Instrument Rating FAQs
Van Nuys Airport, Los Angeles

An instrument rating lets you act as pilot in command under instrument flight rules (IFR) and in weather below visual minimums, within the equipment, currency, and operating rules that apply. For a pilot flying for fun, that means the marine layer over Los Angeles stops canceling your weekend trips. For a career-track pilot, it is a key step before commercial flying. Our instrument rating overview explains the skills you build.

No. The FAA treats it as a rating added to your pilot certificate, not a separate license. Most pilots search for an instrument rating license, and both phrases point to the same thing. When you pass your checkride, the rating is added to the private or commercial certificate you already hold, and our team handles the paperwork steps with you.

You need at least a current private pilot certificate with an airplane rating, and you must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English. You do not need every required hour logged before day one, because most of the experience is built during training. Bring your logbook to your first meeting, and we will show you what you already have. Our requirements checklist walks through each item.

The FAA requires 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time, with 15 of them from an instructor with instrument privileges, plus 50 hours of cross-country time as pilot in command, with at least 10 in an airplane. You also need a 250 nautical mile IFR cross-country and 3 hours of instrument training in the two months before the checkride. These are minimums, and our program plans for 50 hours of flight time to build real proficiency. Our Instrument Rating program shows the full structure.

Our Instrument Rating program runs $16,078 to $17,350, covering 50 hours of flight time, 30 hours of ground training, and 15 hours of online video lessons. Where you land in that range depends mostly on how often you fly and how prepared you arrive. If you need extra cross-country hours, plan those as rental time. Our instrument rating cost breakdown shows where the money goes.

Yes. We train on a pay-as-you-go model with no large advance deposit, so you pay for the instruction and aircraft time you use after each lesson. You can also finance through Stratus Financial, AOPA Financing, or Columbia Bank. Our financing page explains each option.

Most of our students finish in about 2 to 3 months when they fly two or three times a week. Working pilots who fly once a week take longer, so steady lesson slots matter more than long sessions. We help you pick a schedule that fits your week. Our week-by-week timeline shows how the program usually unfolds.

Once your instructor endorses you, we usually schedule checkrides in about a month through our relationships with local designated pilot examiners. Booking the date before you finish the syllabus helps you avoid a gap that costs sharpness. Our instructors run a mock checkride first, so the real one feels familiar.

No. Our X-Plane simulator with PilotEdge is for practice only and does not count toward the FAA's 40 hours of instrument time. It is still one of the best ways to save money, because rehearsing an approach or hold for free means fewer repeats in the airplane. Active students use it at no charge. See our simulator training for the setup.

We train in glass-equipped Piper Warriors, including N40057 with dual GI-275 displays, a Garmin GNX 375, and a GFC 500 autopilot, and N41380 with dual Garmin G5s and a Garmin G650. Both rent for $175 an hour. Pilots heading toward airline work get early practice with the kind of avionics they will see later. See N40057 for photos and equipment.

Most career-track pilots add the instrument rating first, because commercial pilots without one face significant limits on paid flying, and instrument skills sharpen everything after. Pilots flying only for personal travel may stop at the instrument rating. We will help you plan the order that fits your goal. Our Commercial Pilot program shows the next step.