Instrument Rating - Accelerated, Finish-Up & Traditional

Aeronautical knowledge. A person who applies for an instrument rating must have received and logged ground training from an authorized instructor or accomplished a home-study course on the following aeronautical knowledge areas that apply to the instrument rating sought:

1. Federal Aviation Regulations that apply to flight operations under IFR;
2. Appropriate information that applies to flight operations under IFR in the “Aeronautical Information Manual;”
3. Air traffic control system and procedures for instrument flight operations;
4. IFR navigation and approaches by use of navigation systems;
5. Use of IFR en route and instrument approach procedure charts;
6. 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;
7. Safe and efficient operation of aircraft under instrument flight rules and conditions;
8. Recognition of critical weather situations and windshear avoidance;
9. Aeronautical decision making and judgment; and
10. Crew and/or single pilot resource management, including communication and coordination.

Training Materials - FAA Instrument Flying Handbook

To earn an instrument rating you must receive and log training from an authorized instructor in an aircraft, and/or in a flight simulator or flight training device. That training must include the following areas of operation:

1. Preflight preparation – flight planning, weather interpretation, fuel and route considerations, departure, enroute and destination weather requirements, alternate airport planning, departure, enroute, arrival and approach procedures planning along with potential delays.
2. Preflight procedures – flight plan filing procedures, charts and procedures, aircraft preparations & airworthiness requirements, currency requirements for pilot and equipment.
3. Air traffic control clearances and procedures – obtaining clearances, amendments by ATC and self initiated, options and alternative, procedures at controlled and uncontrolled airports, enroute procedures for radar and non-radar environments, routine communications and lost communication procedures, reporting requirements, altitude assignments, options and restrictions, arrival procedures, approach procedures, missed approach procedures and cancellation of flight plan procedures.
4. Flight by reference to instruments – primary and secondary instruments and interpretation, attitude flying, procedural flying including climbs, turns, descents, slow flight, cruise flight, holding patterns, intercepting and tracking navigation signals, gyroscopic instrument, gyroscopic failures, AHRS equipment, EFIS displays vs traditional "6 pack" displays, flight directors, pitot-static systems and equipment.
5. Navigation systems – radio/VOR based navigation systems, aircraft equipment including ADF, VOR, RMI, HSI, EHSI, DME, moving maps, radio altimeters, terrain awareness, ground proximity systems, EGPWS systems, airborne weather radar, data-link weather systems, traffic information, awareness and/or avoidance systems, electronic chart systems, GPS navigation, WAAS equipment and other systems potentially available.  In-depth training will focus on the equipment in the aircraft to be used during IFR training and flown during the practical test.
6. Instrument approach procedures – Basics of an instrument approach, how to read and interpret the procedures, ATC approach clearance process, full approaches, self navigated approaches (other than full approaches), ILS, localizer, VOR, NDB and GPS approaches, precision vs non-precision approaches, offset approaches, circling approaches, missed approach procedures, communication requirements and ATC vs pilot roles and responsibilities.
7. Emergency operations – Loss of communication with ATC, IFR equipment failures, other equipment failures and emergencies, emergencies in IMC vs those while in VFR conditions, fuel emergencies, pilot and ATC roles and responsibilities.
8. Postflight procedures – closing IFR flight plans at towered and non towered airports.

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IFR Rating Flight Time requirements:

• • Fifty (50) hours of cross country flight time as pilot in command (student pilot solo cross country time counts toward the 50), of which 10 hours must have been in an airplane (cross country PIC time in helicopters, gliders, airships, etc. can be used to meet the 50 as long as 10 hours is in airplanes);

• Forty (40) hours of actual or simulated instrument time of which, at least 15 hours must have been with an authorized instrument-airplane flight instructor, and the instrument time with the CFI-I includes:
• Three hours of instrument flight training within 2 calendar months before the date of the practical test; and
• Instrument flight training on cross country flight procedures, including one cross country flight 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:
  • A flight of 250 nautical miles along airways or by directed routing from an air traffic control facility;
  • An instrument approach at each airport; and
  • Three different kinds of approaches with the use of navigation systems.

During the course of normal training, the focus is on acquiring and building a working knowledge of the fundamental principles, theories, and regulations of aviation as well as learning the motor skills associated with applying those things in the air, flying an airplane. It is a building block process in which a solid foundation of knowledge and skills is built followed by the addition of more and more layers over time. Formal testing occurs at two specific stages along the way.

The first milestone is a written examination administered on behalf of the FAA covering the information considered fundamental to becoming an instrument rated pilot. Instrument knowledge deals with things such as airplane systems, flight instruments, communication equipment, meteorology, ATC procedures, IFR flight planning as well as the rules and regulations governing IFR flights. The written test is a multiple choice test covering these subjects and is a pass/fail type test. The second and final milestone, the Practical Test, occurs at the point where you have accumulated the required number of flight hours of instrument experience and your instructor certifies that you are ready to take what's called the check-ride. At each of these milestones, specific, focused training is offered aimed at preparing you to take and pass the actual examination.

The written test preparation training is focused on the specifics of that FAA exam, the administration of the exam, the subjects covered, questions asked and so forth. Prep for the written can be accomplished with your instructor or through a host of self directed study methods including weekend seminars, interactive computer courses and old fashioned practice exams. Once ready, you present your graduation certificate or instructor's "endorsement" to the testing center and take the written exam.

The Practical Test is a different matter. At the conclusion of instrument training you will meet with either an FAA Examiner or a Designated Pilot Examiner who will first conduct an oral examination probing your knowledge and understanding of all that is involved with IFR of flying. Once satisfied that your knowledge is adequate, you will take the examiner up and demonstrate your IFR skills by performing a variety of tasks similar to those required in every day IFR flying including controlling the airplane using only the flight instruments, radio communications, radio and GPS navigation, aeronautical decision making, ability to comply with standards and apply procedures while flying solely by reference to the instrument panel. At the successful conclusion of the check-ride, you will receive your IFR rating.

Prior to taking the practical test, very specific ground and flight training must be completed with your instructor, who then must certify that you are ready to take the practical test. This training is specifically to prepare you for the check-ride itself. Its sole purpose is to ensure that you understand the materials that will be covered in the oral portions and that you can meet the established standards for the IFR rating during the flight portion of the check-ride.