The instrument rating builds on your pilot certificate and develops the skills to fly by reference to instruments, navigate the IFR system, and operate in clouds or reduced visibility when authorized and conditions permit.
START YOUR INSTRUMENT TRAININGAn instrument rating is an add-on qualification to your pilot certificate that expands your capabilities and builds a strong foundation for professional aviation. Instrument training emphasizes precise aircraft control solely by reference to instruments, sound judgment, and safe operations in the Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) system.
During training, you will learn to file and fly an IFR flight plan, interpret weather and instrument procedures, navigate using flight instruments and approved avionics, communicate with air traffic control, and develop the practical skills needed for real-world instrument flying.
An instrument rating does not authorize flight in every weather condition. Safe IFR operations depend on proficiency, currency, aircraft equipment, weather limitations, and personal minimums.
These are Part 61 airplane-rating requirements. Qualifying previously logged instrument and cross-country time may count. Approved aviation training devices may count toward limited portions when regulatory conditions are met; they are not assumed in the aircraft-only estimates below. The 50 PIC cross-country hours are not necessarily 50 additional hours to purchase.
Instrument scan, attitude control, trim, standard-rate turns, climbs and descents, unusual attitude recovery, and partial-panel operations.
VOR and GPS navigation, instrument departures, clearances, route planning, holding patterns, course interception, and ATC communication.
Precision and nonprecision approaches, RNAV procedures, missed approaches, circling considerations, and stabilized approach management.
Weather products, icing and convective risk, alternate requirements, fuel planning, lost communications, equipment failures, and personal minimums.
End-to-end IFR flight planning and execution, clearances, enroute management, diversions, workload management, and scenario-based decisions.
Knowledge test review, mock oral scenarios, ACS-aligned flight evaluations, and targeted refinement before the practical test.
Training pace depends on proficiency, scheduling, weather, and how much qualifying experience you already have. For planning, many students should allow several months of consistent training rather than relying on an advertised completion deadline.
Below are two illustrative Part 61 planning scenarios using Full Throttle Aero's published wet aircraft rates and instructor rates. They are not FAA averages, guaranteed totals, or fixed-price quotes. The baseline assumes your existing logbook already satisfies the 50-hour cross-country PIC requirement.
40 dual aircraft hours, 15 ground-instruction hours, no additional PIC time-building.
| Aircraft | Estimated training |
|---|---|
| Cessna 150 · $130/hr | $8,075 |
| Cessna 152 · $155/hr | $9,075 |
| Cessna 172 · $185/hr | $10,275 |
| Cessna 182 · $235/hr | $12,275 |
50 dual aircraft hours, 20 ground-instruction hours, no additional PIC time-building.
| Aircraft | Estimated training |
|---|---|
| Cessna 150 · $130/hr | $10,750 |
| Cessna 152 · $155/hr | $12,000 |
| Cessna 172 · $185/hr | $13,500 |
| Cessna 182 · $235/hr | $16,000 |
Calculation: dual flight hours × (wet aircraft rental + $65/hour flight instruction), plus ground instruction hours × $50/hour. Flight time may include required IFR cross-country instruction if all regulatory conditions are met. Actual/simulated instrument-time logging, instructor qualifications, aircraft IFR equipment and suitability, and any permissible device credit must be verified individually. Cessna 150/152 suitability for IFR training depends on the particular aircraft and its equipment, limitations, and operating conditions; listing a rental rate does not establish IFR availability.
FAA knowledge test, designated pilot examiner fee, aircraft rental for the checkride, charts or electronic subscriptions, study materials, headset if needed, and any extra cross-country PIC time-building. These costs are not included in the tables.
We will review your logbook and identify the remaining requirement. Time-building costs are quoted separately and may differ depending on whether the flight is solo/PIC, conducted with a safety pilot, or part of qualifying dual instruction. Do not assume that every dual IFR flight counts toward PIC cross-country requirements.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR COST ESTIMATE14 CFR § 61.65 — Instrument rating requirements
FAA Instrument Rating–Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-8C)
Tell us about your flight experience and goals. We'll build a training plan around your logbook, schedule, and aircraft.
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