The Instrument Rating is the next big step after earning a Private Pilot Certificate. With the Instrument Rating, the sky is no longer the limit! During the private pilot training and flying, you have been flying using visual references under visual flight rules (VFR). With an Instrument Rating, you will fly and navigate using the flight instruments under instrument flight rules (IFR). These are the same rules and the same systems that airliners and corporate jets use. You’ve just put a lot of time and effort into your Private Pilot Certificate. The Instrument Rating is going to also be challenging, but the reward is worth it. Imagine the feeling of flying through the clouds using the onboard avionics of the airplane to guide you from departure to destination.

Basic Requirements (Consult FAR 61.65 for full list of requirements):

• Pass an FAA Knowledge test, receive an endorsement from an FAA Certified Flight Instructor, and possess the aeronautical experience below:
• 50 hours of cross-country flight time
• 40 hours of flight time in simulated or actual instrument conditions (15 hours from an instrument airplane instructor)
• 3 hours in the previous 2 calendar months of instrument training from an authorized instructor
• A cross-country flight over 250 nautical miles under instrument flight rules with an authorized instructor with three different types of instrument approaches

The Commercial Certificate is the gateway to a career in aviation, but it is also the first time that a pilot can earn money in exchange for his or her flying services. Although the flying that can be exchanged for money is limited, and thoroughly defined in the Federal Aviation Regulations, the Commercial Certificate is a pre-requisite of all of the additional certificates required to earn a living as a pilot.

Basic Requirements (Consult FAR 61.129 for full list of requirements):

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Pass an FAA Knowledge test, receive an endorsement from an FAA Certified Flight Instructor, and possess the aeronautical experience below:
• 250 hours of total flight time
• 100 hours of Pilot in Command (PIC) flight time
• 20 hours dual instruction with an authorized instructor
• 10 hours solo flight
• 3 hours in the previous 2 calendar months of instrument training from an authorized instructor
• 5 hours of night vfr flight with 10 takeoffs and landings at an airport with a control tower

Once you have your Commercial Certificate, the next step is to share all of your acquired knowledge to new aspiring pilots. The Certified Flight Instructor, or CFI, is the most rewarding certificate to earn and to use. The feeling when you sign off your first student for a solo or certificate is as exhilarating as when you first experienced these feats. A rewarding career as a flight instructor or chief flight instructor is right around the corner when you build experience giving dual instruction. For pilots that desire a career as an airline or corporate pilot, the CFI is where you build the flight time needed to earn the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and get that coveted first jet job! Contact us to begin now!

Basic Requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Pass the FAA Knowledge tests required, receive an endorsement from an FAA Certified Flight Instructor, and possess the aeronautical experience below:
• Commercial Certificate
• 15 hours pilot in command in the aircraft the rating is sought
• 3 hours in the previous 2 calendar months of instrument training from an authorized instructor

The FAA requires all pilots to conduct a flight review every 24 calendar months. It is also a requirement of all instrument rated pilots to perform 6 approaches, holding and tracking every 6 months to fly under instrument flight rules. If the pilot has not accomplished those conditions, an instrument proficiency check is required. Using the guidelines of FAA Advisory circular 61-98, the professional instructors at Solberg Airport can conduct both of these checks. A minimum of 1-hour flight and 1-hour ground school is required, but you may enjoy it so much that you want more! Another fun and productive idea is to combine a flight review with a tailwheel endorsement or checkout in a new airplane! Contact us to schedule!