What Is an Instrument Rating and Do You Need One?
Obtaining your instrument rating is a commitment. Unless you’re an airline transport pilot, you’re not required to have an instrument rating so long as you operate within visual meteorological conditions (VMC) under visual flight rules (VFR). According to FAA estimates for 2025, only 31% of private pilots currently hold an instrument rating.
Having your instrument rating and the ability to fly by instruments gives you more options, both in planning flights and in the air.
How Does Flying IFR Differ from VFR?
When flying under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), you’re using instruments in an appropriately equipped aircraft as your primary navigation reference, as opposed to flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) where you rely on visual cues. With IFR certification, you can confidently fly on routes and on days where you might encounter instrument meteorological conditions (IMC)—routes you couldn’t consider and flights you might have scrubbed without the IFR rating. You can plan around conditions knowing you’ve got the skills and capabilities to operate under IFR when you need to.
Does an Instrument Rating Make You Safer?
Training in instrument flying and getting your IFR certification can absolutely make you a safer pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board’s published U.S. civil aviation accidents statistics show that, from 2008 to 2024, over 73% of accidents where “Unintended Flight into IMC” was the defining event were fatal.
So, having IFR skills could very well save your life. An instrument rating is another powerful tool to keep you, your aircraft, and your passengers safe.
What Does It Take to Earn an Instrument Rating?
Even if you never found yourself needing to fly under IFR, you might find that the skills and experience gained getting your instrument rating simply make you a better pilot.
IFR certification requires serious skill-building. Here are some of the most significant requirements:
- 50 hours of cross-country time logged as pilot in command (PIC)
- 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time
- A 250 nautical cross-country flight including the following:
- Simulated or actual IFR conditions with an authorized instructor
- Instrument approaches at each airport visited
- At least three different kinds of instrument approaches
Those skills and experiences will almost certainly make you a better pilot in any scenario.
What Will You Learn in This Series?
As we go deeper into this topic, we’ll speak with pilots about why they chose to get their instrument rating, how that rating helped them in ways that they didn’t expect, and what having an instrument rating has allowed them to do that they couldn’t otherwise have done. We’ll also go into more detail on the steps to get an instrument rating and the commitment required, plus we’ll provide helpful tips to prepare you for challenges you might encounter while training.
Key Takeaways
- An instrument rating expands when and where you can fly by allowing operation under instrument flight rules (IFR).
- Only about 31% of private pilots hold an instrument rating, meaning it provides a distinct advantage.
- IFR skills improve safety, especially in unexpected weather situations such as unintended IMC.
- Training for an instrument rating builds advanced skills that make you a better overall pilot.
