Which Instrument Rating?

I doubt it has to do with CAA/ATO interpretation? there is one single of contact in ICAO/FCL conversion: the IRE who is doing the oral & skill-test, if he is not happy with 50h PIC IFR, things are not going anywhere, if he is happy with it things are not stopping anywhere…

There is nothing in the guidance but I would go with has been said above it’s two requirements valid ICAO IR and (unrelated) 50h PIC IFR

vmc-on-top wrote:

but is it the case that the 50 hours PIC IFR needs to be post-IR?

To my knowledge, it is not the case.
If you have:
- ICAO IR and
- 50 hrs PIC XC IFR

Then all you need to do is:
- answer some theoretical questions asked by an examiner and
- perform an IR skills test.

Try e-mailing CAA? I mean in the format of “is this correct that if I do 1, 2 and 3 I get a UK IR?”.

Picking up on a couple of earlier comments about the FAA to UK IR route….. (in context that I fly N reg Cirrus in UK and will increasingly fly more outside of the UK)

I have an IMCR – and just less than 50 hours instrument flight time (around 15 of those were PUT), so just under 35 hours P1.

I WAS (still am!) planning to go the US this summer to do an acclerated FAA IR course – and I have a few options open to me. However, I had understood that once I had the FAA IR, I could return to the UK and complete the UK IR check ride immediately (as I’ve had around say 70ish hours IFR) and would then have 2 IR’s.

BUT, there is a grey area here – and that is the 50 hours PIC. My understanding is that in order to take the UK check ride, I’d need 50 hours PIC IFR – and I’d always worked on the basis that the instrument flight time hours I had with the IMCR would count towards that – and obviously having done FAA IR, the total IFR PIC hours would have increased well beyond 50 hours- but is it the case that the 50 hours PIC IFR needs to be post-IR? if thats the case, it rather scuppers the whole plan and would then mean some considerable hour building IFR in order to attain that?

Mixed opinions on this so far – there must be a definitive answer to this – i just can’t find a reference?

Thanks @Pig, interesting.

I assumed you used that stretch of taxiway for takeoffs and landings.

For someone who grew up in Germany, everytime around, it remains amazing to see people take a stretch of land or tarmac and as long as the owners permits it – presto – you have an airfield.

Defo ! Plus bird scarer, fire and rescue. Already have immigration…..

About to start renovating the old watch tower

IFR upgrade with ATC+IAP next?

Hi boscomantico

A complete mixture. Lots of business trips to Germany and Italy. EDTX EDSS and LIPV (my favourite airfield ever. I feel like Indiana Jones arriving in 1935 ) a few times a year mostly unless covid interuptus 2 – 3 POB Nearly always IFR

Climbing in the alps in summer means LFLP maybe four or five times a season. This is about the best profile. NA SR22, 4 POB, some luggage 3.5 to 4 hours, six hours door to door middle of nowhere Norfolk to chalet in Chamonix. 50 / 50 VFR / IFR

LFMD for Provence two or three times a year or a stop over for going further afield, usually 2 POB 50 /50 again

Skiing – only managed LFLB once but planned lots of trips that never made the weather. IFR….

Very hard to plan ahead and make plans stick is my problem. Business is often last minute and planning family stuff the usual nightmare of coordinating five of us. That needs special resource and looking forward months and months. Can’t think I’ve made a plan more than three months ahead that has worked out except in the climbing season in terms of GA

The runway at West Raynham is now under a load of solar panels but there is a lovely tarmac strip 23/05 700m just south of the hangers (the old taxiway) but I leave it as inactive as I don’t want to upset the locals with too much traffic and to avoid any bureaucratic issues. Lots of history to the place. About to start renovating the old watch tower.

Interested about your missions, @Pig. Are your flights mostly for business meetings? Which fixed timing?

What are your usual destinations?

By the way, West Raynham isn‘t even shown as an active airfield in SD. And on the sat image, the „runway“ looks interesting as well…

I think you need to understand much more about your mission profile. IFR does not equal always go. I’ll fly in all sorts of crap except TS and Moderate ice. Even with TKS. Between November and March, long distance in Europe, unless I have the luxury of good weather windows, which I invariably do not, particularly when planning months ahead, I pretty much have to fly commercial, hating every minute even though I’m mostly upfront on air miles. It’s not a silver bullet. I understand the desire to look ahead and plan for the future, but unless you are happy investing a lot of time and significant financial resource, then I’d get the licence and give it a year or two.

Amateurish wrote:

Isn’t there a serious risk of being stuck above the clouds? Bear in mind that over Christmas we had 12 minutes of sunshine in 16 days, so it’s pretty extensive!

@Amateurish that is why I specified VMC on top and not VFR – if you have ANY instrument rating you can go down through the clouds. :)
Of course, if there is a freezing forecast for the cloud layer, then you’d have to plan carefully.