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Stuff Every Instrument Pilot Should Know: Training Guide

A structured study foundation for Instrument Rating (Airplane), with lessons, official references, and knowledge checks.

Who this is for: This course is for airplane pilots preparing to fly under IFR. It covers instrument procedures, weather, navigation, regulations, risk management and the aeronautical experience required by Part 61.

Study aid, not authority. This is not an FAA-approved course, an instructor endorsement, a certificate, or a substitute for current regulations and official FAA publications.

This edition is a study foundation. It does not claim to be a complete ground school. Work with a qualified instructor and use the current Airman Certification Standards.

Adapted from Open Checklists. Source revision 4e33e7b, checked 2026-10-25.

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Course facts

Knowledge test
IRA: 60 questions, 120 minutes, 70% to pass FAA testing matrix
Cross-country PIC experience
50 hours, including 10 hours in airplanes 14 CFR 61.65(d)
Instrument time
40 hours actual or simulated 14 CFR 61.65(d)
Instrument training with an instructor
15 hours from an authorized instrument instructor 14 CFR 61.65(d)
Recent instrument experience
Within 6 calendar months: 6 approaches, holding, and intercepting and tracking courses 14 CFR 61.57(c)

Tests and standards

IRA knowledge test

60 questions · 120 minutes · 70% passing score

  • An authorized instructor or approved course must endorse your preparation.
  • Use current charts and the FAA testing supplement while practicing.
  • A passing report does not replace the instructor endorsements and flight experience required for the practical test.

Official references: FAA testing matrix; 14 CFR 61.35

Practical test

Instrument Rating Airplane ACS (FAA-S-ACS-8)

  • The examiner evaluates knowledge, risk management and flight skills through instrument tasks.
  • Use the ACS codes on your knowledge test report to target review before the practical test.

Requirements

  1. Hold at least a private pilot certificate, or apply for it with the instrument rating. 14 CFR 61.65(a)
  2. Complete and log the aeronautical knowledge and flight training required by 61.65. 14 CFR 61.65(b)-(d)
  3. Log 50 hours of cross-country time as pilot in command and 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time. 14 CFR 61.65(d)
  4. Complete the required 250 nautical mile IFR cross-country with approaches at each airport and three different kinds of approaches. 14 CFR 61.65(d)(2)(ii)

Study plan

  1. Week 1: Build instrument scan, systems and regulation fundamentals.
    Lessons: Eligibility, experience and IFR privileges, Flight instruments and attitude instrument flying
  2. Week 2: Read clearances, charts and navigation systems as one connected route.
    Lessons: IFR rules, clearances and flight plans, Enroute charts, navigation and altitude
  3. Week 3: Practice departures, arrivals, holding and approaches.
    Lessons: Departures, arrivals and holding, Instrument approaches and missed approaches
  4. Week 4: Finish weather, icing, emergencies and decision making, then use the Aha game for review.
    Lessons: IFR weather, alternates and icing, Emergencies, human factors and IFR decisions

Lesson 1 of 8

Eligibility, experience and IFR privileges

Understand what the rating permits and what experience must be logged before the practical test.

What you will learn

  • Explain instrument-rating eligibility.
  • Break down the flight-experience requirements.
  • Separate rating requirements from instrument currency.

Eligibility and training

Section 61.65 requires the appropriate pilot certificate, English proficiency, ground training, flight training, a knowledge test and a practical test.

For airplanes, the aeronautical experience includes 50 hours of cross-country pilot-in-command time, 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time and 15 hours with an authorized instrument instructor.

Privileges and currency

An instrument rating lets a properly qualified pilot operate under IFR and in weather below VFR minimums. The aircraft, equipment, inspections and operation must also qualify.

The rating never expires, but recent instrument experience does. Section 61.57 governs currency, and an instrument proficiency check is required after the allowed reestablishment period.

Numbers to remember

ItemValueSource
Cross-country PIC50 hours; 10 in airplanes14 CFR 61.65(d)
Instrument time40 hours actual or simulated14 CFR 61.65(d)
Recent practical-test preparation3 hours within the 2 calendar months before the test month14 CFR 61.65(d)

Knowledge check

Choose an answer before reading the answer key.

