The IMC Rating

Instrument Meteorological Conditions

The IMC rating is an add on to a Private Pilots Licence which allows you to fly out of sight of the ground, inside a control zone on SVFR (Special VFR rules), with reduced visibility and in Instrument Meteorological Conditions outside of controlled airspace.

Although this rating is quite popular with pilots within the UK, it remains a UK only rating and cannot be used anywhere else in the Europe or the world.

Over a coffee in a flying club I once heard a chap say while he was flying in France and the weather was getting worse that someone was asked what his flight conditions were, and the English pilot responded “IMC”. This doesn’t mean he was using the rating, it meant he was in cloud and must have had an IFR rating to do that. This is a common misconception it would seem.

The IMC rating as a whole is not useful toward becoming a professional pilot. You will need a full IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) Rating before you can be issued an ATPL or even fly for a company professionally. Remember these companies like all are there to make money, even when the weather is bad.

If however your goal is to fly privately with the added safety factor of being able to handle poorer weather, then this rating may well indeed be very valuable.

The requirements to commence training for the IMC are as follows: A current PPL
10 hours pilot in command after your PPL issue
Including 5 hours cross country

Minimum training requirements are 15 hours dual which can include 2 hours in a simulator, and 20 hours ground school. There will be a self study element to the training too. If you hold a night rating, this will exempt you from 3 hours of training.

A potentially good cost saving element to this training is if you are able to gain an FAA Instrument Rating and convert to a UK IMC rating. The FAA rating may be a lot cheaper and extra cost savings can be gained by doing some hour building whilst in the US.

Conversely, a US flight school should credit you with your instrument flight hours from your IMC in order to gain the FAA IR if that’s the path you choose to take or you are a PPL IMC holder looking to go down the road of professional piloting.

Just remember that the IMC as far as CPL training is concerned is of no real value and is intended for PPL use only. Save your money and spend it much more wisely when looking at the training route for professional flying.

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