What Is an Instrument Rating and Should You Get One After Your Private Certificate?
7 min read · Training Path · 2026-03-21
What an instrument rating actually allows
An instrument rating is an add-on certificate that allows a pilot to fly in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), meaning weather conditions below visual flight rules minimums. Without an instrument rating, a private pilot is restricted to flight in visual conditions, which means clear skies, sufficient visibility, and flight outside of clouds. With an instrument rating, a pilot can legally file and fly IFR (instrument flight rules), navigate through clouds, and land at airports using instrument approach procedures when visual conditions are not available.
In the New York area, this capability is operationally significant. The Northeast is frequently affected by coastal weather systems, fog, low ceilings, and conditions that ground VFR-only pilots for extended periods. A private pilot without an instrument rating may find their flying severely limited during significant portions of the year, particularly in autumn and winter. An instrument rating makes a pilot meaningfully more capable and their airplane far more useful as a transportation tool.
What the instrument rating requires
The FAA instrument rating requirements include 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command, 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument flight, and 15 of those 40 hours must be with a CFII (certified flight instructor, instrument). There is also a written knowledge test and a practical test with a designated examiner. Total training for an instrument rating typically runs 40 to 70 hours of additional flight time beyond the private certificate, depending on student pace and weather.
The instrument rating builds on skills learned during private training but introduces a fundamentally different mental workload. Flying by reference to instruments rather than visual cues requires procedural discipline, strong scan habits, and the ability to trust the instruments even when sensory perception suggests something different. It is demanding training, but students who completed private pilot training with a strong foundation tend to find the progression manageable.
Who the instrument rating is most valuable for
Private pilots who fly for transportation purposes, who travel to destinations where weather is a frequent factor, or who want to use their airplane more reliably year-round gain the most from an instrument rating. It is also the next step for any pilot considering a commercial certificate, since commercial operations typically require instrument flight skills and many commercial routes operate in IFR conditions.
Pilots who fly primarily for recreation in VFR-favorable regions or who fly only during predictable good-weather windows may find the instrument rating less immediately necessary. But even recreational pilots often discover that the instrument rating improves their VFR flying by making their navigation, communication, and situational awareness more precise. The training builds skills that transfer back to all flying, not just to IMC operations.
When to start thinking about the instrument rating
The ideal time to begin instrument rating training is relatively soon after earning the private certificate, while training habits and instrument scan fundamentals are still fresh. Some students begin instrument training immediately after the private checkride. Others fly VFR for a season to build experience before returning to formal training. Either approach can work, but extended breaks between training phases tend to make the instrument rating harder to complete efficiently.
If the instrument rating is a goal, it is worth building cross-country time and IFR-compatible navigation experience into VFR training even before the private certificate is complete. Talking with your instructor about long-term goals from early in training helps shape the flight hour strategy and positions you to move into instrument training with less ground to recover.