Instrument Proficiency Check

The instrument rating is what allows a pilot to use his or her certificate for dependable transportation rather than just for fun and recreation.  Keeping your hard earned instrument rating current is necessary every 6 months in order to exercise the privileges of the rating.  Should your rating fall out of currency, you have 6 months of grace period to get current with the help of a safety pilot.  After 12 months, you must either complete an Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) or retake the instrument rating practical test.  Most pilots opt for the IPC and many pilots also complete an IPC every 6 months to maintain their instrument skills and enhance safety.  Think about it this way.   Professional pilots that fly routinely and accumulate hundreds of hours per year are required by operating regulations or insurance requirements to complete routine recurrent training.  If they need it, how much more so does the typical private pilot flying a few hours a month?

FAA Part 61 rules do not set forth a number of hours for the IPC, but rather states that the check pilot or certified instructor is to establish a flight review that allows the pilot to demonstrate a representative number tasks required by the instrument rating PTS.  Therefore, the PTS is used as the guide and reference standard.

Our IPC consists of a ground review of the rules and regulations, IFR procedures for each phase of flight, weather and weather products, and emergency situations.  This usually takes about 2 hours.  The flying portion is tailored for your type of IFR flight operations and aircraft equipment.  We'll do basic attitude instrument flying and unusual attitude recovery in both full and partial panel configurations, holding, navigation tasks, and approaches (again, in both full and partial panel configurations).  The flying portion typically takes a couple of hours.

Estimated Cost:

Click here for information on our Instrument Ground School Course.