Instrument rating refers to the qualifications that a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

must have in order to fly under

instrument flight rules In aviation, instrument flight rules (IFR) is one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other is visual flight rules (VFR). The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ''Instrument Fly ...

(IFR). It requires specific training and instruction beyond what is required for a

private pilot certificate A private pilot licence (PPL) or, in the United States, a private pilot certificate, is a type of Pilot licensing and certification, pilot licence that allows the holder to act as pilot in command of an aircraft privately (not for remuneration) ...

or commercial pilot certificate, including rules and procedures specific to instrument flying, additional instruction in

meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

, and more intensive training in flight solely by reference to

instruments Instrument may refer to: Science and technology * Flight instruments, the devices used to measure the speed, altitude, and pertinent flight angles of various kinds of aircraft * Laboratory equipment, the measuring tools used in a scientific lab ...

Training and testing

Testing consists of a written exam and a practical test (also known as a check ride in the US, or a flight test in other countries). The check ride is divided into an oral component (certain countries only) to verify that the applicant understands the theory of instrument flying and an actual flight to ensure the pilot possesses the practical skills required for safe IFR flight. For most private pilots, the most significant value of flying under IFR is the ability to fly in

instrument meteorological conditions In aviation, instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) is a METAR, flight category that describes weather conditions that require pilots to fly primarily by reference to Flight instruments, instruments, and therefore under instrument flight rule ...

(such as inside clouds or days with poor visibility). Additionally, all flights operating in Class A

airspace Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. It is not the same as aerospace, which is the ...

must be conducted under IFR. In the United States, an instrument rating is required when operating under

special visual flight rules Special visual flight rules (also special VFR or SVFR) are a set of aviation regulations under which a pilot may operate an aircraft. It is a special case of operating under visual flight rules (VFR). Use in different regions The definition f ...

(SVFR) at night.

Requirements

Requirements for Instrument Rating in the United States are listed in section 61.65 of the Federal Aviation Regulation are: * 50 hours of Pilot in Command cross country * 40 hours of simulated or actual instrument time * 15 hours of flight instruction towards instrument rating The

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

license VFR-Over-the-Top (VFR OTT) allows private as well as commercial pilots to cross IMC areas when start and end of the trip is performed under VFR conditions. In the UK, private pilots can attend a less intensive training to the Instrument Rating (Restricted) rating, restricted to the national airspace. This does not confer the privileges of a full Instrument Rating, but allows flight in IMC outside class A airspace, and flight on a SVFR clearance with in-flight visibility below 10 km (but more than 3 km). An instrument rating test can be taken in either single or multi engine aircraft, with the qualification awarded being known as an SEIR or MEIR respectively. A pilot may be qualified to fly multi engine aircraft, but only hold a SEIR - in which case he/she would only be allowed to fly SE aircraft in IMC. To upgrade to a MEIR, further training and another check ride would be required. An MEIR holder is automatically granted SEIR privileges. In addition, under EASA, an instrument rating is issued as either single pilot (SP) or multi pilot (MP) and must be re-validated separately every 12 months. Typically, a pilot will get their first SP MEIR on a light piston twin, then when they move to an airline, they will get an MP MEIR as part of their type rating training. If they do not re-validate their SP MEIR, they could find themselves in the position of being allowed to fly IFR in a jet but not a piston.

References

{{Reflist Aviation licenses and certifications

Training and testing

Requirements

See also

References