Peter wrote:
Haha you are probably having a swipe at me being reluctant to kill myself but let me remind you that when I questioned that ATC “clearance” they rapidly backtracked on it
That’s not at all what I referred to specifically. There have been many such cases by many people. Everything is not about you.
Dammit – I can feel an inferiority complex coming 
No PhD… no hope 
FWIW I have 3k hrs, two IRs, use it a fair bit, and I struggle to remember anything actually useful I did in the classes. They were mostly rolling-eyes stuff.
The classes are a subset of the 14-exam (now 13) CPL/IR (“ATPL”) QB and work for that purpose (pilots who never fly on their own).
That depends on whether you want to understand the stuff or just get a pass.
In an ideal world, like most other sane people I expect, I should like to spend my precious time absorbing quality, useful information that I am likely to utilise as a GA pilot and cast away superfluous bloat that there is little to no chance of bringing to the fore. My present (perhaps naive and ignorant) plan is to get the exams out of the way in the fastest, most efficient manner; hopefully picking up some practical information during the journey. Then subsequently or in parallel seek a nicely authored, succinct resource that will teach me much of the genuinely useful knowledge required to operate as a; quality, knowledgeable, diligent, considerate and above all, safe pilot.
The IR(R) as a way point, enroute to a full IR is great.
I fully support that.
However the higher percentage of IR(R) holders never really progress to use the rating to it’s potential.
It’s just the way it always seems to be, time and time again.
With an IR(R) you’re a VFR pilot with extra privileges but more likely you won’t progress beyond that.
As a VFR pilot (with these extra privileges) you may very likely, not have access to a confidence inspiring aircraft, (Otherwise you would likely be on a definite route to an IR)……
You may still be very wary of the wx….. you still don’t have access to controlled airspace…. and it won’t take you around europe.
For that reason the rating and skills never really get consolidated and the utility drops.
Yes some do push through and use it like a UK only IR and maybe live far enough from London that the massively huge blanket of TMA doesn’t dictate their every move.
Realistically the IR is a travelling tool, with the main aim being to get up and out of the weather as much as possible, (often requires CAS access) but have skills and an aircraft that can manage, when you do have to be in the weather.
Circling back to the IR(R) you’re not in that category, so you look up at the sky, check the met and stay on the ground yet again.
The story above is my personal experience and that of at least 10 pilots I know.
I still believe the IR(R) to be fantastic, and it will have saved lives for some of those who have ventured into inadvertent IMC, because even when lapsed, you don’t panic and don’t do stupid things, because you’ll always remember just enough.
So I believe, as a step to the IR great, as a UK only mini IR? Yes for a few and great for them seems like not for many.
Lee I wish you well, and hope that you can really get into it and do become one of the few, who get to use the IR(R) to it’s potential. If you do, the IR is then only a step away, and I don’t think you’ll regret it.
However the higher percentage of IR(R) holders never really progress to use the rating to it’s potential.
It’s just the way it always seems to be, time and time again.
With an IR(R) you’re a VFR pilot with extra privileges but more likely you won’t progress beyond that.
IMHO this is because
Yup, i think we agree.
You are a perfect example of someone who would always find a way to get the very best from available options, and of course someone who will get out there and ‘do it’ but remember across a general GA pilot population you’re not general GA pilot.
Also with an IR and all the experience, it’s possible to launch on flights that can be made having an IR(R) and ‘show how it can be done’ but it’s one of those ‘easy to say’ when you already can do it, things.
I think spending time on EuroGa, did help keep up my enthusiasm for doing more and going further.
I hope that works for Lee too.
Pig wrote:
My son has a 61.75 all done by zoom
Could you exapnd a bit more on exactly how that was achieved?
Just look up a DPE on the FAA website who works on zoom. The rest is just simple paperwork and getting the validation from the CAA
As far as the airways discussion goes, if I wanted to split hairs I’d be a hairdresser.
Lee wrote:
On a related note however, what is the best means by which to pass the 7 CBIR exams?Is there a canonical question bank that people use? Do people generally not attend ground school anymore?
I also used Bristol Ground School – you have to do the TK with an ATO. Their CB IR course is approx. £1,000. There’s a 7 hours live teaching requirement but this is met by attending the “revision weeks”, which you can do by Zoom (and are actually quite useful) (you could go in person if you prefer). You must do this before you can sit the exams. You can sit the exams at any venue; I’m sitting mine at the CAA HQ near Gatwick. Exams are booked through the CAA website.
As arj1 said the AviationExam question bank is very good (the Bristol one is good too and a 12 month subscription is included in the CB IR course).
arj1 wrote:
Flight Planning & Performance – most-hated one. :) Mostly useless for real-life flying (no one plots the route on Jepp charts these days – it just doesn’t work). To prep: use the real paper charts when you go over the question bank (it DOES take time to find the right airport on those or to find the right plates) and also during the prep use the real calculator that is permitted for the exam – some complain it behaves differently to an Excel and/or Windows/Android calc. :)
I almost ran out of time in the flight planning exam (22 questions, 1 hour) as looking up plates / finding stuff on charts from the Jeppesen student airway manual takes a bit of time.
The IR(R) works very well in the UK because it allows you far more flying days in our notoriously fickle weather. You can pass through any ‘light IMC’ (non-convective cloud with a temp above the freezing level) that you might encounter on your usual OCAS (or class D) routes and work down to system minima on instrument approaches.
You don’t even need a particularly capable aeroplane. Legally of course you need something approved for IFR, but I’m pretty sure a lot of people don’t pay too much attention to that. A heated pitot, an artificial horizon, a GPS and two COM radios and I don’t think anyone is going to be asking too many questions.
Despite the difficulty these days of getting approaches, keeping an IR(R) valid is fairly decent value for money. A fairly simple test with an examiner every 25 months, easily done in your own aeroplane. If you lapse, it’s the same test so long as you’re not lapsed for a very long time (I forget how long).
They are often done fairly soon after the PPL because people want to do a further qualification. Many let it lapse, probably because of the old farts telling them it’s for emergencies only and because if renting in a club/school environment then they’re probably reluctant to let you fly their aircraft in IMC unsupervised. Many let it lapse but continue to fly as though it were valid. The training and experience you get when doing it is extremely valuable, whether you keep it valid or not.
I got mine in 2012 and it has only lapsed once for about a year or so. I’m due to revalidate later this year and I will do it, but it might be the last time. Approaches are getting harder to find and thus arranging it all becomes more and more hassle. I’m also getting less and less interested in flying in poor weather, given that I now live very close to the airfield and have access to multiple VFR aircraft so I can choose my days. I may even sell my share in the IFR-approved aircraft sometime in the next few years.
I’ve never upgraded to the IR because, apart from the work and cost involved, you really need a more capable aeroplane with a higher ceiling in order to make serious use of it. That means you need oxygen too, and with where the freezing levels are for much of the year you probably need anti-ice capability. Then the renewal is once a year, and costs a lot more.
