To provide achievable, affordable steps into the skills required for safe operation in IMC for the PPL holder:
Basic Cloud Rating (Class F and G Airspace Only)
Privileges: IMC flight in Class F and G airspace within an essentially VFR flight (VFR arrival and departure), when cloudbase >= 1000 feet above ground features within 5nm.
Validity: retest after 1st year, then retest every 2 years
Course lengthFor powered aircraft (Gliders to be defined separately): minimum 10 hours course by Registered Facilities or FTOs, a total time which could include 'test time'. Formal declaration by RF or FTO of pupil 'ready for test', figures kept as to success rates for possible future review/use. No INITIAL (for initial issue) testing by an examiner who has instructed this particular pupil for any part of the flight course. If pupil reaches 15 hours training, this triggers a formal documented school review of reasons why candidate not 'passed'. If pupil reaches 20 hours training without a pass, no test allowed without NAA (delegated) review.
Flight training (and test):

• Full panel operation for flying (on instruments) all normal operation for upper airwork manouevres (including maintaining straight and level, and rate one turns, and an ability to execute steep turns but not encouraged as normal operation). Recoveries from unusual manouevres - eg: spiral dive, incipient stall). All these (normal or unusual) exercisess to be flown to defined standards of level/heading keeping or turn rate or recovery after loss of normal safe operation (eg: spiral dive or incipient stall)
• Limited and Partial Panel flying on instruments. Similar to above, but wider parameters for what is acceptable in terms of maintaining heading/level and emphasis on 'gently does it' rather than training to fly steep turns. Timed rate one turns / compass turns onto headings after DI failure.
• Radio Nav position fixing and tracking to within defined standards
• Ability to follow vectors and level alterations to a defined standard (simulated instructions supplied by instructor/examiner or real from radar)
• Airmanship: (eg: coping, logging, safe decisions, planning etc)
• Ground: Formal study of radio nav as appropriate to understanding panel and radio nav instruments and their use. IMC preflight planning, Met/weather and diversion revision. A single formal ground exam, no inclusion of any instrument approaches other than radar talkdown.
• Aircraft Requirement: EASA 'certified' aircraft, minimum full working 6 standard instrument panel plus compass, OAT sensor, working vacuum guage and ammeter, radio, Mode C, and sufficient radio navigtion equipment to esablish position in that area, which could mean anything from an ADF and DME to a properly installed GPS with current database and raim.