En Route IR

Is your ATO intent on offering the course and have they talked about any specifics?

Yes, they will be offering the course. Like most other ATOs in our country, they have submitted a draft syllabus to the authority for approval. But the authority is so overloaded with work right now (the enroute IR is not the only change that came about!) that it will take several months until the course will be approved. The flying school sees the enroute IR mainly as a stepping stone towards the real instrument rating and expect most of the students to come back within two years for the upgrade.

> expect most of the students to come back within two years for the upgrade.

Nice expectation. I don’t think this will happen that often. Look how many PPL are renewing their SEP for the first time.
Not many in the UK

From the UK perspective with IR that might be seen different but I can tell from a German perspective that had the E-IR been around in the past I would not have taken a 17 years long pause. There is much more utility, if you can perform most trips. Being restricted to VFR only, most trips have to be canceled and then flying becomes a pure hobby competition with other pursuits. I’m quite positive that the E-IR will change that a bit.

The interesting part will be how ATC will cope with the new E-IR pilots. They are used to a different kind of pilot. Those that fly day in, day out a fixed set of routes. On the IFR frequency there will certainly be more chatter and more questions than right now.

Panshanger EGLG claimed they were looking to do the En route IR, though I know no more than that. Suffice to say I am looking forward to getting my hands on any training materials and going for it.

With a UK approval price of £1294 and an annual fee of £1156, plus for the theory an additional £1746 plus and annual fee of £1448, I doubt that many ATOs will have any interest unless there is a considerable demand.

Isn’t the E-IR the new name for the UK IMC? I understood that the IMC will be converted to the E-IR. Am I wrong?

Isn’t the E-IR the new name for the UK IMC? I understood that the IMC will be converted to the E-IR.

Am I wrong?

I’m afraid so.

They are actually somewhat complementary: the EIR confers enroute but no approach privileges, and the IMC [effectively] confers approach but no enroute privileges. The EIR is valid across EASA-land, the IMC is only valid in UK airspace. The EIR uses the same theory exams as the full IR, the IMC has its own (much smaller) theory syllabus. In the UK, the combination of EIR and IMC privileges comes very close to a full IR.

The IMC rating is entered on an EASA license as an IR (R ), with a note stating that it is restricted to the privileges of the IMC. This is really just a paperwork exercise – the relevant laws still talk about the IMC rating, and if you have a UK license, the rating will be entered as an IMC.

confers approach but no enroute privileges

Strictly speaking no en-route privileges in controlled airspace, but you can still do what you like in IMC or not in IMC en-route outside controlled airspace, so long as you comply with IFR rules.

The EIR uses the same theory exams as the full IR

Ah yes, I had read that and forgot about that. I think that makes it an interesting challenge (though hopefully not overly laborious for what the privileges confer). Me personally, I’d use the EIR as a stepping stone to a full CB IR as I don’t have enough real experience (though I do have 50 +hours logged as IFR), and my ability to do endless pointless holds is well below IR standards anyhow. And with the plane I fly (PA28) and it’s limitations I don’t think I will bother with a full IR anyhow. The EIR + IMCr (or IR I already have should suit me well :-)

Strictly speaking no en-route privileges in controlled airspace, but you can still do what you like in IMC or not in IMC en-route outside controlled airspace, so long as you comply with IFR rules.

Not quite.

The IMCR gives you IFR privileges in UK airspace, Classes D,E,F,G. That is for all of enroute flight and takeoffs and landing, with the last two requiring 1800m visibility.

It is useless in the Class A which the UK has so much of, but you don’t generally need to use that airspace within the UK – exceptions being winter flying where the full IR enables much more likely VMC on top.

The demand for the EIR or the CB IR will always be ultimately limited by access to aircraft suitable for enroute IFR in the Eurocontrol system, which tends to define a fairly high performance level, mainly in the operating ceiling department. These are sometimes available for rental but the hourly rates tend to be outrageous.

I know many will correctly point out exceptions and the applicable scenarios for those exceptions, but I would consider a PA28-181 (or similar, FL140 ceiling) to be the minimum perf usable for Eurocontrol IFR if you want to cross some high ground too.