5 Reasons Why You Need To Get Your Instrument Rating!

[@TheMarcball]

Cool, thanks. Background music too loud, though... Thanks for the inspiration and keep on trucking!

[@Payne2view]

I totally agree. Not having an IR is like not having headlights on a car.

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

Totally ! Thanks for watching!

[@747-pilot]

I agree, but only to a point. Yes, if you are using your pilot certificate for "practical flying" (and by that I mean to go from place to place, a fair distance away), then an instrument rating is very highly recommended, IMHO, for the reasons mentioned in this video, and then some! But there are a lot of pilots who get their certificates for _purely recreational_ purposes, mainly for *_enjoying_* the activity of flying itself, watching the scenery go by etc. And they rarely, if ever, fly long distances. These are the "Sunday" fair weather fliers, who only want to fly when the weather is perfect. Flying "in the soup" is pointless for these folks. I've spoken to quite a few such people, and they've said an IR would have zero value to them. For them an instrument rating is clearly a huge unnecessary cost (flight training has gotten super expensive, and getting an instrument rating can cost well over 10K), not to mention it is, indeed, a huge endeavor in terms of effort! I would even go so far as to say, that out of all certificates/ratings one can get, the IR is likely the hardest one of them all, for most folks, even though personally, I did not find that to be true. In fact, I found the commercial checkride with its P/off 180 accuracy was a bit trickier! Now, all of that said, I believe the problem arises, when people _overestimate_ what they can do with their "VFR only" certificate, and then cut corners, like flying under a low ceiling and scud running! This is where good judgment is key! For instance, you can fly VFR with just 3 miles visibility in most airspace, and in class G you need just 1 sm! That is pretty sketchy, IMHO! A person having an IR, would definitely be much better off in "marginal" conditions such as these!

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

747-pilot Thanks for the comments! Yeah I kind of agree there too because there are just those pilots who just want to fly on that clean Sunday but flying is all about proficiency and currency and there’s no way or no better way to be better prepared than getting your instrument rating. However you are right that if someone just wants to fly around and have their pilots license and isn’t that serious about it then there’s no need ..as long as they’re safe😇😇😇 thanks for watching!

[@jimtaylor2448]

Totally agree. Working on PPL and then straight on to IR.

[@Aerospace_Education]

I could not agree with this more. Your safety factor goes up just an incredible amount. The clouds no longer become those things you have to avoid and kills your trip. I used to live up north before moving down south. It was almost always cloudy. My CFI really pushed me during the PPL learning phase to get some hours and go right to Instrument as soon as possible. Him and you are so right. Yes there is a cost and yest your airplane has to do it. But again such a big safety issue. Also with the Electronic Flight Bags in our aircraft's right now, it is so much easier to visualize approaches, Stars, arrivals and even holding patterns. Thanks for the video.

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

Absolutely!! Thanks for watching!

[@knoxflier5171]

Fully Agree, great video and points! I got my ppl a year and a half ago, am about to turn 51 next month, and I just got my instrument rating last Saturday. It feels so good to have accomplished it, I worked really hard the last 6 months.

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

Congratulations- you will be so glad you did this! Thanks for watching!

[@AnalyticalMind]

Great channel ! I’m 54 and study for the written exam.

[@Parr4theCourse]

Our trip last year to the Bahamas would have added 2 days of delays to our trip had I not got my Instrument rating a year prior. Not due to "BAD" weather but due to low ceilings that would have prevented a takeoff under VFR conditions. We meet a pilot on Staniel cay and he made it VFR, but he admitted that he lost 2 days and some deposits due to "minor" weather delays!

[@rn2811]

Got my IR FINALLY last year and yeah it was a bitch, but so glad I got it. Remember what may be legal may not be the safest option stick to your minimums.

[@richardbabin4393]

Doing it now, going for my stage 1 check in a week!

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

Let us know how you did!

[@Renegadeproject]

More great information from you!

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

Thanks !

[@mikecoy7523]

They should let sport pilots get their IR.

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

Then they wouldn’t be sport pilots !😇

[@JonMulveyGuitar]

Safety Safety Safety Safety Safety! Haha! Retaking the Sling Academy 8 week IFR online class with my CFI. And I am studying for my private now. Better to have more preparation than less:-) Go O50LTF Go!

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

Awesome!!!

[@JonMulveyGuitar]

Thanks, Ted! This is a great clip! Excellent job! I live in the Sierra Nevada and watch big weather form around me all the time. A clear morning goes to massive cloud development in minutes.

[@davecat1458]

Devils advocate here. Everyone claims to feel safer With this rating. Unless you spend the time staying current which to me means way more than 6 approaches every six months, you should not just assume I’m safer. Over the past few years there has been a rash of planes flown by instrument rated pilots dropping out of clouds during loss of control accidents killing themselves and innocents on the ground. If you have the rating you had better spend the time, effort, and money to be worthy of instrument flight.

[@Over50andLearningToFly]

True- its hard put put a qualifier in here- basically you need to be 100% all in when you are in aviation... I agree with your point- getting an IR does not guarantee anything- it gives your a license to continuously grow more proficient. I shoot instrument approaches no matter where I go- all the time. I think I have over 175 in the last 9 months. Not everybody is like that but if they are continuously striving towards proficiency then they are in the right direction. Thanks for watching!