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Instrument Rating Training Syllabus

Instrument Rating Requirements

  • Hold at least a private pilot certificate.
  • Be able to read, write, and converse fluently in English.
  • Hold a current FAA medical certificate.
  • Receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course, Subjects include:
    • FARs
    • IFR-related items in the AIM
    • ATC system and procedures
    • IFR navigation
    • Use of IFR charts
    • Aviation weather
    • Operating under IFR
    • Recognition of critical weather
    • Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM)
    • Crew Resource Management (CRM)
  • Pass the FAA instrument rating knowledge test with a score of 70% or better.
  • Accumulate flight experience (FAR 61.65):
    • 50 hr. of cross-country flight time as pilot in command, of which at least 10 hr. must be in airplanes:
    • The 50 hr. includes solo cross-country time as a student pilot, which is logged as pilot-in-command time.
    • Each cross-country must have a landing at an airport that was at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 NM from the original departure point.
    • A total of 40 hr. of actual or simulated instrument time in the areas of operation listed in 7. below, including:
    • 15 hr. of instrument flight training from a CFII (CFII is an instructor who is authorized to give instrument instruction) days preceding the practical test
    • Cross-country flight procedures that include at least one cross-country flight in an airplane that is performed under IFR and consists of:
      • A distance of at least 250 NM along airways or ATC-directed routing
      • An instrument approach at each airport
      • Three different kinds of approaches with the use of navigation systems
    • If the instrument training was provided by a CFII, a maximum of 20hr. may be accomplished in an approved flight simulator or flight training device.
  • Demonstrate flight proficiency (FAR 61.65). You must receive and log training, as well as obtain a logbook sign-off (endorsement) from your CFII on the following areas of operation:
    • Preflight preparation
    • Preflight procedures
    • Air traffic control clearances and procedures
    • Flight by reference to instruments
    • Navigation systems
    • Instrument approach procedures
    • Emergency operations
    • Postflight procedures
  • Successfully complete the instrument rating practical test

Ground Training

  1. Flight and Engine Instruments
    1. Instrument groupings
    2. Gyroscopic principles
    3. Instrument operation and limitations
    4. Pitot-Static system
    5. Preflight procedures
    6. Airworthiness requirements
  2. Navigation equipment
    1. VOR, NDB, GPS
    2. DME, ILS, Marker Beacons
    3. CDI, H.S.I., R.M.I
    4. Airworthiness requirements
  3. Weather
    1. Sources of weather information
    2. Area Forecasts
    3. TAFs and METARs
    4. AIRMETS, SIGMETS, Convective SIGMETS and Center Weather Advisories
    5. Prog charts, surface analysis, NEXRAD, etc....
    6. Pilot Reports
    7. Icing
    8. Convective activity
    9. Fog and other obstructions to visibility
    10. Pilot judgment and decision making
  4. Instrument Charts and Approach Briefings
    1. Enroute charts, MEAs, MOCAs
    2. Approach charts
    3. Effective approach briefings
    4. AFD
    5. NOTAMS
  5. IFR Flight Planning
    1. Route and altitude selection
    2. Departure procedures, STARs, approach charts
    3. Aircraft performance
    4. Weather information
    5. Navigation logs and Flight Plans
    6. Cockpit organization
    7. Pilot judgment and decision making
  6. IFR Clearances
    1. Clearance limits and EFC times
    2. Departure procedures
    3. Route of flight
    4. Altitude assignments and restrictions
    5. Transponder codes
    6. Clearance void times
    7. Holding instructions
    8. Clearance readbacks
    9. Clearance shorthand
  7. Lost Communications Procedures
    1. ATC Clearances
    2. Clearance limits and EFC times
    3. MEAs, MOCAs
    4. Holding instructions
  8. ADM and Personal Minimums for IFR Flight
    1. Risk management strategies
    2. Developing personal minimums
  9. Pilot Currency and Proficiency Plan Development
    1. Currency requirements
    2. Developing currency and proficiency plan
  10. Oral Exam Preparation
    1. Flight and engine instruments
    2. Navigational equipment
    3. Weather
    4. Instrument approaches and approach briefings
    5. IFR Flight Planning
    6. IFR Clearances
    7. Lost communications procedures
    8. ADM, risk management, personal minimums, currency requirements
    9. Regulatory review

