Part 61 · Charlotte area
Instrument Rating training.
Add IFR capability to your existing Private Pilot certificate. Cross-country experience builds on what you already have; instrument training builds new skills for flying solely by reference to instruments.
The Instrument Rating gives a pilot the ability to fly in the IFR system and operate in conditions that a VFR-only pilot could not legally or safely handle. It does not mean you should fly into any weather just because you can, but it gives you the tools to fly by reference to instruments, fly approaches, work with ATC, and make better decisions when weather becomes part of the flight.
The way I want to teach instrument students is not just by building hood time and repeating approaches. The goal is to build real IFR thinking. That means learning how to brief procedures, manage workload, talk to ATC, understand weather, plan alternates, and stay ahead of the airplane. I want students working through real scenarios, not just flying the same approach over and over without understanding the bigger picture.
Timeline depends a lot on what the student already has. If they already have cross-country PIC time built up and they study consistently, the rating can move pretty efficiently with two or three lessons a week. If they still need to build the 50 hours of cross-country PIC time, we’ll fold that into the training plan. A student should expect hood or simulator work, IFR cross-countries, approaches, holds, procedure briefings, weather study, and a lot of oral exam preparation.
Reference · 14 CFR Part 61
What it takes.
| Requirement | FAR | Hours |
|---|---|---|
Cross-country PIC | §61.65(d)(1) | 50 |
Airplane cross-country PIC within the 50 | §61.65(d)(1) | 10 |
Total actual or simulated instrument time | §61.65(d)(2) | 40 |
Instrument flight training from authorized instrument-airplane instructor | §61.65(d)(2) | 15 |
Practical test prep | §61.65(d)(2)(i) | 3 |
IFR cross-country flight with instructor Distance: 250 NM — §61.65(d)(2)(ii)(A) Instrument approach at each airport — §61.65(d)(2)(ii)(B) Three different kinds of approaches — §61.65(d)(2)(ii)(C) | §61.65(d)(2)(ii) | — |
Minimums per FAR §61.65. Applicant must hold at least a Private Pilot certificate, or be concurrently applying for one, with the appropriate category rating.
Pricing
Pay as you fly.
Discovery flight
$200
About an hour at the controls with a CFI plus a ground briefing. If you keep going, it counts as your first lesson.
Aircraft (wet)
$185/hour
PA-28-140 Cherokee. Fuel included. Billed in tenths of an hour from engine start to engine stop.
Instruction
$50/hour
Flight or ground instruction with a named CFI. Billed alongside aircraft time during flights; separately during ground sessions.
Ready to get started?
Book a discovery flight or get in touch to talk through your goals and timeline.