If you’re like me, one of the first goals I assigned myself after earning my private pilot certificate was to add the instrument rating. For other pilots, VFR-only flying may be where adding certificates and ratings stops but the education continues. The daunting task of putting trust fully into your instruments and air traffic controllers is a bridge some pilots won’t cross. But in the natural progression of pilot certificates and ratings, adding the instrument rating is a common goal after getting through the private checkride.
Getting the instrument rating was challenging, not least because of the need to find ways to come up with the thousands of dollars required. I had the time to fly as much as possible but it soon became apparent I needed to cut costs and extract greater value from my investment. In short, I needed to maximize my flying experience. On raising these concerns with my flight instructor, he explained what a safety pilot was and how one can be beneficial when training for the instrument rating, not to mention keeping it current afterward.
