Instrument Rating

Sometimes, the weather is too poor to navigate by landmarks, making flying solely by the Visual Flight Rules (VFR) untenable. At Future Air's convenient Collingwood, and Simcoe locations, we are pleased to provide training that will enable you to fly regardless of visibility. The Instrument Rating allows you to fly to your destination if the weather is below VFR limits.

To obtain this rating you must hold at least a Private Pilot License. The training for the Instrument Rating can be counted towards your Commercial license. The training is divided into ground and flight training.

Ground School

Ground school for the Instrument Rating is not required, but it is recommended. The instruction can be completed in a ground school environment, or on a one-on-one basis.

You will be required to write a 100 question multiple-choice examination with Transport Canada on the following topics:

Canadian Aviation Rules
Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) and Procedures
Meteorology
Instruments
Radio and Radar Systems
Navigation

The pass mark for the exam is 70% overall, but each section must be passed with at least 70%.

Flight Training

Training time on course is divided into Dual time (with an Instructor) and Solo time. The minimum training time is 30 hours in the aircraft.

Dual Training

40 hours of instrument time.
One 100 nautical mile IFR cross-country with 2 instrument approaches to IFR minimum at different locations.

Solo Training

50 hours of cross-country experience.

A flight test at the end of the course is required for the completion of the Instrument Rating.

These are minimum training requirements as outlined by Transport Canada. Individuals may, in some cases, exceed these requirements before being recommended for a flight test.

Please talk to any of our instructors regarding the costs to take this training.