  1. How much cross-country pilot-in-command time does 61.65(d) require?

    1. 25 hours
    2. 40 hours
    3. 50 hours

  2. How much instrument time is required for the airplane rating?

    1. 20 hours
    2. 30 hours
    3. 40 hours

  3. Does an instrument rating expire when recent instrument experience lapses?

    1. Yes, immediately
    2. No, but IFR privileges require currency
    3. Only after 24 months

Answer key

  1. C. 50 hours. The airplane instrument-rating requirement is 50 hours of cross-country time as pilot in command, including 10 hours in airplanes. 14 CFR 61.65(d)
  2. C. 40 hours. Section 61.65(d) requires 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time. 14 CFR 61.65(d)
  3. B. No, but IFR privileges require currency. The rating remains on the certificate, but the pilot must meet 61.57 before acting as pilot in command under IFR or below VFR minimums. 14 CFR 61.57(c)

Official reading

Lesson 2 of 8

Flight instruments and attitude instrument flying

Connect instrument-system behavior to a stable scan and reliable aircraft control.

What you will learn

  • Explain pitot-static and gyroscopic indications.
  • Recognize common failures.
  • Apply control and performance concepts.

Instrument systems

The airspeed indicator uses pitot and static pressure. The altimeter and vertical-speed indicator use static pressure. Blockages produce different errors depending on which source is blocked.

Electronic flight displays use sensors and computers, but they still require cross-checking. Compare independent sources before trusting a surprising indication.

Scan and control

Attitude instrument flying uses a continuous cross-check, interpretation and control process. Fixation, omission and emphasis are common scan errors.

Use small corrections, trim the airplane and confirm the trend. Partial-panel flying demands a simpler scan and disciplined use of the instruments that remain reliable.

Numbers to remember

ItemValueSource
Altimeter check tolerance for IFRWithin 75 feet of a known elevationAIM 7-2-3
Standard-rate turn3 degrees per secondFAA Instrument Flying Handbook

Knowledge check

Choose an answer before reading the answer key.

  1. Which instruments use only static pressure?

    1. Airspeed and heading indicators
    2. Altimeter and vertical-speed indicator
    3. Turn coordinator and altimeter

  2. What is fixation in an instrument scan?

    1. Ignoring every instrument
    2. Staring too long at one instrument
    3. Scanning too quickly to read anything

  3. What is the best response to one unexpected indication?

    1. Make a large immediate control input
    2. Cross-check independent instruments
    3. Cover every other display

Answer key

  1. B. Altimeter and vertical-speed indicator. The altimeter and vertical-speed indicator are static-system instruments. FAA Instrument Flying Handbook
  2. B. Staring too long at one instrument. Fixation is concentrating on one instrument at the expense of the rest of the cross-check. FAA Instrument Flying Handbook
  3. B. Cross-check independent instruments. Cross-checking independent sources helps distinguish aircraft motion from an instrument failure. FAA Instrument Flying Handbook

Official reading

Lesson 3 of 8

IFR rules, clearances and flight plans

Apply the operating rules and turn an ATC clearance into an accurate plan.

What you will learn

  • Identify required IFR equipment and inspections.
  • Read and copy a clearance.
  • Apply lost-communications priorities.

Aircraft and preflight

Section 91.205 lists equipment required for IFR. Sections 91.411 and 91.413 set inspection intervals for altimeter/static systems and transponders.

IFR preflight planning includes weather, fuel, alternatives, delays, runway data and procedures. The filed flight plan is a request; the clearance is the authorization.

Clearances and lost communications

Copy route, altitude, departure frequency and transponder code in a consistent order. Read back hold-short instructions, runway assignments and items ATC requests.

Under 91.185, use the route priority assigned, vectored, expected, then filed. Use the highest applicable altitude among the minimum IFR altitude, expected altitude and last assigned altitude.

Numbers to remember

ItemValueSource
Altimeter/static inspectionEvery 24 calendar months14 CFR 91.411
Transponder inspectionEvery 24 calendar months14 CFR 91.413

Knowledge check

Choose an answer before reading the answer key.

