GrahamB wrote:It’s even more ridiculous than that, Paul.
In the UK you could even perfectly legitimately log any flight time below 3000’ and in sight of the surface as IFR, providing you hold an instrument qualification, as no IFR plan has to be filed.
Just to clarify the situation, assuming you are alone in that aircraft outside class A:
- Is it illegal to file IFR FP or airborne IFR FP in VMC without an IR rating?
- Is it illegal to get IFR clearance in VMC without an IR rating?
That is EASA FCL, now the fun begins, in UK class G airspace, I can “self-declare” IFR in VMC without a flight plan (not even radio) and log that as IFR time.
- Is it illegal to do the above without an IR rating?
Replace illegal with "can I log and claim those hours?"
I have this reference:
FCL.600 IR — General
Except as provided in FCL.825, operations under IFR on an aeroplane, helicopter, airship or powered-lift aircraft shall only be conducted by holders of a PPL, CPL, MPL and ATPL with an IR appropriate to the category of aircraft or when undergoing skill testing or dual instruction
I am still not talking about IMC rating = IR, FCL PPL vs UK PPL/NPPL or what happen with PIC/PUT or safety pilot combinations
From this it seems ok to fly IFR in the UK with an IR until Apr2019:
https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/In ... 16082..pdfUntil 8 April 2019, a Member State may issue an authorisation to a pilot to exercise specified limited privileges to fly aeroplanes under instrument flight rules before the pilot complies with all of the requirements necessary for the issue of an instrument rating in accordance with this Regulation