FAA Instrument rating — airplane: the hours, and when you'll have them
50 hours of cross-country as pic, including 40 instrument and actual or simulated. From 14 CFR 61.65(d), read from the rule text on 19 September 2026.
The minimums
| Requirement | Hours |
|---|---|
| Cross-country as PICOnly cross-country flown as PIC counts, 10 of it in an airplane — this reads all your cross-country time, so it can read high. | 50 |
| Instrument, actual or simulated15 of it with an instrument-rated instructor. | 40 |
Also required: Also 3 hours of instrument training within 2 calendar months of the test, and an IFR cross-country of 250 nm with three kinds of approach.
Plan it
Your totals and your monthly rate for each. Nothing leaves this page.
| Requirement | Need | You have | A month | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-country as PIC | 50 | — | ||
| Instrument, actual or simulated | 40 | — |
Fill in what you have to see what's left.
Let your logbook fill this in
AvLog Plus has this goal built in, and twelve more across six authorities. Its Goals tab reads every flight you log, works out your pace from your last twelve months, and moves the date as you fly — with the pace a target date needs and the requirement holding you back. A$29 once, every edition.
Common questions
How many hours do you need for the FAA Instrument rating — airplane?+
50 hours of cross-country as pic, including 40 instrument and actual or simulated. That is the headline from 14 CFR 61.65(d); the rule adds conditions — cross-country as pic: Only cross-country flown as PIC counts, 10 of it in an airplane — this reads all your cross-country time, so it can read high. instrument, actual or simulated: 15 of it with an instrument-rated instructor.
What else does the FAA Instrument rating — airplane need besides hours?+
Also 3 hours of instrument training within 2 calendar months of the test, and an IFR cross-country of 250 nm with three kinds of approach.
Where do these numbers come from?+
They were read from 14 CFR 61.65(d) itself on 19 September 2026. Rules change, and your authority decides what it accepts — check the rule before you rely on a number here.