  1. Which item is part of the usual CRAFT clearance-copy sequence?

    1. Runway length
    2. Transponder code
    3. Passenger count

  2. What is first in the 91.185 lost-communications route priority?

    1. Filed
    2. Expected
    3. Assigned

  3. How often is the IFR altimeter and static-system inspection normally required?

    1. 12 calendar months
    2. 24 calendar months
    3. 36 calendar months

Answer key

  1. B. Transponder code. CRAFT ends with transponder code after clearance limit, route, altitude and departure frequency. AIM 4-4-3
  2. C. Assigned. Use the route assigned in the last ATC clearance before considering vectored, expected or filed routes. 14 CFR 91.185(c)
  3. B. 24 calendar months. Section 91.411 sets a 24-calendar-month interval. 14 CFR 91.411

Official reading

Lesson 4 of 8

Enroute charts, navigation and altitude

Use charts, navigation systems and altitude rules to remain protected throughout an IFR route.

What you will learn

  • Interpret enroute-chart symbols.
  • Choose legal and practical IFR altitudes.
  • Monitor navigation-system integrity.

Routes and altitudes

Low enroute charts depict airways, fixes, navigation facilities, changeover points and published altitudes. Read every legend and note before relying on a symbol.

The MEA supports obstacle clearance and acceptable navigation signal coverage. Other published altitudes, such as MOCA, MRA and MCA, answer different questions.

Navigation integrity

VOR use under IFR requires the check or inspection in 91.171. Record the date, place, bearing error and signature for an operational check.

GPS operations depend on approved equipment, current data and integrity monitoring. Know what the unit annunciates when integrity is unavailable and what alternate means the operation requires.

Numbers to remember

ItemValueSource
VOR check for IFRWithin preceding 30 days14 CFR 91.171
Obstacle clearance off airways1,000 feet; 2,000 feet in designated mountainous areas14 CFR 91.177

Knowledge check

Choose an answer before reading the answer key.

  1. How recently must a VOR have been checked before IFR use?

    1. Within 10 days
    2. Within 30 days
    3. Within 90 days

  2. What does an MEA primarily provide?

    1. Obstacle clearance and navigation coverage
    2. Guaranteed radar contact
    3. Guaranteed visual conditions

  3. What must a pilot do when a GPS reports lost integrity for a procedure that needs it?

    1. Continue because the route is loaded
    2. Use an approved alternative or discontinue the procedure
    3. Cycle the unit until the warning clears

Answer key

  1. B. Within 30 days. Section 91.171 requires the VOR equipment to have been checked within the preceding 30 days. 14 CFR 91.171
  2. A. Obstacle clearance and navigation coverage. The minimum enroute altitude supplies obstacle clearance and acceptable navigation-signal coverage along the route segment. AIM 5-3-4
  3. B. Use an approved alternative or discontinue the procedure. A pilot may not rely on navigation guidance when required integrity is unavailable. AIM 1-1-17

Official reading

Lesson 5 of 8

Departures, arrivals and holding

Plan transitions between terminal and enroute flight without losing terrain or traffic protection.

What you will learn

  • Use obstacle departure and arrival procedures.
  • Interpret holding instructions.
  • Correct entries and timing for wind.

Departures and arrivals

Obstacle departure procedures provide obstacle clearance when flown as published. Standard instrument departures also organize traffic and require an ATC clearance unless assigned as part of the clearance.

Arrival procedures connect the enroute structure to terminal operations. Check altitude, speed and navigation requirements before accepting one.

Holding

A holding clearance includes the fix, direction, radial or course, leg length when needed, turn direction and expect-further-clearance time. Ask when any element is unclear.

Entries are recommended techniques, not regulatory boundaries. Prioritize remaining in protected airspace, then adjust heading and timing for wind.

Numbers to remember

ItemValueSource
Standard holding leg at or below 14,000 feet MSL1 minute inboundAIM 5-3-8
Standard holding leg above 14,000 feet MSL1.5 minutes inboundAIM 5-3-8
Standard holding turnsRight turns unless published or assigned otherwiseAIM 5-3-8

Knowledge check

Choose an answer before reading the answer key.

