EASA has published its Opinion on the BIR, the Basic Instrument Rating. “Opinion” is the term for the proposal to the European Commission. If accepted (an Opinion usually is), it will become the legal basis for the BIR, expected to come info force in 2021.
The overall goal of the BIR is to make an instrument rating more accessible and affordable for GA pilots, with benefits of safety and usefulness of the PPL licence.
In summary, the Opinion states that:
- The BIR can be attached to a PPL but not a LAPL
- It will be “fully competence-based” with no minimum training hour requirements
- Training will be divided into 3 / 4 separate modules
- basic instrument flight
- approaches & departures
- en route
- if applicable, asymmetric flight
- There will be a single theory examination for each module
- The exam will not re-test PPL level knowledge
- Its “scope and depth” will be “broadly similar” to the FAA IR TK
- The questions will be drawn from the existing question bank (the ECQB)
- Only an ATO will be allowed to provide training for the BIR “for the time being”. EASA intends to monitor the implementation of Part-DTO in order to evaluate, at a later stage, whether DTO training scope could be extended to include further ratings like the BIR
- The EIR will be withdrawn, though current EIR holders may continue to use their privileges indefinitely
- The BIR will be valid for 1 year. Re-validation will be by proficiency check or 1 hour instruction (to be applied in alternate years)
The BIR is similar in concept to our IMC rating (IMCR or IR(R) ) with 2 very important additions:
- It will allow flight in class A airways
- It can be used all over Europe (but not outside, as ICAO compliance has not (yet) been demonstrated
Practical use
Like our IMCR, it will have higher minima than the full IR but these will be mandatory (those for the IMCR are recommendations):
- On departure, visibility must be ≥ 1500 m & ceiling must be ≥ 600 ft or circling minimum, if higher
- For approaches, the visibility minimum must be ≥ 1500 m & the pilot must add 200 ft to the (M)DH.
- Before departure, the destination & any required alternates must be forecast to have a visibility of ≥ 1500 m and a ceiling of the highest of 600 ft, the circling minimum, and the increased (M)DH
What this means for us in the UK depends on the outcome of Brexit and whether the UK remains in the EASA ‘club’. If we do, the CAA intends that the BIR will replace the IMCR, and expects to offer ‘a generous credit’ for IMC rating holders. Because of the BIR’s greater scope, we should expect additional TK (theory knowledge and exam) requirements and a flight test. In the event of leaving EASA, the CAA is committed to retaining the IMCR or something similar.
Brexit notwithstanding, this is good news: the BIR is an affordable and accessible instrument rating that can be used all over EASA land. The only disappointment is that we are going to have to wait 2 years to get it.