arj1 wrote:
Well, previously it was communicated that you could get an approval to fly a PtF aircraft under IFR and/or night (if it states that in the original Permit) in almost any country, except for Germany.
You get that approval under that precondition in Germany as well (the case for quite some N-reg homebuilts). However if you fly an ECAC reg homebuilt here a general entry permission is applicaple, even allowing homebasing this homebuilt here in Germany, but this general permission limits the homebuilt to day VFR in the appropriate document. Since that even deems the Luftfahrtbundesamt as quite odd, they are working on a revision of this general entry permission. Anyway it must be noted, that a DME is necessary to fly IFR in German airspace, which even many SR22 etc. don’t have 
Peter wrote:
That restriction is almost universal in Europe.
Not any longer. The UK lifted it and I know of quite some Europas which are actually approved there in the meantime (I think Vans are similar). Same in the Netherlands, where IFR recently became possible with homebuilts, as well as the Scandinavian countries etc.
a DME is necessary to fly IFR in German airspace
That hasn’t been the case for 10 years now.
boscomantico wrote:
That hasn’t been the case for 10 years now.
§ 3 Para 1 No 5 FSAV, no?
It’s important to understand this for what it actually is. The ECAC recommendation is about freely flying in another country’s air space without any other restrictions than exists in the AoC or PtF of the aircraft.
As far as I can see only Norway, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland have implemented this, and it exists in the AIPs of those countries. Perhaps also some former eastern block countries.
Then there are countries for which you can freely fly, but with restrictions as found In the AIP.
Another option is, yes (under whatever restrictions), but prior permission is required.
Most countries have no mention in the AIP at all. They usually have regs for foreign ULs, but a homebuilt experimental aircraft is not an UL. Germany has a completely cryptic mention of something that perhaps could be interpreted as relevant? The same goes for the Czech R.
If you want to fly a homebuilt with no restrictions of any kind, then go to Norway, Sweden, Finland or Switzerland 
Switzerland do mention that IFR equipment must be according to Swiss regulations. I don’t know what that means in practice, but I would guess some kind of minimal equipment for the Swiss airspace?
Equipment requirements are regulated by Part-NCO since 2016 (so eight years actually).
boscomantico wrote:
Equipment requirements are regulated by Part-NCO since 2016 (so eight years actually).
On a recent request (2024) of the Oskar Ursinus Vereinigung (German Homebuilt Association) the LBA answered:
“….Diese Luftfahrzeuge dürfen in Deutschland IFR und NVFR-Flüge durchführen, wenn ihre Instrumentierung der FSAV entspricht und die Operating Limitations des Eintragungsstaates dieses erlauben…..”
Translation by DeepL:
“…These aircraft may operate IFR and NVFR flights in Germany if their instrumentation complies with the FSAV and the operating limitations of the country of registration permit this…”
Above, I was not referring to homebuilts. Sorry if this was out of context. I was referring to EASA aircraft.
The UK lifted it
You mean for all permits retrospectively, or just for those which went through the LAA IFR programme?
Peter wrote:
You mean for all permits retrospectively, or just for those which went through the LAA IFR programme?
No, of course not for all retrospectively but only for those who applied and went through the LAA approval procedure for Night/IFR.