  1. What is the standard holding turn direction unless otherwise published or assigned?

    1. Left
    2. Right
    3. Toward the airport

  2. What is the standard inbound leg time at 10,000 feet MSL?

    1. 30 seconds
    2. 1 minute
    3. 1.5 minutes

  3. What is the first priority in choosing a holding entry?

    1. Use the prettiest diagram
    2. Remain in protected airspace
    3. Always choose a teardrop

Answer key

  1. B. Right. Standard holding patterns use right turns. AIM 5-3-8
  2. B. 1 minute. At or below 14,000 feet MSL, standard holding uses a one-minute inbound leg. AIM 5-3-8
  3. B. Remain in protected airspace. Entry guidance supports the real objective: staying within the holding pattern's protected airspace. AIM 5-3-8

Official reading

Lesson 6 of 8

Instrument approaches and missed approaches

Read an approach chart from briefing strip through landing or missed approach.

What you will learn

  • Brief an approach chart.
  • Distinguish DA from MDA operations.
  • Apply landing and missed-approach rules.

Approach setup

Confirm chart date, procedure and runway, then brief navigation, frequencies, courses, altitudes, minimums, missed approach and relevant notes. Verify the loaded procedure against the chart.

A precision or approach-with-vertical-guidance procedure commonly uses a decision altitude. A nonprecision approach commonly uses a minimum descent altitude and a missed approach point.

Landing or missed approach

Section 91.175 requires the aircraft to be continuously in a position for a normal landing, flight visibility at least the published minimum and at least one specified visual reference before descent below minimums.

Start the published missed approach when required and advise ATC. If the missed approach begins before the missed approach point, continue on the final approach course until reaching it unless ATC directs otherwise.

Numbers to remember

ItemValueSource
Approach below DA or MDAPosition, visibility and visual-reference tests must all be met14 CFR 91.175(c)
Runway environment exceptionApproach lights alone allow descent only to 100 feet above touchdown-zone elevation14 CFR 91.175(c)(3)

Knowledge check

Choose an answer before reading the answer key.

  1. Which three conditions are required to descend below DA or MDA?

    1. Position, flight visibility and a listed visual reference
    2. ATC approval, radar contact and landing clearance
    3. Autopilot, GPS and approach lights

  2. What is normally associated with a nonprecision approach?

    1. A minimum descent altitude
    2. A decision height only
    3. No missed approach point

  3. What should a pilot verify after loading an approach into the navigator?

    1. Only the destination airport
    2. The loaded procedure against the current chart
    3. Only the runway length

Answer key

  1. A. Position, flight visibility and a listed visual reference. Section 91.175(c) requires a normal-landing position, required flight visibility and at least one listed visual reference. 14 CFR 91.175(c)
  2. A. A minimum descent altitude. Nonprecision procedures commonly use an MDA and a missed approach point. AIM 5-4-5
  3. B. The loaded procedure against the current chart. The pilot must catch database, selection or transition errors by comparing the loaded procedure with the chart. FAA Instrument Procedures Handbook

Official reading

Lesson 7 of 8

IFR weather, alternates and icing

Turn weather products into legal, conservative departure, enroute and approach decisions.

What you will learn

  • Interpret IFR weather products.
  • Apply fuel and alternate rules.
  • Recognize and escape icing hazards.

Weather planning

Build the picture from observations, forecasts, pilot reports, radar, satellite and advisories. Compare product valid times with the entire flight, not only departure.

Section 91.169 sets when an alternate is required and the forecast window around estimated arrival. Published alternate minimums or restrictions can replace the standard planning figures.

Icing and convective weather

Structural icing changes lift, drag, stall behavior and control response. Freezing rain and visible moisture near freezing demand wide margins and an exit plan.

Avoid thunderstorms rather than trying to penetrate cells visually or by airborne radar alone. Treat embedded convection, fast growth and strong echoes as reasons to reroute or land.

Numbers to remember

ItemValueSource
IFR fuelDestination, then alternate when required, then 45 minutes at normal cruise14 CFR 91.167
Alternate forecast window1 hour before to 1 hour after estimated arrival14 CFR 91.169
Common 1-2-3 alternate triggerLess than 2,000-foot ceiling or 3 statute miles visibility14 CFR 91.169

Knowledge check

Choose an answer before reading the answer key.

