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4 Answers

Instrument hours required for Private and Instrument rating

Asked by: 9506 views Instrument Rating

I'm almost complete with my private license and plan to go right into getting my insturment rating.  Are there any restrictions on how many hours you can get from a CFI that will count towards the 40 hours for the instrument rating? 

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4 Answers



  1. Ron Klutts on Nov 05, 2012

    Yes, your CFI can’t provide any instrument flight instruction unless they are also a CFII (Instrument Instructor) The 3 hours you received from the CFI for your Private is instrument training, different terminology to allow a CFI to give it, so beyond that it doesn’t count.

    The CFII needs to provide a minimum of 15 hours dual for the instrument rating. Then you can use a safety pilot to gain experience under the hood. Most likely it will require more than 15 hours dual as you want a good solid foundation before practicing the approaches under the hood.

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  2. Wes Beard on Nov 05, 2012

    [b]The 3 hours you received from the CFI for you Private is instrument training?[/b]

    I don’t think so. The FAA has clarified that any private pilot hood time is not instrument time but flight by reference to instruments. If you read the aeronautical experience for both private and instrument applicants the difference becomes clear.

    You cannot use the 3 hours of private pilot hood time (even if given by a CFII) for the 15 hours necessary of instrument time given by a CFII for the instrument training.

    Those three hours do count toward the 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument conditions necessary for the instrument rating.

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  3. Matthew Waugh on Nov 13, 2012

    So just to be clear – a CFI can provide as much instrument flight instruction as you and they can stand. Such time doesn’t count in terms of the required training from an authorized instructor to qualify for a checkride – the CFI is essentially a safety pilot with an opinion. But they can provide instruction and they can be paid for it and it the time does count towards the total.

    To answer the next question: can you log it as dual received? Yes – although be MIGHTY careful when representing your time that you do not represent that time as having come from an authorized instructor with respect to instrument time.

    It’s not totally clear WHY you’d head off down that path – although if you had a very experienced CFI who hadn’t bothered to get a CFI-I it might work, but it would be a rare case.

    I’m not saying it’s a good idea – in fact I would argue it’s a bad idea in general, but rules is rules.

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  4. Jason Breeland on Nov 14, 2012

    My goal was to finish my private with approx 10 hours of instrument time so that I had a good head start on my instrument rating. I’ll probably finish my private with 60 +/- hours and I’m assuming the instrument rating will be in excess of 40 hours as well.

    Many thanks.

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