Ratings

The holder of an ICAO compliant Instrument Rating  can fly in cloud by sole reference to instruments. They may depart in IMC flying a Standard Instrument Departure (SID), join airways, enabling longer national and international flights to be conducted entirely in controlled airspace on IFR flight plans. They may fly a Standard Arrival Route (STAR) then an instrument approach, which allows descent through cloud to minimum altitudes using both precision (e.g. ILS) and non-precision (e.g. LNAV) instrument approach procedures. This is valid worldwide using the same procedures and radio telephony phraseology.

The Competency-Based Instrument Rating, CBIR.

There are several different training pathways to achieve an ICAO-compliant or ‘full’ IR. They share the same skill test, and the same demonstration of high standards. What’s new in the CBIR is its accessibility, which makes it much more suitable for private pilots than the previous modular IR. First, the much-reduced TK. This largely excludes commercial and airliner aspects (the downside of this is that this TK cannot replace IR or ATPL knowledge for commercial use, and your CBIR with limited TK will be annotated accordingly in your licence). Second, the fact that the flight training is based on your competency and ability rather than a prescribed and pre-determined course. But…the time taken and training required is widely variable. 

Prerequisites

Before starting the course you will need a UK Part-FCL PPL or CPL, 50 hours of PIC cross-country time, and English language proficiency. A Night Rating is needed if you want to use the IR at night. You will need a valid Class 2 medical with audiogram, the extra hearing test needed for the IR.

Privileges

As already stated, this is the ‘full’ IR; it confers exactly the same privileges as any other ICAO-compliant Instrument Rating. Once qualified you can depart in a G-registered aircraft, fly airways, and arrive and approach IFR to published minima anywhere in the world. It can fairly easily be validated for use in other than G-registered aeroplanes. 

Training Requirements

These are expressed in the UK legislation in a rather convoluted manner. The basic requirement is for 40 hours of instrument flight training and experience. At least 25 hours must be under instruction by a suitably-qualified instructor and at least 10 hours must be conducted by an ATO. 25 hours can be carried out in an FNPT2 certified simulator.

A couple of examples.

1. You have done an IRR course. This takes a minimum of 15h instrument flight training. All of this counts. However, any further training must now be provided by an instructor specifically qualified to teach the IR. You can do as much of this as you like, and up to a further 15h will count, which gives 30h in total. All further training must now take place at an ATO to be eligible to be included in your 40h total minimum training time.
2. You have done an IRR course. This took 18h. It was taught at a DTO by an instructor qualified to teach the IRR, but not the IR. So as before, you can count 15h, but not the further 3h. You then fly a total of 38h IFR PIC. 15h of this counts, so you now have 30h eligible for inclusion. As before, all further training must now take place at an ATO to be eligible to be included in your 40h total minimum training time.

In most circumstances it is going to mean 40 hours of flight instruction, of which at least 10 are in an ATO and will commence with an assessment flight to allow an estimate of the amount of training likely to be required. Since the assessment flight is a normal training flight, we include the flight time as part of the 10h total required at an ATO.

Flight training, skill test and licence application must all be completed within 36 months of passing the last theory exam, otherwise the exams will need to be retaken.

Instrument Rating Syllabus

The following is taken directly from the legislation:-

The flight instruction for the competency-based modular IR(A) shall comprise:

1. Procedures and manoeuvres for basic instrument flight covering at least: – basic instrument flight without external visual cues: – horizontal flight; – climbing; – descent; – turns in level flight, climbing and descent. Instrument pattern; – steep turn; – radio navigation; – recovery from unusual attitudes; – limited panel; – recognition and recovery from incipient and full stall.
2. Pre-flight procedures for IFR flights, including the use of the flight manual and appropriate air traffic services documents for the preparation of an IFR flight plan.
3. Procedure and manoeuvres for IFR operation under normal, abnormal and emergency conditions covering at least: – transition from visual to instrument flight on take-off; – standard instrument departures and arrivals; – en-route IFR procedures; – holding procedures; – instrument approaches to specified minima; – missed approach procedures; – landings from instrument approaches, including circling.
4. In flight manoeuvres and particular flight characteristics;
5. If required, operation of a multi-engine aeroplane in the above exercises, including: – operation of the aeroplane solely by reference to instruments with one engine simulated inoperative; – engine shutdown and restart (to be carried out at a safe altitude unless carried out in an FFS or FNPT II).

This is mostly straightforward. Particular flight characteristics could mean anything and we take this to refer to being trained in any peculiarities of the specific aircraft being used. Instrument pattern is simple a series of manoeuvres designed to demonstrate competence in basic instrument flying. In truth the IR course tends to be most closely defined by the content of the skill test which is very prescriptive.

IR Revalidation

The rating is revalidated by an annual proficiency check. Whilst this broadly follows the format of the initial skill test, a Training Com issued in Summer 2023 made it clear than IR revalidation is more geared towards how you operate your own aircraft than demonstrating the skills required for the grant of IR privileges. The autopilot may be used much more extensively throughout though the 3D approach must be hand-flown. A hold may be flown using both the CDI, not a single needle, and the autopilot. The 2D approach may be flown with an advisory glide slope if available. There may be no requirement for an en-route sector to be flown providing the candidate has flown several route sectors during the previous 12 months. A revalidation flight in a MEP also revalidates a SEP but not vice versa. The rating can be revalidated 3 months prior to its expiry and extends 12 months from the original expiry date. If allowed to lapse the candidate will require training at an ATO on an as required basis. If the rating is allowed to lapse beyond 7 years, the TK will need to be retaken and the proficiency check done with an initial IR examiner. 

The Instrument Meteorological Conditions Rating, IMCR.

Prerequisites

A UK National PPL or Part FCL PPL or CPL is required. You will require 25 hours of total experience as pilot of aeroplanes following PPL issue, 10 hours of which must be as PIC and 5 of these hours must be on cross-country flight.

Privileges

The Instrument Meteorological Conditions Rating is designed to enable safe flight in cloud including 2D and 3D instrument approaches but with higher minima. It is not ICAO-compliant and so is valid only in UK airspace plus the Channel Islands and Isle of Man (but to reach some of these might require flight outside UK airspace). It does not allow access to Class A airspace. 

Training requirements

Training is provided by many DTOs and ATOs. It requires at least 10 hours of instrument flight training, and the minimum course length is 15 hours. The TK was revised in 2026, and so reflects current legislation, and is taken at the DTO/ATO during training. It is valid for 12 months to complete the skills test. An application for the rating must be submitted within 9 months of completing the skills test. The IMCR can be used in any Part 21 aircraft thus including SEP, Cessna SET, and MEP though the latter requires an extra asymmetric flight section in the skills test. An anomaly is that it allows use of RNP approaches but without specifying what training is required.

The Basic Instrument Rating, BIR.

This is an EASA rating which is also not ICAO-compliant and so valid only in EASA countries. Flight training is ATO-based and in 3 modules – Basic IF, Instrument Approaches, and En route. TK exams are taken at the ATO with each module. It is renewed annually, has higher landing minima but does allow unrestricted access to all classes of EASA airspace. 

Third Country IR

For those who already hold a Third Country Instrument Rating, such as an FAA or EASA IR, conversion to a Part-FCL IR is straightforward. There is no requirement to repeat the TK. Assessment at an ATO with approval to train for the IR is required, any required training completed and the skills test booked by the ATO in the usual way. The skills test will include an extended Q and A about the use of the UK IFR system and relevant technical questions.