  1. After destination and required alternate fuel, what reserve does 91.167 require?

    1. 30 minutes
    2. 45 minutes at normal cruise
    3. 60 minutes at best economy

  2. What does the 1-2-3 rule determine?

    1. Whether an alternate must be listed
    2. Whether an ILS is available
    3. Whether a VOR check is current

  3. What is the safest basic response to an icing encounter?

    1. Wait for a large accumulation
    2. Leave the icing conditions promptly
    3. Increase angle of attack

Answer key

  1. B. 45 minutes at normal cruise. The IFR reserve is fuel for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed after reaching the alternate when one is required. 14 CFR 91.167
  2. A. Whether an alternate must be listed. It uses forecast ceiling and visibility around arrival to determine whether the flight plan needs an alternate. 14 CFR 91.169
  3. B. Leave the icing conditions promptly. Exit the icing conditions before performance and control degrade further. FAA Aviation Weather Handbook

Official reading

Lesson 8 of 8

Emergencies, human factors and IFR decisions

Manage failures, workload and personal limits before they become an instrument emergency.

What you will learn

  • Prioritize control during equipment failures.
  • Recognize spatial disorientation.
  • Use personal minimums and escape plans.

Failures and workload

Control the airplane, identify the failure, use the checklist and tell ATC what help is needed. Declare an emergency early when safety requires priority or flexibility.

Electrical, vacuum, pitot-static, navigation and communication failures create different cues. Rehearse each failure using the equipment installed in the airplane you fly.

Human performance and decisions

Instrument flight can create powerful vestibular illusions. Trust a verified instrument cross-check, not body sensations, and make deliberate changes.

Use personal minimums for ceiling, visibility, wind, icing and alternates. Reassess at decision points and keep a reachable route to better weather.

Numbers to remember

ItemValueSource
Hypoxia supplemental oxygen threshold for crewMore than 30 minutes above 12,500 feet MSL through 14,000 feet MSL14 CFR 91.211
Crew oxygen above14,000 feet MSL14 CFR 91.211

Knowledge check

Choose an answer before reading the answer key.

  1. What comes first after an instrument or system failure?

    1. Control the aircraft
    2. Call maintenance
    3. Reprogram the route

  2. What should a pilot trust during spatial disorientation?

    1. Body sensations
    2. A verified instrument cross-check
    3. The strongest first impression

  3. Why set personal minimums before a flight?

    1. To replace regulations
    2. To make decisions before pressure rises
    3. To guarantee ATC priority

Answer key

  1. A. Control the aircraft. Aircraft control remains the first priority while the pilot identifies and manages the failure. FAA Instrument Flying Handbook
  2. B. A verified instrument cross-check. Vestibular sensations can be false in instrument conditions, so verified instruments provide the reliable reference. FAA Instrument Flying Handbook
  3. B. To make decisions before pressure rises. Predetermined limits reduce the temptation to rationalize a risky continuation under workload or schedule pressure. FAA Risk Management Handbook

Official reading

Test-day checklist

  • ☐ Bring acceptable identification and the required endorsement.
  • ☐ Use the supplied testing supplement and verify every chart scale and legend.
  • ☐ Write clear notes for holding entries, wind corrections and approach questions.
  • ☐ Keep the Airman Knowledge Test Report for your instructor and examiner.

After the knowledge test

  • Review each missed ACS code with an instrument instructor.
  • Complete the experience and recent practical-test preparation in 61.65.
  • Fly realistic scenarios that join weather, clearances, navigation and missed approaches.
  • Use the current Instrument Rating Airplane ACS for oral and flight preparation.

Sources and attribution

Adapted from Open Checklists at source revision 4e33e7bb93ae3ff0b722518256063523166d6b57. Source material was checked 2026-10-25. Aha Trivia created a new semantic and print layout, removed Open Checklists-only navigation, retained the instructional wording, and corrected citations and current test times after source verification.

Reused in Aha Trivia at the project owner's direction. Open Checklists does not publish a blanket license for these course files. Official FAA and eCFR materials remain subject to their own terms.

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