Flight time logged to meet the FAA Instrument Airplane requirements under FAR §141 Appendix C should be logged as follows:
For Pilots Pursuing an Initial Instrument Rating
35 hours of actual or simulated instrument flight training
- 35+ hours logged as actual or simulated instrument flight.
- Time is logged in an airplane of any class.
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Simulator time allowed:
- Up to 17.5 hours combined:
- FFS - 17.5 hours maximum.
- AATD or FTD - 14 hours maximum.
- BATD - 8.7 hours maximum.
- Up to 17.5 hours combined:
250 nm Instrument cross-country training flight
- Log a flight that has a distance of at least 250 nautical miles.
- Time is logged as Cross-Country time.
- Time is logged as Dual Received time.
- Time is logged as Instrument (Simulated or Actual) time.
- Entry must include three instrument approaches (The following do not count: ASR, PAR, SRA, and Visual).
- To qualify, each approach type must be different. For example, two RNAV approaches would only count as one.
- Entry must log an instrument approach at each airport along its route, excluding the point of departure.
- Time is logged in an Aircraft ASEL.
- Simulator time is not counted.
For Pilots Pursuing an Additional Instrument Rating
- An instrument rating is entered into the logbook as a certificate with "instrument" in the title under Qualifications > Certificates.
- 15+ hours logged as actual or simulated instrument flight.
- Time is logged in an Aircraft ASEL.
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Simulator time up to 7.5 hours allowed:
- FFS - 7.5 hours maximum.
- AATD or FTD - 6 hours maximum.
- BATD - 3.7 hours maximum.
250 nm Instrument cross-country training flight
- Entry must log a flight that has a distance of at least 250 nautical miles.
- Time is logged as Cross-Country time.
- Time is logged as Dual Received time.
- Time is logged as Instruments (Simulated or Actual) time.
- Time is logged in an Aircraft ASEL.
- Entry must include three instrument approaches (The following do not count: ASR, PAR, SRA, Visual)
- To qualify, each approach type must be different. For example, two RNAV approaches would only count as one.
- Entry must log an instrument approach at each airport along its route, excluding the point of departure.
- Simulator time is not counted.
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