by derogation.
