Instrument Rating Program

Enhance your flying skills with our Instrument Rating Program! Master the art of flying in all weather conditions, increase your safety, and expand your opportunities as a pilot. Train with expert instructors and elevate your aviation capabilities today!

FAA Part 61

Your Path to a Successful Aviation Career

At our flight school, we prioritize your goals and ambitions, tailoring training to fit your schedule and budget. Our Commercial Pilot program is designed with your success in mind, providing personalized instruction to help you build the skills and confidence needed for a thriving career in aviation. Let us guide you every step of the way!

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Be a Part of the Nightline Air Community

At Nightline Air, you’re not just a student—you’re part of a thriving aviation community. We value your time, budget, and personal goals, providing a supportive and encouraging environment. Here, you’ll find camaraderie, expert guidance, and a shared passion for flying. Join our family and experience the connection and support that make your aviation journey unforgettable.

Estimated Completion Time

Ground School: 3 Weeks
Flight Training: 3 Months

Estimated Cost

$13,397

Class Commitment

Flight Approx: 50 Hrs
Ground Approx: 15 Hrs

Pilot Teaching Student Airplane Instruments

About Our Instrument Rating Program

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. 

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.

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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.

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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.

Instrument Rating

Program Price Breakdown

  • Dual Hours: 25 Hours
  • Includes student + instructor onboard aircraft
  • Time Building Hours: 25 Hours
  • Included full wet aircraft rental
  • Can split cost with other pilots to reduce program price
  • Ground Training: 25 Hours
  • Average pre/post flight hours + ground instruction
  • Renter's Insurance
  • Meets required insurance minimums
  • FAA Written Exam
  • FAA Checkride
  • Total Hours
  • In program: 50 Hours
  • In logbook: 100 Hours
  • Training Kit
  • Student’s Choice
  • $720.00 Budget
  • Online Course
  • Foggles
  • ForeFlightProPlus
  • Miscellaneous Books, Supplies, Other

Program Prerequisites

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, which is performed under IFR, involves a flight of 250 nautical miles.