Hi everybody. I have a UK-issued JAR-PPL plus an FAA-IR and I recently purchased a G-reg plane IFR-capable. I'd like to fly IFR around Europe so I need an EASA-IR, but I feel that waiting 1 year will make me benefit from an easier conversion route (currently in discussion at European level I believe), instead of passing the 7 JAR-IR written exams (changing the plane reg is not an option). The question is: what is my best option during this "awaiting" year? According to Appendix 1 to Jar-FCL 1.015, page 1-A-19 e 1-A-20 ([https://aopa.de/DE/upload/pdf/PPLIFRJAA_Val.pdf]), I could ask a temporary validation (up to 1 year) form the UK CAA, valid in all Europe but only on G-reg planes (perfect for my case). It is well explained also in this website: [http://www.p3air.com/international-king-air-training/faa-to-jaa-pilot-license-conversion]
1) Given the discretionary power given to each CAA by this regulation, does anybody have any relevant experience with UK CAA?
2) What do you think the regulation means by requiring ">100hrs PIC instrument flight time" ? I have >100hrs logged during IFR flight plans where I was PIC, but most of that time was really in VMC (perhaps on top): would that count? Also I have some IMC time in UK without flight plan (in G space): would that count?
3) I found that other JAA CAAs have specific forms to facilitate the process, like this one I found online: do you know if UK CAA has something similar? [http://www.austrocontrol.at/jart/prj3/austrocontrol/data/dokumente/g6BFGFOLFAPEL120EN.pdf]
Thanks for any help, Valerio
What has happened to the old UK CAA "automatic validation" whereby an ICAO PPL holder could fly a G-reg plane, VFR worldwide, and if he had an IR then he could fly IFR worldwide too but only OCAS (Class F,G)?
I think that disappeared under EASA but maybe not quite yet. The IFR part of it was never very useful anyway.
Maybe it continues on non-EASA types.
The 100hrs requirement currently means 100hrs pic under actual or simulated instrument conditions.
With fcl.008 or cbm/ir it will become 50 hrs under an ifr flightplan.
The 100hrs requirement currently means 100hrs pic under actual or simulated instrument conditions.
That is a LOT. I have > 1600hrs and I doubt I have 100hrs instrument time as PIC.
It's daft anyway because anybody can log instrument time when flying alone - it's unverifiable.
With fcl.008 or cbm/ir it will become 50 hrs under an ifr flightplan.
Is that new info? The proposed requirement has varied over time. I have seen 25hrs IFR, 25hrs instrument, 50hrs IFR, 50hrs instrument, etc.
50hrs under an IFR FP is easy, for anybody who flies any significant amount. But "50hrs IFR" could be logged by a UK PPL flying in Class G, VMC, in accordance with IFR i.e. at FL040/050/060 etc 
Basically that whole business was aimed at preventing too many ATPL students going to the USA, doing an FAA CPL/IR, and coming to Europe and converting, and robbing the FTOs of a lot of money.
AFAIK the CBM IR is still stuck in Comitology and nobody I know knows what has happened to it. It's politicially vulnerable because it will form the flight training portion of a CPL/IR, reducing the dual time requirement for FTO flying time potentially substantially.
thanks a lot for your replies, I'll file application to CAA and see how it goes (although I fear they tend to accommodate rather airliner requests than private pilot requests, when it comes to temporary validation).
Btw, on a similar but different subject, anybody has the CAA form to request conversion of FAA IR into UK IMCr (by just paying 70 pounds or so, I believe)
thanks, Valerio
I think it may be this one.
But the UK CAA does not recognise the FAA IR 6/6 rolling currency, for this purpose. You need to do an IPC (a flight with an FAA CFII) within the last 12 months, I think.
You need a UK PPL to get the IMCR added on. This is a very good move.
