After
Darrin S. Sherrill of Georgia
gained his Private Pilot certification, he chose to immediately pursue an
Instrument Rating, which he achieved only a month later. This Instrument Rating
allowed him to progress as a pilot towards his larger goal of becoming a
commercial pilot, which came to fruition in 2010.
An Instrument
Rating has stringent requirements. A pilot interested in adding an Instrument
Rating to his certificate is expected to hold a Private Pilot license, a
current FAA Medical Certificate, and prove fluency in English.
In
addition, the pilot must complete a series of training sessions either with an
approved instruction or through a home-study course. This training is necessary
for the pilot to pass the challenging exams, since the tests require extensive
knowledge of issues related to instrument flight rules.
Once
ground training is completed, pilots aspiring to achieve an Instrument Rating
must log a minimum of 50 hours of flight time as the commanding pilot. These 50
hours have to include a cross-country flight and 3 separate types of instrument
approaches.
These
requirements often take quite a bit of time for pilots to complete. Darrin
Scott Sherrill realized that after his Private Pilot tests, he was
prepared to immediately continue his flight education by resuming his studies
for an Instrument Rating. Darrin Sherrill’s instrument rating prepared him to
complete his training as a pilot by gaining a Commercial certificate and a Multi-Engine Land certificate.
If you
are in the process of determining your goals as a pilot, Darrin Sherrill
recommends pursuing an Instrument Rating for the following reasons:
A greater
confidence in your piloting abilities
Expanded
knowledge of flight procedures
New
opportunities for further training
Personal
growth through the rigors of studying
Increased career opportunities