Southern Delaware's Premier Flight Training Center
Instrument Rating
After
you receive your Private Pilot certificate, you will undoubtedly want to fly
often, and take trips to destinations near and far.This will be a lot of fun and a time saver
over commercial travel.However, when
bad weather sets in you may be grounded resulting in having to cancel your
trip, lose vacation time, miss work days, and sometimes even end up spending
extra money.The solution is the Instrument rating. The Instrument rating refers to the qualifications that a pilot must have in order
to fly under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).For most private pilots, the most significant value of flying under IFR
is the ability to fly in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), such as
inside clouds, in fog or in rain. The instrument rating states that you are
qualified to fly in less than VFR (Visual Flight Rules) conditions.
This
rating is useful when trying to make long flights 300-600 nautical miles from
your departing airport. It is very difficult to travel 300-600 nautical miles
without encountering bad weather that requires instrument skills. Additionally,
all flights operating in Class A airspace must be conducted under IFR.In the United States, an instrument rating
is required when operating under Special Visual Flight Rules (SVFR) at night.
The requirements for the Instrument rating are outlined in the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR's).There are two tests that a student is required to perform to obtain the Instrument rating:
The knowledge test (also called the 'written test')
The
practical test (also called 'the checkride') in which the student flies
with an FAA representative and performs various flight maneuvers.
To
prepare a student for the written test, a home-based self-study program
is permitted by the FAR's. This is the most economical method to
prepare for the written test. This allows the student to prepare at his
or her own pace. There are many products in the marketplace to assist
the student in the self-study program. Delmarva Aviation has chosen 'Cleared for Approach',
Cessna's multimedia interactive training system which you can purchase
directly from Delmarva Aviation when you begin your training. This
comprehensive computer based training system not only prepares you for
the written test, but it also gives valuable tips on the checkride.
Contact Delmarva Aviation today to learn more about how to get started on your Instrument rating training today!