Instrument Rating: The First 100 Hours

Congratulations! Youve just passed your instrument practical test. A significant achievement, requiring much more discipline and learning than even the private pilot exam. Or maybe youve held your instrument rating for a while, but youve never developed a plan to improve your skills. You may have even let your skills erode in some areas, to the extent you couldnt pass every task if you had to retake the practical test today. Unfortunately, most pilots get handed the proverbial "license to learn" by a pilot examiner, then dont really know what to do next except "go out and fly." To avoid aimlessness or atrophy of your instrument skills and the life-threatening danger aimlessness breeds, first ask yourself what type of flying-personal transportation, time-sensitive business flying, etc.-you plan to do. Commit to a goal, whether its simply maintaining your skills at basic IFR levels, advancing beyond your current capabilities, or aiming for airline transport pilot standards. Then map out a program for the next 100 flight hours to develop and hone the necessary skills. Emphasis should be on safety, aimed toward what you want to do with airplanes. Be serious, but keep it interesting, challenging and fun.

Key Takeaways:

• Instrument-rated pilots need a structured, personalized "100-hour plan" beyond the minimum FAA requirements (FAR 61.57c) to prevent skill erosion and ensure safety.
• This plan should focus on skill retention, customization for specific flying goals, enhancement to higher proficiency levels, and regular quality control with an instructor.
• It's crucial to gain experience in actual instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), as initial training often lacks this, and continuous, lifelong learning is essential for true expertise and safety.

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