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FAA Part 61

Instrument Rating Program 

Estimated Completion Time:
Ground School: 3 Weeks
Flight Training: 3 Months
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Estimated Cost:
​$12,000
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Class Commitment:
Ground School: 1 lesson/week
Flight Training: 2-3 lessons/week
Enhance your knowledge and skills by flying only with reference to the instruments. 
Are you a private pilot? Nightline Air offers a comprehensive Part 61 Training Program that allows pilots to add their first rating onto their pilot certificate. Our rigorous program enables pilots to obtain the required knowledge and skill needed to fly in the IFR system. 

About

The Instrument Rating Certification course is designed to prepare the applicant to operate safely in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system anywhere in the world. Airlines throughout the world indicate that during the hiring process, instrument flying skills are rated above everything else.  

​To be eligible to obtain an instrument rating the pilot must have these credentials. Hold a Private Pilot’s License, have a current medical certificate, 50 hours of solo cross country time as a student pilot, 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument flying, 15 hours of instrument training from a Certified Flight Instructor, and some long solo cross countries. 

Nightline Air flight instructors are properly trained and certified to provide safety, learning, and enjoyment for the flight training journey. Instructors are committed to each pilot our school enrolls which provides a culture that is unmatched anywhere else. Our team is able to personalize the training material and format to each individual as learning and teaching styles vary. With our in-house maintenance and quick turnaround times, our aircraft provides an exceptional training platform for each course. Our ground and flight training syllabus allows our clients to receive instruction efficiently that allow pilots to build aeronautical knowledge and skill. ​
  • Ground School: As a Part 61 Flight Training School, we are authorized to administer a variety of methods to administer ground school. Unlike a Part 141 Program with mandatory in-person training, Nightline Air offers a complete comprehensive online ground school course that can be completed away from the Training Center. This course reviews the required knowledge areas the FAA has set in their Airman Certification Standards (ACS) to pass both the Written Exam and Practical Test with the FAA. These subject include airspace, aircraft systems, instruments, navigation, regulations, flight planning, SIDs, STARS, procedures, and more. Our flight instructors are properly trained to administer one-on-one ground instruction to students that need in-person training. This variety of training is not only cost-effective, but allows both the structure and flexibility that Part 61 provides. 
  • Flight Training: Flight Training is able to commence before, during, or after a student completes ground school whether done online, in-person, or a mix of both. Our flight training program is designed to support the success of the student in aircraft knowledge and mastery as required by the FAA Airman Certificate Standards (ACS). We recommend pilots to fly at minimum, 2-3 flights per week to keep student's on track to complete the program most efficiently. 
Program Requirements
Eligibility Requirements:
  • Hold a current private pilot certificate.
  • Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language.
  • Receive ground training on the Aeronautical Knowledge (listed below) and pass the FAA knowledge test with a score of 70% or greater.
  • Meet the FAA’s minimum Experience Requirements listed below
  • Pass a practical test consisting of an oral exam and an in-flight exam with a FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE)

Aeronautical Knowledge:
  • Federal Aviation Regulations that apply to flight operations under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).
  • Appropriate information from the “Aeronautical Information Manual” that applies to flight operations under IFR.
  • Air traffic control system and procedures for instrument flight operations.
  • IFR navigation and approaches by use of navigation systems.
  • Use of IFR en-route and instrument approach procedure charts.
  • Procurement and use of aviation weather reports and forecasts and the elements of forecasting weather trends based on that information and personal observation of weather conditions.
  • Safe and efficient operation of aircraft under instrument flight rules and conditions.
  • Recognition of critical weather situations and windshear avoidance.
  • Aeronautical decision-making and judgment.
  • Cockpit resource management, including crew communication and coordination.

Flight Proficiency:
  • Pre-flight preparation.
  • Pre-flight procedures.
  • Air traffic control clearances and procedures.
  • Flight by reference to instruments.
  • Navigation systems.
  • Instrument approach procedures.
  • Emergency operations.
  • Post-flight procedures.

Aeronautical Experience
  • 50 hours of cross country flight time as pilot in command, of which 10 hours must have been in an airplane.
  • 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time of which 15 hours are flight training from an instrument instructor. Instrument time includes:
    • 3 hours of instrument flight training within 2 calendar months before the practical test.
    • One cross country flight in an airplane with an authorized instructor, that is performed under IFR that involves a flight of 250 nautical miles.