Instrument-rated helicopter pilots are an expensive resource, particularly in the UK. Making the jump to a helicopter instrument rating (IR) has always demanded a significant investment in instructor and aircraft time, primarily because a lack of suitable simulators meant the vast proportion of the training–in the UK at least– could only be carried out aloft.
On January 1, the IR became an even more expensive add-on in Europe. Joint Aviation Regulations now demand a comparatively massive 55 hours of actual instrument training, with only small concessions offered to pilots with fixed-wing or earlier military ratings. One training captain estimates the cost of complying with the new rules at £30,000 ($46,600) per hit. The old requirement was for only 18 hours– and experienced pilots would manage to make the grade well inside that limit. After a lull caused by a rush by pilots to qualify before the deadline, demand for training is once again starting to build.
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