Fly in reduced visibility and expand your capabilities. A required step toward Commercial certification.
Both packages meet every FAA requirement above. The right one depends on how much cross-country pilot-in-command time you already have.
Already have 45 or more hours of cross-country PIC? Choose Package 1. If not, Package 2 builds that time as part of your training.
Pricing listed represents best estimates. Final costs are subject to variation based on aircraft type, instructor rates, and individual student performance.
An instrument rating lets you fly in clouds and low visibility by relying on your instruments instead of looking outside. It makes you a much safer, more capable pilot, and it's required if you want to fly for an airline or build a professional flying career. In the Bay Area, where marine layer and fog are part of life, it also means way fewer canceled flights.
You'll need a Private Pilot Certificate before you can earn the rating, though you can start training toward it right away.
No. A third-class medical is all you need for the instrument rating.
You'll need:
Yes, and ours is a big advantage. Our FAA-approved AATD is set up with the same avionics you'll fly in the airplane: dual G5s and a GTN 650/750. So everything you practice in the sim carries straight over to the cockpit, no relearning a different panel. Up to 20 of your 40 required instrument hours can be done in the AATD, which saves you money and lets you practice approaches and procedures without worrying about weather or traffic.
Most students finish their instrument rating in about 45–60 hours. It depends on how often you fly, how well you prepare between lessons, and how quickly the procedures click for you.
No problem, that's exactly what our IFR Complete Package is for. Most of your lessons are flown as cross-countries, so you build your 50 hours while you're training for your instrument rating, instead of paying for time building separately.
It mostly depends on how often you fly. At 3 lessons a week, most students finish the Standard Package in about 2–3 months. Just like with your private, consistency is everything. Instrument flying is all about procedures and precision, and those skills stay sharp when you fly regularly.
Yes. You'll need to pass the FAA Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA) knowledge test before your checkride. Your results are valid for 24 months.
It has an oral portion and a flight portion with an FAA examiner. You'll fly approaches, holds, and navigation using only your instruments, plus handle some simulated emergencies. Our package includes 4 hours of one-on-one oral prep with your CFII, so you'll walk in ready.
It's challenging, but very doable. It's a lot of procedures and precision, and it rewards consistency. Students who fly regularly usually find it clicks faster than they expected.
Within the past 6 months, you need to have flown 6 instrument approaches, holding procedures, and intercepting and tracking courses. If you fall behind, you can get current again with a safety pilot or an instructor.
Absolutely. It's one of the required steps on the way to your commercial certificate and an airline career. If that's your goal, check out our Zero to Hero program, which takes you from zero experience all the way to CFI.
See Zero to Hero →Send us your hours and we'll tell you honestly which package fits, and what it will cost from where you are today.