IFR Aircraft

A high quality Europa is a wonderfully capable and stable aircraft.

Comfortable in VMC & Marginal VMC 

And

IMC ( IFR qualified pilots and approved aircraft only)

IMC and Night flying opportunities are described here in a link to a 2017 summary written by Steve Slater, Chief Executive Officer of the LAA:

https://www.lightaircraftassociation.co.uk/2017/Magazine/Jan/IFR.pdf

Read about the first U.K. Europa to go through the clearance process in the LAA and EASA world. A success in 2019. Five page article in the Europa Flyer number 95 issued April 2019.

• Make sure you are suitably qualified /current to fly in non VMC conditions! Hold an appropriate Intrument qualification.

• Make sure your aircraft meets requirements for flying in IMC. There are special extra conditions to comply with to ensure your aircraft is approved to fly IFR.

Pilot training:  Clearly a full Instrument Rating (ICAO  EASA/FAA etc.) is the ultimate Commercial or Private qualification. Nevertheless the IR(R) EASA is considered to be a very attractive and less costly yet relevent alternative for Genaeral Aviation pilots. Realisticly fifteen to twenty hours of IMC training is needed for the IR(R). The standard EASA PPL already includes the potential to include IR(R) endorsments. For U.K. pilots there is the option to obtain an Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) or Instrument Rating (Restricted) (IR(R))

Pictures for illustrative purposes only.

Aircraft specification: Instumental Flying approval requirements differ widely between approval authorities in each country.

No approval should be assumed from these pictures.

The EASA Basic Instrument Rating (BIR)

The BIR has a simpler theoretical knowledge requirements than either the Competency-Based IR (CB-IR) or IR. The new BIR requirements as of September 2021 introduce a qualification to fly in accordance with Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), but based on more proportionate requirements when compared to the traditional Instrument Rating (IR). Both privileges and competency-based training requirements in the BIR are tailored to the needs of GA pilots.

Link to definative information from EASA here on the 2021 introduction of the BIR in Europe.

The EASA BIR has arrived

Left side, GRT EFIS-PFD and GRT EIS with airspeed & altimeter option.  Right side, GRT EFIS-MFD, usually map or HSI, Garmin GNS430 Certified Nav, Comm, GPS, Appareo ESG Mode S transponder with GPS, Garmin GMA 240 audio panel.  Also Airmaster controller and ELT control.  Switches above MFD (EIS-TCU pwr, EFIS pwr, TRIM pwr, ADSB IN pwr).  Status lights over PFD, Pitot Heat, Gear Dn, Start Engage, Lo Volts, Batt Warn, TCU Warn, TCU Reset).  Toggle switches per JPEG above except Aux Alt is now Cowl Flap.  Heat controls and seat heat beside tunnel under Airmaster.  We normally fly with iPad using FltPlnGO for charts and course and also weather and traffic from ADSB In (Stratux or XM subscription weather).  Stratux also provides backup AHRS on the iPad, so a backup Attitude indicator, GPS speed & altitude.