360 Aviation Dr Blountville, Tennessee 37617, United States
Instrument Rating
Open a new door to your aviation adventure with an instrument rating. This rating allows you to fly through the clouds and to take flight on days where most are grounded. Instrument training not only helps create a safer pilot but a more knowledgeable pilot at well.
Requirements
-Hold a Private Pilots License or higher.
-Have 50 hours of cross country flight time
-Have 40 hours of simulated or actual instrument flight
-Receive 15 hours of instruction from an authorized instructor
-Pass FAA required exams
-Be Able to read, speak, and understand English.
*Some hours in your private pilot course count toward your instrument hours*
- A full list of requirements can be found under FAR Part 61
Specials
Ask about a block time rate on our aircraft
Aircraft
We typically train for the Instrument rating in our Cessna 172 aircraft. We also have a Cessna 150 that is fully equipped for IFR training and flight for cost savings
FAQs
Q: What are the Flight Experience Requirements?
A: You must log:
- 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command, of which 10 hours must have been in an airplane (except if you are applying for a combined private pilot certificate and instrument rating at the same time, you may credit up to 45 hours of cross-country time performing the duties of pilot-in-command with an authorized instructor)
- 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time in the required areas of operation, of which 15 hours must have been received from an authorized instructor who holds an instrument-airplane rating, and the instrument time includes:
a. Three hours of instrument flight training from an authorized instructor in an airplane that is appropriate to the instrument-airplane rating within 2 calendar months before the date of the practical test
b. Instrument flight training on cross country flight procedures, including one cross country flight in an airplane with an authorized instructor, that is performed under instrument flight rules, when a flight plan has been filed with an air traffic control facility, and that involves-
i. A flight of 250 nautical miles along airways or by directed routing from an air traffic control facility
ii. An instrument approach at each airport
iii. Three different kinds of approaches with the use of navigation systems.
Completion time varies based on how often you train, how quickly you learn, how well you study at home, etc. We recommend you schedule at least one session per week, with two or three being more ideal for making steady progress and completing the program in fewer hours.
Q: What does it take to be eligible for a instrument rating?
A: To be eligible for an instrument rating (airplane), you must:
- Hold at least a current private pilot certificate, or be concurrently applying for a private pilot certificate, with an airplane rating
- Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. If you are unable to meet any of these requirements due to a medical condition, the FAA may place such operating limitations on your pilot certificate as are necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft
- Receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or accomplish a home-study course of training on the aeronautical knowledge areas required
- Receive a logbook or training record endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you are prepared to take the required knowledge test
- Receive and log training on the required areas of operation from an authorized instructor in an airplane, flight simulator, or flight training device that represents an airplane
- Receive a logbook or training record endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you are prepared to take the required practical test (checkride)
- Pass the required knowledge test on the required aeronautical knowledge areas; however, you are not required to take another knowledge test when you already hold an instrument rating (i.e. you already have an instrument rating for a different aircraft category, such as rotorcraft)
- Pass the required practical test (checkride)
Knowledge requirements
You must receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or accomplish a home-study course on the following aeronautical knowledge areas:
- Federal Aviation Regulations of this chapter that apply to flight operations under IFR
- Appropriate information that applies to flight operations under IFR in the “Aeronautical Information Manual”
- Air traffic control system and procedures for instrument flight operations
- IFR navigation and approaches by use of navigation systems
- Use of IFR en route and instrument approach procedure charts
- Procurement and use of aviation weather reports and forecasts and the elements of forecasting weather trends based on that information and personal observation of weather conditions
- Safe and efficient operation of aircraft under instrument flight rules and conditions
- Recognition of critical weather situations and windshear avoidance
- Aeronautical decision making and judgment
- Crew resource management, including crew communication and coordination