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IFR in homebuilts - UK LAA programme (merged)

The Europa is now cleared for IFR in the UK as well
https://www.theeuropaclub.org/the-europa/ifr-aircraft

EDLE

This LAA programme has been running for a long time now. I know another pilot who got an IFR approval for his RV a long time ago here (he got the IR too but I am not sure if it was done in the RV; there is no reason why not) but it seemed to have ground to a very slow speed after that. I recall there was a list of about 100 aircraft waiting for this but the LAA was going to take many years to process these.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

That’s a great step forward for IMC in permit aircraft! Do you mind me asking who the examiner was and how it works with the training organisation (if at all)?

Top Farm, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Just as an update. Going back through this thread I see it was 2017 that we got Day IFR clearance on our Vans RV10.

Yesterday, myself and my other co-owner completed our revalidation of our SEP IR in the RV10. We did the test at Cambridge and Cranfield. This now gives us full EASA ands UK ATPL IRs for SEP flying on all EASA aircraft and, of course, Permit aircraft. Interestingly (to us), as Commercial pilots, we can now cross validate the IRR based on our Commercial LPC / OPC. We have both kept our National ATPL, as well as having a EASA ATPL. (this has been for legacy reasons of having IMC priviledges on our National ATPL) We do need to log the required number of approaches in our SEP logbook.

I suspect this is the first IR that has been done in a LAA Permit aeroplane and it demonstrates that it can be done.

Peter highlighted the limitations of Permit aircraft with respect to the flying conditions.ie 1500m visibility, no flight in icing. A couple of things here. First of all they are the aircraft limitations and not the pilot rating limits. So, if I were to fly another SEP aircraft I can fly it down to the limits of my licence and the aeroplane, whichever is the higher. Secondly, these limitations were put in to get the initial rules accepted by the CAA. There is no reason why an application to lower the limits might not happen. In fact a well known American avionics company has asked why those limits have been used, as their equipment is certificated in the USA to mush lower limits.

I realise IFR day / night in a Permit IFR aircraft is not for everyone but, for our mission it works very well. The big difference over the IMC rating is it allows us to fly in Cat A airspace (ie airways), which makes planning so much easier. By having an SEP IR, cross validated from my Commercial IR, we don’t need to do a Test on the SEP every year.

I have now completed day Test flights on two other RV10s and done night tests on an RV7, RV8 and two RV10s. So, aircraft are slowly getting through the system.

I realise this is all a bit technical, but it has been the culmination of all our work on our RV10. So, yesterday was a pretty big moment..for both of us.

We both found the Test very demanding (yesterday was very windy to fly an uncoupled ILS), which goes to show how difficult it is to operate an SEP in IMC.

Rgds

Teal

Hampshire

This post is very relevant and interesting.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Just to report that we now have the IFR and Night.

We have also fitted a DME. So we now also have a VOR ILS DME available if we lose the GNS 530. Also a separate aotopilot. (which can be slaved to the 530) So pretty good redundancy.

All just in time for the summer….

Rgds

Hampshire

Teal wrote:

I hope people find this is of interest, as I don’t post on this subject anywhere else, but this forum seems to be appropriate for this information.

Great info, thanks for the updates! Enjoy the privileges! :)

Igor

Slovakia

DVLC refuse to issue driving licences, but issue a letter, to be produced to police, saying you are authorised to drive. This is also done for HGV drivers.
On my second post-70 licence application, they asked about any referral to a specialist for eye disorders. In my case, this was in my teens. They were quite happy to leave matters when I couldn’t remember the consultant’s name, and I had to push to get my license, threatening to involve my MP. They then sent an irrelevant form, which my GP scrawled “Irrelevant” all over, thumping it with the practice stamp. Then I got the licence.
When moaning about them, I heard that an over 65, full time HGV artic driver had been driving for over a year with such a letter. (Frequent run to Glasgow. )

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

Various conditions are a statutory driving ban e.g. 6 weeks for a bypass. OTOH you can drive after the 6 weeks without needing a signoff from anybody – unless a doctor says you can’t. I reckon you would have fun collecting on an insurance claim if there was a note on your medical record saying he told you to not drive

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
117 Posts
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