Fly in the clouds.
To earn your Instrument Rating, you must have at least a Private Pilot Certificate and:
- 50 Hours of cross country flight time as pilot in command
- 40 Hours of simulated instrument flight time (some can be in an approved simulator* )
- 15 hours of instrument training from an authorized instructor
- 3 hours of flight training in the preceding 2 months before the test
- 1 Cross Country under IFR of at least 250 nm with a different instrument approach at 3 different airports
* Time allowances for simulated instrument time in an approved simulator will depend on the level of certification the simulator has with the FAA