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What is an instrument rating?

The instrument rating adds the greatest freedom and utility to the experience of flight. No longer limited to only clear or sunny days, an instrument-rated pilot uses gyroscopic instruments to navigate in and through the clouds and other obscuration while the VFR pilot waits on the ground for the weather to improve. Instrument flight often permits the timely completion of trips that might otherwise have been canceled due to weather. Obtaining this rating adds safety, flexibility, and confidence to your flying. IFR in action; watch an approach to minimums: watch video.

Your instrument ground school instruction covers in detail the charts, procedures and rules necessary to become a safe and confident instrument pilot. Other subjects such as meteorology add to what you learned in your private pilot training. Another benefit of instrument training is the greater precision gained from accurate aircraft control and the use of the entire air traffic control system. For pilots with professional aspirations, this rating is the next step after private certification toward a goal of flying as a career. Video of flight through the clouds.

What are the requirements?

Regulations specify that a minimum number of hours of flight by reference to instruments is required for an instrument rating: 40 hours minimum under Part 61 and 35 hours under Part 141. Under Part 61 training, however, a pilot is required to log 50 hours of cross-country PIC time before completing the instrument rating. Due to the comprehensive, higher-quality training under Part 141 of the FARs, a pilot need not log these 50 cross-country hours. This saves the flight student $4,000 to $6,000 in training costs. Additionally East Hill has a computerized Precise Flight 135 simulator to make your training more flexible and less expensive. This highly versatile unit is great for training or currency when the ice and thunderstorms make flight inadvisable. The "freeze" and "play-back" functions are wonderful tools to analyze those confusing hold entries. This unit has full FAA approval for all courses.

The real concern for any pilot considering instrument training, however, should not be the minimum hours required but the quality and thoroughness of the training. The comprehensive, integrated ground school provided by the Jeppesen Guided Flight system assures that before every flight you have studied and understood the concepts at work for the next flight lesson. Just as in private pilot training, a syllabus directs that each lesson is an integrated whole, with a thorough ground lesson preceding every flight lesson. You will always know where you are in your training and what is coming next.

During your training, you will be tested with three ground quizzes, a final exam and three expanded briefings before you complete the course. Under either section of the regulations, you ultimately will complete a knowledge test and fly a practical test to obtain this rating. You will be well prepared at East Hill before testing and we have an FAA pilot examiner on staff. Flight training in the Finger Lakes also provides ample opportunity for flying in actual cloud conditions and developing the skills necessary to use your rating with confidence and safety after graduation.

Why should I train at East Hill for my instrument rating?

• Superior ground and flight training under FAA Part 141, using Jeppesen Guided Flight Discovery system, produces professionally trained pilots.
• Save $4,000 to $6,000 in training costs NOT logging unnecessary cross-country time required under Part 61 flight training.
• All three Cessna Skyhawks at East Hill are identically equipped with the most modern avionics: IFR-approved Garmin 430 GPS with Garmin 340 audio panels.
• Our tower-controlled airport allows each flight to be filed IFR with ATC. The close proximity of Elmira, Binghamton and Syracuse airports, all with radar service, provides a variety of approaches and ATC environments. Several full instrument approaches can be completed in a flight lesson.
• We train in a variety of actual instrument conditions with safe alternates nearby. Real cloud-flying experience is vital for building confidence and true IFR skills.
• Finally, we enjoy greater air traffic control service and flexibility that would not be available in busier training environments.

What's involved, and how do I get started?

Contact us at East Hill and stop by to meet the instructors, check out the planes, and even fly an "observation flight" to see what clouds look like from the inside. Since the Skyhawk has four seats, you can ride along in back and get a feel for the training environment. We fly all year, in all four seasons, seven days a week.

Once you purchase the self-paced Jeppesen ground school and enroll in the Part 141 program, you are ready to start flight training! Your total cost for this rating at East Hill is approximately $6,000 based on the average number of hours for completion. This is money well spent for your future safety and comfort as an instrument pilot.

Our graduates fly professionally for charter companies and airlines all over the country. Choose professional training to get professional results!