Enroute IR

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Aeropole is about to offer its Enroute IR (EIR) training programme in order to offer PPL pilots an easier and more affordable way to “good weather” instrument flying — stay tuned for the news and contact us already now if you’d like to do yours this year! Aeropole is aiming to offer this option as soon as possible, probably as the first in Finland. Subsequently the Competency-Based IR option (CB-IR) will also be offered. (If you are considering aviation as a profession or otherwise want a more solid basis for your skills before shooting into the clouds, then we still heavily recommend doing the full IR(A) course!)

Do note however that the final EASA regulations do not allow any sort of instrument approaches to be flown with EIR: from their explanatory note:

…, a new AMC1 FCL.825(a) is added containing further clarifications and conditions for exercising the privileges of the EIR. During the internal review, the Agency held extensive internal discussions on the EIR privileges. As a result, the Agency decided to merge the initially proposed lower level GM FCL.825 into AMC1 FCL.825(a) to ensure that an EIR holder does not conduct an IFR departure, arrival or approach procedure, and that an EIR holder informs the air traffic services (ATS) as soon as they are unable to complete their flight within the privileges of their rating. Furthermore, as a result of the discussion, the Agency decided to amend the AMC by clearly specifying that an EIR holder must ensure that when planning the flight he/she ascertains that the appropriate weather reports or forecasts for the destination and alternate aerodrome for the period from one hour before until one hour after the planned time of arrival indicates VMC conditions. The Agency further specified that the flight may only be planned to aerodromes for which such meteorological information is available and the operational rules apply. The Agency believes that this amendment will enhance the level of safety and address the concerns raised by some Member States (MS) during the consultation period. Finally, the discussions focused on the en route VFR/IFR/VFR transitions. The Agency concluded that when filing a flight plan, the holder of an EIR should include suitable VFR to IFR and IFR to VFR transitions. The Agency would like to emphasise the importance of ensuring VMC conditions at these transitions at the time of arrival in addition to the aforementioned meteorological requirements for the destination and alternate aerodromes.