INSTRUMENT RATING / CFII
Instrument Rating at KART
An instrument rating teaches you to fly by reference to your instruments and navigate in the clouds. In the North Country, where low ceilings and lake-effect weather are part of life, it is the rating that turns a fair-weather pilot into a far more capable and safer one.
Why instrument training matters here
Weather off Lake Ontario can turn a clear morning at KART into a gray afternoon. Instrument training teaches precise aircraft control, careful planning and good decision-making, which makes you a sharper pilot even on clear days. Most pilots who go on to commercial flying earn it along the way.
FAA requirements
To start, you need a private pilot certificate. For the airplane instrument rating, Part 61 requires:
- 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command
- 40 hours of actual or simulated instrument time
- 15 of those instrument hours with an authorized instructor (a CFII)
- A passed FAA instrument knowledge test and practical test
Additional experience and proficiency requirements apply; our instructors will walk you through exactly where you stand.
What training covers
- 01
Attitude instrument flying
Holding heading, altitude and airspeed precisely with no outside view.
- 02
Navigation and holds
Flying radials, courses and holding patterns, and staying ahead of the airplane.
- 03
Approaches
Flying instrument approaches down to minimums and executing missed approaches.
- 04
IFR cross-country
Filing, receiving clearances and flying a full instrument flight plan.
- 05
Checkride preparation
Polishing everything to the standard the examiner expects.
Ground instruction with Jake Miller, our Advanced and Instrument Ground Instructor, covers the regulations, charts and weather knowledge you need for the written test and real-world IFR flying.
Your instructors and aircraft
Shawn Herrmann, Patrick Lyon and Nicolas DeSantis all hold CFII ratings, so you can train with the same instructor from start to finish. Shawn has been flying since 2001 and brings airline experience; Patrick is known for being patient and methodical right through the instrument ticket.
Our Cessna 172 Skyhawk N273EB has dual Garmin G5 displays and a Garmin GNS 650 navigator, giving you a modern glass-panel cockpit to train in. Ask us which aircraft we use for each stage of instrument training.
Timeline and cost
As a planning scenario, 40–60 hours of dual instrument preparation comes to $9,600–$14,400 at the Cessna 150 dual rate or $10,600–$15,900 at the Cessna 172 dual rate of $265/hour. That assumes your required cross-country experience is already logged; time building is not included, and ground instruction, test and examiner fees are extra. Pilots who fly consistently, several times a week, tend to retain more between lessons.
QUESTIONS / INSTRUMENT RATING
Common questions.
Something else on your mind? Call (315) 285-7272 and talk to an instructor.
THE FIRST ENTRY
Book a Discovery Flight.
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