Instrument Rating - If getting your Private Pilot Certificate is the art of flying then your Instrument Rating is the science. Have you ever had to cancel a flight due to inclement weather? Flying an airplane isn't very useful if you have to spend your time sitting on the ground....waiting. The instrument rating will not only allow you fly more often, but will make you a much better pilot.
To start on your instrument rating all you need is 50 hours of cross-country time as pilot in command (PIC). You can actually start your instrument training before reaching the 50 hour mark, but you can't take your practical exam until you fulfill the requirements.
The amount of time it takes is similar to the Private and like the Private I recommend having the desire, time and money in place to make your training the most efficient. The more you fly, the faster you'll get your rating and you'll save money in the process.
Q. What can I expect?
A. Well to begin with, I usually start people out in a simulator so that you
can learn in an environment more conducive to training. Once you have the
procedures down on the simulator then we move to a real airplane. You'll learn
things like how to scan the panel, power configurations, holding patterns,
precision and non-precision instrument approaches and a whole lot more.
Q. How much will it cost?
A. It all depends on you. Like the Private Pilot, the more often you fly,
the quicker you'll progress through the lessons and the less you'll spend.
It can range from $5,000 to $10,000+ if you drag it out over many years. I've
put together an estimated price breakdown with 40 hours of dual. The FAA requires
only 15 hours of dual, so you could get the rest of your hours "under
the hood" with a Safety Pilot sitting next to you looking for traffic.
ITEM |
QTY |
EST. COST |
TOTAL |
| Aircraft Rental - Cessna 172 | 40hrs |
$75/hr. |
$3000 |
| Flight Instruction | 40hrs |
$35/hr. |
$1400 |
| FAA Written Exam | 1 |
$75 |
$75 |
| Books and supplies* | $100 |
$100 |
|
| Ground School | 1 |
$100 |
$100 |
| Practical Test with FAA Designated Examiner | 1 |
$300 |
$300 |
TOTAL: |
$4975 |
Q. How long will it take?
A. The quickest I've trained someone is 26 days from start to finish and he
didn't even have all of his cross-country finished. I'm going to attempt to
get a guy his ticket in 8 days this January...I'll let you know how it goes.
If you would like any additional information please send me an e-mail and I'll respond asap.
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