I’m not sure how the differences make it sub ICAO? are the countries that file the most differences therefore the most sub icao? What if the differences are improvements?
Incidentally, the IMCR is recognised by the FAA as “an instrument rating”, albeit as valid only in UK airspace.
I’d still love to know precisely which essential or even useful (for light GA) part of EASA or FAA IR training is missing from the UK IMCR syllabus.
As an everyday example, for a typical GA departure like this in a reasonably capable GA airplane, and for the subsequent climb through 6,000 ft of cloud, what relevant theory or practice do we learn for the EASA or FAA IR but not for the IMCR?
Jacko, standard IR includes something like 50 hrs of practice, IR(R) includes 15, so from practical skills perspective I do understand – just flying.
In the end, CB/IR in terms of flying is sometimes IR(R) + IFR XC / IFR freelance training + 10 hrs recap in the ATO
But what about theory?
What is so magical in the theory that makes it impossible otherwise to fly in Class A?
I’m not saying airways, as in Scotland you should be able to fly IFR in the airways as they are class E.
I have pushed this matter before with some people who took an ‘IMCr is no good’ attitude.
They had no real answers. The best they could come up with was insinuating that there is some magical decision-making process (go/no-go weather decisions) in the IR syllabus that is not revealed to anyone else.
The guess the thing to do is to ask a recently-minted EASA IR holder what they did in the 50 hours. I understand that (in the UK at least) a considerable proportion of this time is spent practicing NDB holds until they can be flown to an extremely high degree of accuracy in all conditions. This perception may well be outdated.
Perhaps also the 50 hours are there because, when considered as part of training for an airline cockpit, there is no real filter for flying aptitude prior to this point. Filters for determination to reach the jet cockpit (the written exams) and for ability to pay/borrow, sure, but is there anything that makes sure candidates starting the EASA IR course are actually quite good at flying?
arj1 wrote:
standard IR includes something like 50 hrs of practice, IR(R) includes 15, so from practical skills perspective I do understand – just flying.
I don’t get how this gives extra skills one cannot get with the imcr. Quality of instruction is variable too. I can’t speak for Instrument instruction as I’ve only had a reasonable amount of time with the one instructor who I think is excellent. However, I had a number of different instructors for ppl stuff and the quality was massively variable. I’d go so far as to say an hour with a top quality instructor is easily worth three or more with an average or poor one.
Can someone here summarize what the training and skills test for an IMCr entails? I honestly have no idea. Curious to compare (I hold an FAA IR).
I understand that (in the UK at least) a considerable proportion of this time is spent practicing NDB holds until they can be flown to an extremely high degree of accuracy in all conditions.
OK. I get that flying holds is an optional part of the IMCR syllabus. But which of us has been asked to fly an NDB hold in the last 10 years. I don’t even have ADF in my airplane.
Any moderately capable IFR airplane these days has a GTN650 and after half an hour with the free Garmin iPad trainer we can fly any hold, anywhere, any time, ad-hoc or published.
So I guess this NDB holding stuff is just a proficiency exercise, like taxiing on a lake or flick rolls.
The full IR has sids and stars. That’s all. But these are just normal enroute flying, using navaids or GPS as appropriate.
I did a few days of the JAA IR ground school and they taught airway route planning, too. This was at an FTO called PAT at EGHH in 2011. They used a specific 1990s Jepp low level chart, because it corresponded with the JAA IR QB! Of course that planning process was of zero value because it did not work with the Eurocontrol system, which by then had been running at least 10 years.
The IMCR includes holds. You can fly any IAP as published.
172driver wrote:
Can someone here summarize what the training and skills test for an IMCr entails? I honestly have no idea. Curious to compare (I hold an FAA IR).
http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/SRG1176Issue05Enabled.pdf SRG1176 Issue05 local copy
Page 2 of this examiner report covers all the things you have to do during the test.
Off_Field wrote:
I don’t get how this gives extra skills one cannot get with the imcr.
I think the idea is that you WILL fly IFR for 50 hours and get more confident. I mean before the test.
But, again, in terms of theory – I don’t know…
