Royal Victorian Aero Club - Private Pilot IFR

Private Pilot IFR 

On 1 January 2000, the Regulations were amended to provide, amongst other things, for the issue of a new flight crew rating, the private I.F.R. rating, which comprises 4 different grades:

• the multi-engine aeroplane grade;
• the single-engine aeroplane grade;
• the multi-engine helicopter grade; and
• the single-engine helicopter grade.

The intent of the new legislation is to allow private pilots who have received the appropriate training to fly in I.M.C. in Australian airspace in conditions less strict than those required for an instrument rating.

As the Regulations delegate to CASA the power to make provision, in the Civil Aviation Orders (CAOs), for the legislative scheme regulating flight crew ratings, the Order amends the CAOs to insert a new section 40.2.3 dealing with the private I.F.R. rating.

The new section sets out:

• what each grade of the rating authorises its holder to do (subsection 3);
• the limitations imposed on that authority (subsection 4);
• the requirements to be satisfied for the issue of each grade of the rating (subsection 5);
• the period for which a grade of the rating remains in force (subsection 6); and
• the provisions regulating the tests to be undertaken for a grade of the rating (subsection 7 and Appendix 1).

Similarly, the amended Regulations require the holder of a grade of the private I.F.R. rating to undertake flight reviews at intervals of 2 years but leave it to the CAOs to flesh out the details of the flight review scheme.

The new section sets out (subsection 8):

• what a flight review consists of;
• who may conduct a flight review;
• the category of aircraft to be used for a flight review;
• who are exempted from undertaking a flight review; and
• how the successful completion of a flight review is to be recorded.

The amended Regulations (regulations 5.20A and 5.20B) also make provision for the issue of flight procedure authorisations to persons holding, or qualified to hold, a private I.F.R. rating. As required by the Regulations, the new section sets out (subsections 9 and 10 and Appendix 2):

• the kinds of flight procedure authorisations that may be used;
• the authority given by each kind of flight procedure authorisation;
• the flight tests and other tests to be passed, or the other requirements to be satisfied, before a flight procedure authorisation is issued to a person; and
• the rules applying to the conduct of a flight test for the issue of an authorisation.

Finally, the new section prescribes who are approved to give flying training for the issue of a grade of the private I.F.R. rating (subsection 11).

The Order came into force on 10 March 2000.

For further information please contact our CFI or a member of our Instructional Staff by phone or e-mail  or call in for a personal discussion.