Flight Training

  1. Basic Attitude Flying 1 - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Instrument cross-check, interpretation and aircraft control
    2. Straight and level flight at various airspeeds
    3. Level turns
  2. Basic Attitude Flying 2 - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Instrument cross-check, interpretation and aircraft control
    2. Constant airspeed climbs and descents
    3. Constant rate climbs and descents
    4. Turning climbs and descents at constant airspeed
    5. Turning climbs and descents at constant rate
    6. Pattern A and Pattern B
  3. Partial Panel Attitude Flying - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Instrument cross-check, interpretation and aircraft control
    2. Partial panel straight and level, turns, climbs and descents
  4. Unusual Attitude Recoveries - Airplane
    1. Situational awareness and division of attention
    2. Instrument cross-check, interpretation and aircraft control
    3. Stall and spin awareness
  5. Compass Turns and Timed Turns- Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Magnetic compass errors
    2. Standard Rate Timed Turns
    3. Compass turns
    4. Partial-panel attitude flying
  6. Instrument Steep Turns - Airplane
    1. G-Forces, overbanking tendency
    2. Situational awareness and division of attention
    3. Instrument cross-check, interpretation and aircraft control
  7. VOR Navigation - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Use of VOR receiver, OBS
    2. Intercepting and tracking radials
    3. Reverse sensing
    4. Wind drift correction
  8. ADF Navigation - Simulator
    1. Use of ADF
    2. Intercepting and tracking bearings
    3. Wind drift correction
  9. GPS Navigation - Simulator
    1. Use of GPS
    2. Intercepting and tracking courses
    3. Wind drift correction
  10. DME Arcs - Simulator
    1. Use of DME
    2. Intercepting and tracking DME Arcs
    3. Wind drift correction
  11. Holding Patterns - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Holding instructions
    2. Clearances and readbacks
    3. Clearance shorthand
    4. Holding pattern entries
    5. Wind correction techniques
  12. VOR Approaches - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Use of VOR receiver, OBS, H.S.I.
    2. Wind drift correction
    3. Power, altitude and airspeed management
    4. Missed approach procedures
    5. Circling approach procedures
  13. NDB Approaches - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Use of ADF receiver, R.M.I
    2. Wind drift correction
    3. Power, altitude and airspeed management
    4. Missed approach procedures
    5. Circling approach procedures
  14. GPS Approaches - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Use of GPS receiver
    2. Wind drift correction
    3. Power, altitude and airspeed management
    4. Missed approach procedures
    5. Circling approach procedures
  15. ILS/LOC Approaches - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Use of VOR receiver, OBS, H.S.I.
    2. Use of Marker Beacon receiver
    3. Wind drift correction
    4. Power, altitude and airspeed management
    5. Missed approach procedures
    6. Circling approach procedures
  16. Partial Panel Approaches - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Instrument cross-check, interpretation and aircraft control
    2. VOR, GPS, ILS, LOC and NDB partial panel approaches
    3. Emergency procedures
    4. ASR and no-gyro approaches
  17. In-Flight Emergencies - Simulator
    1. Pitot/Static system emergencies
    2. Icing encounters
    3. Zero/Zero approaches
    4. Engine-out procedures
    5. Split-flap scenarios
  18. L.O.F.T. Session - Simulator
    1. Simulator
    2. Departure procedures
    3. En-route procedures
    4. Instrument approach
    5. Missed approaches
  19. IFR Cross Country - Airplane
    1. Departure procedures
    2. En-route procedures
    3. Instrument approaches
    4. Partial panel emergencies
  20. Checkride Preparation - Combination of airplane and simulator
    1. Basic attitude flying
    2. Partial-panel flying
    3. Unusual attitude recoveries
    4. Compass turns
    5. DME Arcs
    6. VOR, NDB and GPS navigation
    7. Full-panel precision and non-precision approaches
    8. Partial-panel precision and non-precision approaches
    9. Holding procedures
    10. ATC Clearances
    11. Cross-country flight planning and procedures
    12. Lost communications procedures
    13. In-flight emergency procedures
Contact me
Will Outlaw - CFI/CFII
651.592.6749
will@willoutlaw.com