A Recently-Rated Pilot’s Perspective on the IRA

News/Commentary/Opinion by Associate Editor Addison DeWitt

From speaking with both new and veteran pilots, it is clear that there is a strong love-hate relationship with the Instrument Rating. Sure, approaches are a big step up from the endless traffic patterns in Private Pilot training… but is Instrument flying as brutal as people say?

Before I get too controversial, it’s important to note that the Instrument rating is extremely beneficial. It not only builds confidence, but is also crucial from the safety standpoint. However, the seemingly small number of required Instrument Flight hours is incredibly deceptive and often fools new students.

I recently completed my Instrument Rating through Purdue University’s Part 141 training program. A couple days into the course, I pulled out my trusty foggles for my first instrument flight and prepared for the worst. Though the familiar maneuvers helped to soothe some nerves, I was still anxious enough to message my old flight instructor to ask for advice. He told me not to be a chicken and move along -- fair enough.

The 1200-ish questions in the Knowledge Exam bank felt like quite a bit, but that was only the start. The flight portion of the rating is all about managing a million tasks at once, all while flying the plane. Multitasking becomes an instinct.

However, the main reason why I believe so many pilots dislike Instrument is because of how different it is from Private training. You go from banking 45 degrees to the side, staring in awe at the ground, to making eye contact with the avionics panel for an hour straight. There are also plenty of foreign concepts that you have to fully understand…VORs, satellites, holding in 30 kt crosswinds, etc.

These make it beyond challenging to see progress, and it really wasn’t until my first actual instrument flight that I truly realized how much I had learned. Breaking out of the clouds and seeing the runway only 250 feet down was surreal, to say the least.

They don’t call it a ‘weed-out’ rating for nothing. It’s hard, requires painful accuracy, and the whole process can feel a little rushed, especially in a collegiate program. However, I can say without a doubt that earning an Instrument Rating has been the most rewarding part of my flight journey so far.

FMI: www.faa.gov