{"id":41,"date":"2020-09-17T10:40:27","date_gmt":"2020-09-17T10:40:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/patricklienhart.com\/cms\/?p=41"},"modified":"2025-03-10T21:55:42","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T21:55:42","slug":"easa-cb-ir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patricklienhart.com\/cms\/easa-cb-ir\/","title":{"rendered":"EASA CB IR Instrument Rating Course"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A flexible and pragmatic approach to a full ICAO IFR rating in Europe<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Update: Read here about the new EASA BIR (BASIC Instrument Rating)<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Since writing this article, the new EASA BIR (Basic Instrument Rating) became available, and I highly recommend it as the best path towards an instrument rating for EASA pilots. Please read about it here<\/a>.

It is often described among the flying community as the biggest step in a pilot\u2019s career: the Instrument Rating, qualifying a pilot to fly using IFR and in IMC (i.e. without external visual reference). It includes enroute and terminal area PBN<\/a> operations (now the most common and specified way of navigating using Satellite Navigation instead of receiving ground based radio station navaids). It also allows to fly instrument approaches down to a minimum decision height of 200 feet (60 meters). Sounds fancy, and it actually is. And the good news is that acquiring the IR isn’t as expensive, difficult and bureaucratic as you might think.
I recommend the EASA CB-IR route towards your full (ICAO compliant) Instrument Rating as it has proven to be one of the less burdensome ways to attain a useful rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Typical IFR Weather<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Acronyms & Abbreviations<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

We’ll start up (without clearance, haha) with some acronyms & abbreviations used in my article below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CB-IR: Competency-based training COURSE for Instrument Rating
IFR: Instrument Flight Rules (follow your filed flight plan and you will not hit anything, anybody or violate any airspace)
HPA: High Performance Aeroplane (basically all turbine powered single pilot airplanes)
IMC: Instrument Meteorological Conditions (weather minima worse than VMC)
VFR: Visual Flight Rules (exactly the opposite to IFR, but the view is better)
PBN: Performance Based Navigation
IRI(A): Instrument Rating Instructor
ATO: Approved Training Organisation (= flight school)
MCQ: Multiple Choice Question
FFS: Full Flight Simulator (the multi million dollar full motion sims in use at airlines)
FNPT II: Flight Navigation Procedure Trainer II (the less expensive stationary stuff used for learning to fly an airplane without reference to external visual cues. Like your 1998 home flightsim, but with some hardware, the outside view set to zero visibility and EASA certified)
WX RDR: On board weather radar<\/a> aka. color coded water drop reflectivity indicator
SE IR: Single Engine Instrument Rating
ME IR: Multi Engine Instrument Rating 
MEP: Multi Engine Piston Class Rating<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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TL;DR <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

(too long, didn’t read) How to get your (fully ICAO compliant) IR using the CB-IR training course: <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Find a good (freelance) IFR Instructor <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Sign up for distance learning at an ATO of your choice, study and pass theoretical exams at a national aviation authority of your choice<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Fly 30h “outside an ATO” with your dedicated IRI and then 10h “inside an ATO” of your choice, pass IR skill test (practical flying exam). Fly IFR! <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    EASA CB-IR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you happen to be an owner pilot or have access to or can charter an airplane, take a look at the EASA CB-IR and decide if it is advantageous for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Both the EASA IR and EASA CB-IR lead to exactly the same privileges (and license entry).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Namely: \u201cIR\u201d. The difference between a CB-IR and IR lies in how your training course looks like, not what rating and privileges you attain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It’s important to emphasize that the correct definition according EASA of CB-IR is \u201cCompetency-based training Course<\/strong> for Instrument Rating\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Any rumors floating around of \u201cCB-IR\u201d license entries and reduced privileges compared to an IR course such as higher approach minima etc. are FALSE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Some authorities will add “CB-IR” to the remarks section of the license to reference that the CB IR course does not include the HPA theory element required for turbine powered single pilot aeroplanes. Not an issue. If required (e.g. for flying a Piper Meridian, TBM, Pilatus or Citation Mustang) the HPA certificate is issued by ATOs after doing what is usually a one or two day theory course, there is no authority exam involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The advantage of the CB-IR is, especially for the practical flying training, that it can be done around your personal, operational and financial priorities. In other words, you can train and focus on those elements and flights that you intend to do once you have the IR, and keep it within a more reasonable budget if necessary. It is flexible and builds on your competence and previous experience (e.g. if you already hold a third country ICAO compliant IR, previous experience is credited). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Didn’t start your IR training young like this 2 year old? It’s never too late…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    While an \u201cEASA IR\u201d course has to be done 100% inside an ATO, the \u201cEASA CB IR\u201d course allows for a more individual approach to obtaining the rating, where a significant part of the flying training can be achieved outside an ATO, for instance in your own airplane with a freelance IRI taking into account your individual schedule, types of flights (I avoid the term \u201cmission\u201d for private GA), area of operation and future utilization of your airplane. Do note that both a conventional EASA IR course and the CB-IR course lead to the same result, namely a fully ICAO compliant “IR” entry in your license! Note: I know I am repeating myself, but it\u2019s important to get this right and fight the false rumors floating around about CB-IR leading to an IR with \u201elimited IFR privileges. So once again: The CB IR course leads to a “normal”, “full” IR. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Prerequisites<\/h3>\n\n\n\n