Post by RicIs there a succinct justificaiton for the UK IMC rating anywhere on the web?
Or can anybody explain how it arose and its justification? I used to hold
one many years ago when I lived in the UK and from what I remember it was a
useful stepping stone to IR.
Thanks from a now non-UK JAR pilot..
Legally its privileges are identical to an IR except:
- IFR privileges limited to UK airspace
- no Class A
- min 1800m reported ground visibility for IFR departure or arrival
- the JAA IR absolves the pilot from the 3/90d night currency
requirement for passenger carriage, but the IMC-R does not do this
There is an ADVISORY from the CAA that one should add 500ft to
published approach plate decision heights etc but this is not LAW; it
is not in the ANO.
In a separate part of the ANO, the IMC-R removes the 3000m enroute
visibility requirement for VFR flight (I believe this 3000m is common
to all JAA PPLs) thus returning the PPL holder to the basic ICAO VMC
figure of 1500m for VFR flight. It also removes the UK issued PPL
requirement to be in sight of the surface. The stuff in this paragraph
doesn't have a territorial restriction and is thus valid worldwide. So
you can fly VMC above an overcast layer where not locally prohibited
(e.g. France). This is the subject of much contention but I have it in
writing from the CAA.
The IMC-R also affects min vis requirements under SVFR but I never
understood SVFR :)
I believe the above is correct; no doubt somebody will correct me,
with references, if not :)
The IMC-R is a stepping stone to an IR in the sense of instrument
experience but the training doesn't (currently, AFAIK) count towards
the JAA IR. It fully counts towards the FAA IR though.
There is no clear list of the IMC Rating privileges in the ANO,
because the ANO is written mostly in reverse: it lists prohibitions
and you have to work out what isn't prohibited in what circumstances.