Instrument Rating IFR Requirements explained

3 Answers

1. 
   

   
   

   Matthew Waugh on Sep 04, 2011

   Do you have a specific question about 61.65? Because it is what it is.
    
   One of the requirements of being a commercial pilot is the ability to disect FAA regulations, so if you want to be a commercial pilot start now, and disect 61.65 until you understand it.
    
   If the root of your question is what are the requirments that overlap the commercial and the instrument, the answer is “not much”. There is some overlap. but most of the instrument is under the hood (or in the clouds) and much of the commercial is about “solo” – which you can’t really do while training for your instrument rating.

   -14 Votes 2 Votes  16 Votes

2. 
   

   
   

   Earl Kessler on Sep 05, 2011

   I suggest you get your instrument rating first.  Once you have achieved this rating, your skill and proficiency level will be such that the requirements for the commercial rating will come quickly and easily. Since you will need a complex plane for your commercial, the cheapest way to do it is fly a cheaper airplane that is non-complex and non-high performance to obtain your instrument rating, then hire the more expensive airplane for your commercial rating training and test.

   +2 Votes 2 Votes  0 Votes

3. 
   

   
   

   Christopher Ryan on Sep 08, 2011

   Basically here it is

   (d) Aeronautical experience for the instrument-airplane rating. A person who applies for an instrument-airplane rating must have logged:

   (1) Fifty hours of cross country flight time as pilot in command, of which 10 hours must have been in an airplane

    
   You need at least 50 hours of cross country as PIC! but only only 10 of those hours in an airplane tho.
   Works for both the IR and CPL
    

   (2) Forty hours of actual or simulated instrument time in the areas of operation listed

   so 40 hours of hood or IMC – Keep in mind the time you did in you PPL can be counted.
    

   (i) 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; and
   (ii) 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–

   (A) A flight of 250 nautical miles along airways or by directed routing from an air traffic control facility;
   (B) An instrument approach at each airport; and
   (C) Three different kinds of approaches with the use of navigation systems.

   You will need at least 3 hours of IFR trainning before the check ride along with a IFR cross country doing all the items listed
    
   So if you add it up
   50 hours cross country as PIC with you having done 1 IFR cross country
   40 hours of hood or IMC trainning learning IFR operations.
   and 3 hours of IFR trainning prep before the check ride which has to be done within 2 months of the check ride.
    
    

   +11 Votes 11 Votes  0 Votes