Are You Legal to Fly IFR?

Getting Your IFR Rating

• Certification: Typically obtained under Part 61.
• Aeronautical Experience Requirements (FAR 61.65d):
  • Cross-Country Flight Time: 50 hours as Pilot in Command (PIC).
  • Instrument Time: 40 hours in actual or simulated conditions.
    • 15 hours with a Certified Flight Instructor - Instrument (CFII).
    • Flight with a safety pilot or advanced aviation training device is acceptable.

Specific Flight Requirements

1. Three hours of instruction within two months of the check ride.
2. Long IFR Cross-Country:
   • Total of 250 miles along airways or direct routing from ATC.
   • Instrument approach at each airport using three different kinds of instrument approaches.
   • Example: Flights from College Park, MD to Atlantic City, NJ, then to Salisbury, MD, and back to College Park.

Loggable Experience

• Time from private pilot training can count towards the 40 hours of instrument time.
• Entire training often exceeds minimum hours. Most students log more than 15 hours with an instructor.
• Cross-country flights done during private pilot training can count towards 50 hours of PIC time.

Maintaining IFR Currency

• FAA Regulation 61.57c Requirements:
  • Perform 6 instrument approaches in the last six months.
  • Complete holding procedures and intercept and track courses.

Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC)

• Needed if it’s been more than 12 months without instrument experience.
• Conducted by a CFII instead of an examiner.
• Listed tasks from instrument ACS include holding procedures and others.
• Some tasks can be performed using an AATD.

Legal Requirements for Aircraft

• Additional Equipment for IFR:
  • Attitude indicator, turn coordinator, inclinometer, directional gyro, radios (NAV units like VOR/GPS), clock, and a power source.
  • VSI is not required for IFR.
• Inspections:
  • 24-month: Static pressure system, altimeter, altitude reporting system, transponder (Mode C).
  • 30-day: VOR checks (if used on flight).

VOR Checks

1. VOR Test Signal (VOT): Special VOR signal. Example: Bradley (BDL), set 111.4, expect specific indications.
2. VOR Checkpoint: Specific place on the field.
3. Airborne Check: Less precise, found in chart supplement, example, fly over specific points.
4. Dual VOR Check: Compare indications of two VORs.
5. Airway Check: Example: Victor 16, cross over specific points, check tolerances.

GPS Navigation

• Make sure the navigational database is up-to-date.

Conclusion

• Both the pilot and aircraft need to be legal and current for IFR flight.
• Regularly check equipment inspections, VOR checks, and maintaining proficiency. For more resources, check out flight training videos and articles on Flight-Insight's website.