Peter wrote:
GTX327 Mode S.
The GTX 327 is Mode C .
GTX328 and GTX330 and GTX345 (new) are mode S
The GTX 327 is Mode C .
Yes – clearly a cock-up in the Planecheck description…
The video would probably settle this if you watch it carefully, but the fact is that this plane was Mode S in 2015/16 and why would one downgrade the transponder? Well, I can think of why but it would be somewhat drastic! But who knows… maybe people do it, and homebuilders can do this; on a certified you cannot downgrade Mode S to Mode C except off the books.
Michael wrote:
They are listing it as “IFR certified” …
I have heard quite some experimental people say that their aircraft is IFR, when it has all equipment required for IFR. This is something different then IFR certified.
Peter wrote:
That may be true but IMHO anybody who flies this type for real will need Mode S anyway, just for a reasonable geographical capability.
Sure, but if you want to claim that your aircraft is “IFR certified” (which is the subject of this thread), technically you can do that today without having mode S.
Sure, but Michael asked “Does anyone have a paid FlightRadar subscription to check out their flight history ?” so the FR24 discussion is relevant to that.
I believe you can truthfully advertise a plane as “IFR” without an electrical system – for UK Class G and if it is a homebuilt it must not have “VFR only” on the permit 
Massively disingenuous but what’s new?
Also, as we all know, “IFR” means lots of things. It can be IFR in [UK] Class G (which needs practically no equipment), or all the way to what I call “Eurocontrol IFR” which is generally in CAS and which practically speaking needs all the kit including Mode S. In between the two extremes, you might be able to file a eurocontrol route within say Spain, without Mode S (I have no idea; it should be possible to determine from the AIP).
And nothing stops someone advertising e.g. an N-reg homebuilt here in Europe as “IFR” which is 100% truthful but about 99% useless operationally (unless you base it in one of a few countries and always fly via specific airspaces).
The bottom line is that this Lancair cannot fly “around Europe” in any useful manner, IFR, legally. Of course it can do it illegally and you won’t get busted (at least I have never heard of such a case; it is unlikely if you “move around”) but the insurance will IMHO be invalid.
Peter wrote:
In between the two extremes, you might be able to file a eurocontrol route within say Spain, without Mode S
In all of Scandinavia and the Baltics…
Airborne_Again wrote:
In all of Scandinavia and the Baltics…
Except Denmark and, I believe, Norway. The Norway bit is just from a Lancair that was based in Norway and on Swedish reg in order to be able to fly IFR, so I could be wrong.
I believe IFR is possible for experimentals in Luxembourg, Sweden and now also UK, but there might be more than that. It anyway allows to get a bit around, if you can plan to be on top and out of class A en-route.
now also UK
Only for G-reg airframes specifically (individually) approved via the LAA scheme. No blanket IFR approval for homebuilts, although I would imagine those which get the IFR approval will also get an automatic exemption from the ban on homebuilts flying IFR in UK airspace.
Then the Q is where can you fly to out of the UK where homebuilt IFR is also not prohibited. We had multiple threads on that but I don’t recall the answer.
It anyway allows to get a bit around, if you can plan to be on top and out of class A en-route.
Yes; quite handy for VMC on top, because you can’t get into most of UK CAS otherwise under VFR, in any plane, certified or not.
Peter wrote:
Only for G-reg airframes specifically (individually) approved via the LAA scheme. No blanket IFR approval for homebuilts
I would be surprised if there is a blanket IFR approval for experimental anywhere in the word as they are, by definition, all individual.
